Israeli Aircraft Strike Gaza, Hit Security Compound
Apr 04 8:18 AM US/Eastern
Palestinian witnesses said that two missiles struck a training base used by Palestinian security forces in Gaza City. Another missile hit the northern Gaza Strip, an area often used for...

Iran Says Ready To Negotiate On Large-Scale Uranium Enrichment
TEHRAN - Iran is prepared to negotiate on the large-scale enrichment of uranium but will never abandon its right to enrich uranium, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told a press conference Tuesday.

Mottaki said the research-scale enrichment that Iran began in February was in exercise of that right and will continue.

Blix: Iran 'Five Years' From Nuclear Bomb...
Former U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix said Monday that Iran is a least five years away from developing a nuclear bomb, leaving time to peacefully negotiate a settlement.

"A powerful torpedo made by experts of the Revolutionary Guards will be test fired today in the Persian Gulf. Tomorrow, we will see other missile test firings by the Revolutionary Guards in the 'Great Prophet' war games," Rear Admiral Dehqani told television, which only gave his family name.

Hamas PA Minister: No Room For Israel On land
Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar said in an interview to the Chinese news agency: "I dream about hanging a huge map of the world on the wall of my Gaza house, in which Israel will not appear."

Abu Musab Al Zarqawi’s Gaza Cell Is Gearing Up For A Major Terrorist Attack Against Palestinian Target
The cell, whose penetration of Gaza DEBKAfile first revealed last September, now numbers 10 operatives. Al Qaeda took advantage of Israel’s pull-back to establish itself in the Gaza Strip.

Zarqawi’s agents from Jordan and Egypt are positioning operational cells on the West Bank too, ready for strikes against both Israel and the Hamas-ruled Palestinian Authority.

5.2-Magnitude Quake Injures 12 In NW Pakistan
A 5.2-magnitude earthquake followed by an aftershock rattled Pakistan's capital and several other towns in the country's north Tuesday, injuring 12 people, police said.

The injuries were reported in Battagram, a town about 150 kilometers north of Islamabad that had been badly hit by October's monster quake, said Waris Khan, a local police official.

Comments
Iran has taken a proactive muscle flexing stand against a possible U.S. lead air strike on their nuclear sites.  In reaction to news that an attack is imminent they have staged a series of military war games that have emphasized supposed new radar evasive technology.  Confirmation on the accuracy of their reported breakthroughs is still unconfirmed.

Iran also said that they were ready to negotiate on the large-scale enrichment of uranium but dismissed abandoning uranium enrichment all together.  This is just another attempt at stalling to give their scientists more time to get to that all important point of no return.

In response to the launching of at least 12 rockets into Israel on Tuesday by Palestinian militant factions, the Israeli air force has retaliated with heavy missile strikes of their own on Palestinian military sites in Gaza City. 

Things are really heating up in the world.  I realize that wars and rumors of wars have been the story of planet earth for centuries but the magnitude has never been greater and it's going to get a lot worse as we get closer to the tribulation period.  

Of course, the first thing we should be looking for is the rapture of the church (I Thessalonians 4:13-18).  And if you don't believe there will be a pre-tribulation rapture that's okay...there's a lot more things to worry about in this life than that and you won't lose your salvation.  But for those of us who do, I believe life will be pretty normal up until the time the Lord sends shockwaves around the world .  This is what I Thessalonians 5:2-4 has to say about this event:

"For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief."

I believe this to be a picture of the transformation from a pre-tribulation period to the day after the rapture.  It's hard to say what will transpire directly after the rapture takes place due to insufficient Biblical facts. 

I would venture to say that there'll probably be a period of time that will pass before the actual tribulation period comes about.  It could be as short as a few days or years before a peace treaty with Israel comes about.  If you remember, the signing of a peace agreement between Israel and the coming antichrist marks day one of the tribulation period.

During that time between the rapture and the beginning of the tribulation period I believe satan will cause the antichrist and false prophet to rise to great power in a very short time.  For it will be satan who will give him "his power, and his seat, and great authority" (Revelation 13:2b).  How long this will take would only be a guess but they will take the world by storm.  Eventually, satan will enter the antichrist and demand universal worship as God.  The false prophet's job will be to promote the worship of the antichrist through great signs and wonders (Revelation 13:11-17).  I can't image the (whole) world coming to the place of worshipping a man but the Bible says that day will come.

But before this happens, there will be a great falling away, which I believe will be enhanced by the departing of the Holy Spirit.  He will go when all Christians are raptured but will return when 144,000 witnesses are filled and sealed at the beginning of the tribulation.  This falling away will be twofold where Christians will be taken, and without their influence, a great spiritual falling away will occur on earth. 

Following the rapture I believe man will become increasingly evil and religion will become institutionalized.  A Christ centered church will no longer exist.  God will take on an impersonal role in the church and it will be more ceremonial than anything else.  The belief that God is the same God to all but under different names for different religions will be the world's central belief.  That is until the antichrist declares himself to be God, then all religions and beliefs will cease and the world will serve him.  satan will have little tolerance for the jihadist and terrorist of the world putting them down in quick order.  There will be no other god but antichrist (satan)!

This will be a very dark time and the change will be shocking yet subtle.  "Then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:3)  

The Bible says that this time will be the most horrible and terrible in the history of mankind where men will seek death but it will flee from them. Did you hear me!  Men will actually try to kill themselves but God will not allow them to die (Revelation 9:6). 

Do you know the Lord?  If not your time is running out!

One day I will write this phrase for the last time.  Don't allow yourself to be one day late...come to Jesus today before it's too late!

Pastor Malone