Is This the End of Christianity in the Middle East?

[phkrause]

ISIS and other extremist movements across the region are enslaving, killing and uprooting Christians, with no aid in sight.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/07/26/magazine/is-this-the-end-of-christianity-in-the-middle-east.html?_r=0

[hch]

If ISIS is unchecked, it may well be the end of civilization as we know it. The dark ages revived?

[B/W Photodude]

If ISIS is unchecked, it may well be the end of civilization as we know it. The dark ages revived?

Sorry to inform you, but civilization has already passed the tipping point and cannot recover.

[hch]

ISIS and other extremist movements across the region are enslaving, killing and uprooting Christians, with no aid in sight.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/07/26/magazine/is-this-the-end-of-christianity-in-the-middle-east.html?_r=0

Long article. Verifies ISIS is drying up the Euphrates of "peoples, multitudes, & nations" to prepare for Christ's Coming. Amen!

[hch]

Sorry to inform you, but civilization has already passed the tipping point and cannot recover

Another sign that Jesus is coming soon. Amen

[JoeMo]

Long article... It may appear that Christianity will disappear in the Middle East; and indeed the beast power and antichrist will wear out the saints; but they won't wipe out the church.  The story spoke of Christians forming alliances with Islam.  Eventually, Jews may do the same, just to survive. Could this be the adultery that the harlot on the beast commits with the kings of the world?

BTW, I don't see the pope exterminating the church in the Middle East.  It appears to be Islam that is doing it.  Does the church need to review it's position on who the beast and antichrist powers are?

[LifeHiscost]

If ISIS is unchecked, it may well be the end of civilization as we know it. The dark ages revived?

 

“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” Before man was created, the heavenly intelligences were governed by the principles of the law of God. When man was created, God gave to Adam and Eve a knowledge of his ten precepts. When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy, God laid the foundation for

marriage

and for the

Sabbath

institution.

  

{ST October 8, 1894, par. 1}

The law has passed in the U.S. legislative halls that marriage is no longer defined as between one man and one woman, as I understand.

  

 

Same-Sex Marriage Laws

6/26/2015

Table of Contents

• State Same-Sex Marriage Laws Map
• History

Contact

• All Press Inquiries

Latest Development: The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states cannot ban same-sex marriage, thereby requiring all states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Background and History: State legislatures, voters and more recently the courts have made sweeping changes over the past two decades in laws defining whether marriage is limited to relationships between a man and a woman or is extended to same-sex couples. Before the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Oct. 6, 2014, declining to hear cases on same-sex marriage, 31 states had either constitutional or statutory provisions that explicitly defined marriage as between a man and a woman and just 19 states and the District of Columbia allowed same-sex marriage. Now, at least 37 states and D.C. recognize same-sex marriage.

The status of same-sex marriage remains in flux. All states have some court case pending on the topic. Five of those states’ cases were pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court decided not to hear the cases, thereby allowing the decisions from the 4th, 7th and 10th U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal to stand. That meant same-sex couples could marry in five more states—Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. The following day, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down same-sex marriage bans in Nevada and Idaho.

Two days later, West Virginia’s attorney general stopped his defense of that state’s ban. Colorado’s attorney general said the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision invalidates that state’s ban. In North Carolina, a federal judge ruled that state’s ban unconstitutional, applying the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling. Alaska's appeal was refused by the Supreme Court and a federal district judge ruled Arizona's ban unconstitutional and the attorney general said he would not appeal the decision. Wyoming is the latest state where the attorney general has decided not to appeal a federal district court judge ruling the state’s ban unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court on Nov. 12, 2014, lifted its hold on issuing same-sex marriage licenses in Kansas. A South Carolina state Supreme Court and federal judge in Montana are the latest to rule overturning same-sex marriage bans. On Jan. 6, 2015, the state of Florida will begin allowing same-sex marriage after a district judge ruled the ban unconstitutional and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to grant the state’s attorney general a stay on the decision. On February 9, 2015 Alabama began issuing same-sex marriage licenses after a U.S. district judge ruled the state's ban unconstitutional. The judge put the January decision on hold to allow the state to prepare. The state requested the hold be extended, but the U.S. Supreme Court refused to do so. With these changes, at least 37 states and D.C. recognize same-sex marriage. In June 2015, a federal judge in Guam ruled their ban to be unconstitutional, making Guam the first territory to allow same-sex marriage.

