Iran, Indiana, and Knowing God is in Control

The negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 countries have been extended for at least one more day.  One wonders if we will ever know exactly what is happening behind those closed doors.  One wonders who is in the driver's seat there in Switzerland; one can almost imagine that the Iranians are feeling pretty good.  From initial leaked reports, the Iranians will be allowed to keep approximately 6,000 centrifuges operating - this is out of an estimated 10,000 or more centrifuges that they presently have.  They will have to scale back on their nuclear development program for ten years.  And, in return, many of the economic sanctions will be lifted.  What happens at the end of ten years?  It looks like it could be full-speed ahead toward the creation of enough nuclear material for a bomb. 

I am left wondering why the United States is all of a sudden trying to curry the favor of the Iranians.  The Ayatollahs ruling Iran today represent a government that has not changed since the 1979 Iranian Revolution.  I remember those anxious days when many Americans were humiliated by the Iranian revolutionaries for over a year.  The chant then was "Death to Israel and Death to America."  Perhaps the "Death to America" is not being trumpeted as loudly today as back in 1979, but you know that the intent of the Iranian regime has not changed.  Just look at what the Iranians are doing right now in the Middle East:  1) they are backing the Houthi rebels who are seeking to bring Yemen into the radical world of ISIS; 2) they are sending advanced missile systems to the Hezbollah rebels in Lebanon.  According to an article published today at the Israelnationalnews.com website, "A senior Israeli security source revealed on Tuesday that Iran is smuggling rockets souped-up with advanced guided warheads to its terror proxy of Hezbollah in Lebanon, posing a direct threat to the Jewish state of Israel from right over its northern border.  Col. Aviram Hasson, a leader in the IDF's top-level missile defenses ... said Iran is taking unguided Zitzal rockets and upgrading them into guided M-600 missiles by swapping out their warheads with more advanced components.  The Islamic regime is a 'train engine that is not stopping for a moment.  It is manufacturing new and advanced ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.  It is turning unguided rockets that had an accuracy range of kilometers into weapons that are accurate within meters.' ... The assessment posited that Hezbollah would hit Israel with 1,000-1,500 rockets every day, and the number of Israelis killed daily will be in double or even triple digits." 

Friends, that is what Iran is doing?  And, if their intentions are not clear enough, the Commander of Iran's Basij Force, Brigadier General Mohammed Reza Naqdi, said, "wiping Israel off the map is not up for negotiation." 

Meanwhile, the rift between the United States Administration and the State of Israel continues to widen.  This past week our government declassified a report on Israel's nuclear capabilities.  I know you did not hear it on the main stream media, but it happened nonetheless.  I read a fascinating op-ed piece this morning, written by Lee Kaplan and posted on the Israelnationalnews.com website.  You can access this very important article at www.israelnationalnews.com/articles/article.aspx/16711.  I encourage you to read this article. 

I also wanted to share with you some thoughts about the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act that has caused an uproar in Indiana.  Basically, the bill is no different from the national RFRA that was passed and signed into law in 1993 by President Clinton.  This bill was passed by the Indiana State Legislature and signed by Governor Mike Pence in order to protect Hoosier citizens from being compelled to conduct a business practice that was against their religious convictions.  The bill was not intended to be discriminatory, but was to be a tool to help ordinary citizens should the government of Indiana call into question an action based upon religious convictions and beliefs.  The freedom of religious expression is one of the basic rights guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.  The Supreme Court has recently upheld that expression in a recent case involving Hobby Lobby. 

Of course, immediately the mainstream media picked up on this Indiana law and proclaimed that it was discriminatory toward the homosexual community.  And so the marches began.  The vilifying began.  The accusations were hurled.  The threats were made. 

Let's look at this law from a different angle.  Supposed I operated a hardware store.  Included among those items that I sold were various poisons used to kill rodents.  Now suppose someone came into my store and inquired about purchasing some poisons because they wanted to kill their child.  Now, I believe that one of the Ten Commandments clearly states that it is wrong to take another person's life.  So, do I sell the poisons that are requested?  Of course not!  Am I being discriminatory?  Yes I am because selling a poison to a man whose intentions were counter to my belief system would be wrong.  And no one would condemn me for my actions in refusing that person's request, anymore than if I refused to sell someone a gun, knowing the intentions for the gun were to harm someone else.  Here is where the ridiculousness of the mainstream media is shown: The law does not preclude a homosexual person from purchasing either goods or services; he has that freedom.  If he wants a cake, he can purchase a cake; in fact, he can buy the cake from me, if I am a baker.  If she wants flowers, she can purchase flowers; in fact, she can purchase the flowers from me, if I am a florist.  But the law does state that I can refuse to provide either goods or services if, by providing those goods or services, I violate those religious beliefs that I strongly hold to.  Such a refusal does not mean that I am making a value-judgment against that person.  It simply means that what he or she is requesting is something I simply cannot do.  As a business owner, I should have that right without being accused of being discriminatory.  In other words, I may sell you a cake or flowers, even though I know you are gay; but I cannot make your same-sex wedding cake or arrange flowers for your same-sex wedding because that would violate a strong biblical belief that I hold dear.

The problem is that the gay community wants everyone to endorse their manner of living.  So, instead of simply walking down the street to another vendor who is willing to provide the requested goods or services, they force the issue because they want universal acceptance. 

Friends, do you feel that the world is spinning out of control?  Well, let me assure you that it is not!  Our God is powerfully in control.  The God who rolled away the stone that first Easter morning and raised His only Son to life, is the same God who is now preparing the world for the return of the King.  Perhaps we will hear the sound of the trumpet on Easter Sunday as we echo those wonderful words, "He is risen!  He is risen indeed!"