There is also a federal appeals court ruling to uphold states' ban on same-sex marriage. On Nov. 6, 2014, a federal appeals court judge in the 6th U.S. Circuit upheld four states' bans on same-sex marriage. The opinion upholds bans in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. The decision is the first by a federal appeals court to uphold the bans. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the four cases. The court is expected to hear arguments in April and make a decision in June on whether it is constitutional for states to prohibit same-sex marriage and whether states may refuse to recognize same-sex marriages lawfully performed out of state.

States that Allowed Same-Sex Marriage Prior to 2015 U.S. Supreme Court Ruling

Alabama	New Hampshire
Alaska	New Jersey
Arizona	New Mexico
California	New York
Colorado	North Carolina
Connecticut	Oklahoma
Delaware	Oregon
Florida	Pennsylvania
Hawaii	Rhode Island
Idaho	South Carolina
Illinois	Utah
Indiana	Vermont
Iowa	Virginia
Kansas	Washington
Maine	West Virginia
Maryland	Wisconsin
Massachusetts	Wyoming
Minnesota	District of Columbia
Montana	Guam
Nevada

 

 

   

God is Love!  Jesus saves! 

[phkrause]

Does the church need to review it's position on who the beast and antichrist powers are?

Not at all!!

[hch]

JoeMo asked "Does the church need to review it's position on who the beast and antichrist powers are?"

Not at all!!

phkrause, Are you sure that the church's position does not have a little need of up dating? After all isn't the Laodicean message that something has crept into the church that you don't see in its proper focus? It thinks that it is in "need of nothing" but Jesus says it is "blind" and needs "eyesalve" so it can see something that it is overlooking.

So instead of "not at all" maybe some of it's position on the beast and antichrist might be worthy of review?

[Gregory Matthews]

A review of a church position does not mean that it either needs to be changed or that it will be changed.

 

 

[Aliensanctuary]

Is This the End of Christianity in the Middle East?              

If there are any followers of Christ in toxic-Islam countries, they will have to keep their faith secret if they want to live. Ultimately, according to scripture, the whole world will unite against followers of Christ and YHVH and attempt to eradicate them. Too bad the world hates the followers of YHVH because the teachings of Christ, if followed, would transform this world into a far, far better place than the fanatic followers of death-loving toxic Islam could ever hope to.

(Recall, though, that Joshua and his warriors killed everything living in Jericho, including babies and animals, then burned what was left of the town to the ground because YHVH ordered him to do so. Although, Rahab the Prostitute and her family members were spared because she hid the two Israeli spies on her rooftop.)

[hch]

A review of a church position does not mean that it either needs to be changed or that it will be changed.

As I read the message to Laodicea, they are satisfied with what they have. I would not expect Laodicea to change those things that Christ mentioned of them. But I would hope that there is a remnant within Laodicea that will heed Christ's message and do it post haste.

[Tom Wetmore]

Does the church need to review it's position on who the beast and antichrist powers are?

IMHO, that would be poor utilization of the time we have left and missing the key message Revelation for the saints.  Why spend so much time seeking out the imposter of the Lamb?  Follow the Lamb... wherever He goes.  Seek Him and you will find Him.  We really need to spend our time on the Good News of the Lamb and stop wasting time on finding and understanding the never ending parade of beastly imposters and opposers of Christ.

Edited August 7, 2015 by Tom Wetmore

[JoeMo]

Tom,

Your post above outlines the most important thing we can do to prepare for whatever comes - THAT is the truly salvational message of the Gospel is to believe in the Lord and you shall be saved.  Get to know him, trust Him, and remember the things He has done for you personally and what He has done forthose who belong to Him throughout history.  I don't know how much those Middle Eastern Christians knew about prophecy, but they loved their Lord enough to lay down their lives for Him rather than pretend to be Muslim.

I debate this stuff not because it's necessarily salvational; but because it is extremely interesting.  Study of prophecy is one of the few things I've maintained throughout my SDA experience.  Many of us came in through evangelistic meetings based mainly on Daniel and Revelation.  I just never lost my curiosity for it.  For me, prophecy is the Rubic's cube of scripture.  Since about 1/3 of the Bible is dedicated to prophecy, it just seems that God wants us to have and understand this knowledge.

[Tom Wetmore]

I wasted a lot of time mastering the Rubric's cube.  Impressive party trick, attention getter, mental challenge, but not particularly useful skill.

[JoeMo]

I wasted a lot of time mastering the Rubric's cube.  Impressive party trick, attention getter, mental challenge, but not particularly useful skill.

I hope you're not implyng that studying prophecy is a waste of time.  Obsessing over it might be a waste; but studying it is kinda important.

[Tom Wetmore]

That would depend on why one is studying prophecy and whether it results in spiritual growth, and not just knowledge and riddle solving.  I grew up with the traditional Adventist evangelism of Revelation Timelines and the parade of beasts. The emphasis always seemed an effort at predicting the time of the judgment which by the timeline seem to be saying there was no more future because the end was Already upon us and the judgment books were just about to close.  It might just already be too late. I am more inclined now to see that as not really the message we should be focusing on from Revelation.  Revelation was a scary book.  It didn't seem to carry much of a message of Good News.

it wasn't until I learned to read Revelation for its spiritual message and not so much to unravel the prophetic mysteries that I began to see it in an entirely different light.  It is a very encouraging message of hope.  No need to to worry about the parade of imposters. From beginning to end it is the revealing of Jesus, for who He really is. Keep the focus on the Lamb. Follow Him wherever He goes.  Nothing to worry about.  It's all good.  The devil loses.  God wins.  And  his people are safe.

That isn't a waste of time. 

[Naomi]

Amen Tom!!!

it wasn't until I learned to read Revelation for its spiritual message and not so much to unravel the prophetic mysteries that I began to see it in an entirely different light.  It is a very encouraging message of hope.  No need to to worry about the parade of imposters. From beginning to end it is the revealing of Jesus, for who He really is. Keep the focus on the Lamb. Follow Him wherever He goes.  Nothing to worry about.  It's all good.  The devil loses.  God wins.  And  his people are safe.

That isn't a waste of time. 

[Aliensanctuary]

Seems like being forced to keep one's faith a secret on pain of death might be a good way to get rid of the non-essentials.

[JoeMo]

I just got back From the One Project gathering in Boulder, CO this weekend.  What was discussed there confirms Tom's earlier message that developing that firm, trusting, intimate relationship now rather than later is the best preparation we can make to meet end-time challenges - no matter WHAT they are or from whom they are coming.  While I will continue to study prophecy (just cuz I love it), my first priority is on becoming whatever it is Jesus wants me to become whenever He wants me to become that.  We need to focus os "being"; not just "doing".  Christianity will never end! God has promised us!

[8thdaypriest]

I was reading this morning, a book highlighting the history of the early church.  The author was making the point about the great majority of early "churches" being Jewish.  They simply accepted Yeshua as the promised Messiah.  That MEANT something to them!  Archeology and history tells us that, by far the majority of early "Christian" churches, were in Jewish sections of large cities.  The first "missionaries" went to synagogues in Roman controlled cities.  The dispersion of the Jews actually prepared the way for the spread of the gospel through the world then known.  It is soooooo fascinating to consider, in light of later history, what was actually a "curse" and what proved a blessing.  Jesus said, "If I go not away, the comforter will not come."  If I was one of those disciples, I could not possible have thought of Jesus departure as a "blessing".  But it WAS!  When troubles come in my own life, I try to apply that principle.  What may SEEM like a curse, may actually be a blessing.  Wait and see! 

Now - concerning the END of Christianity in the Middle East,  what hit me, in reading a book on history/archeology, was that Muslim control of all the areas where Jewish and early Christian influence was felt, will BRING AN END to further archeological exploration and discovery. 

[Aliensanctuary]

the great majority of early "churches" being Jewish

Christianity today seems to have lost sight of the basics of the Kingdom of YHVH. It was the LORD who showed Moses what that Kingdom was. Jesus the Messiah arrived at a time when men had a distorted picture of YHVH's Kingdom, and was killed trying to show them what it really was. Jewishness, with all of its rites and rituals, doesn't necessarily point us to the Kingdom.

There is a loss to history when fanatical followers of toxic Islam destroy everything Christian, including Christians, but that broadcasts a clear message to us, one that demonstrates who their master really is, and it is certainly not Allah. The murdering fanatics may erase Christianity and Judaism for a time, but these religions will return because both seek to make this a better world, not a world of blood and death and hate.

[Aliensanctuary]

Today I watched a Christian News broadcast clip where a videographer is claiming to document the growth of Christianity in northern Africa, the very place where Islam rules with a bloody fist. Compared with Christianity, Islam seems to be an unpleasant religion that focuses on the religious "crimes" of others.