Obama's Betrayal of Israel - (from Gatestone Institute)

Truly momentous days are ahead of us.  The very reliable Gatestone Institute writes that a draft of the resolution  to arrive at, at the Paris anti-Israel meeting scheduled for January 15 is already prepared.  This is to serve as the basis for a UN resolution recognizing a Palestinian State within the borders pronounced by Obama and his Secretary of State recently.  At the end of the day, the Obama presidency might be reduced to just this Hamanic  plot against Israel.  All these calculations however discounts the Almighty, the God of Israel.  We'll see how events play out.  SOONER THAN LATER!
Click, to read the article from the source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9755/obama-betrayal-israel
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SELECTIONS FROM THE ARTICLE

• President Obama's decision not to use the US veto in the UN Security Council and to let pass Resolution 2334, effectively sets the boundaries of a future Palestinian state. The resolution declares all of Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem -- home to the Old City, the Western Wall and the Temple Mount -- the most sacred place in Judaism -- "occupied Palestinian territory," and is a declaration of war against Israel.
• Resolution 2334 nullified any possibility of further negotiations by giving the Palestinians everything in exchange for nothing -- not even an insincere promise of peace.
• The next act is the Orwellian-named "peace conference," to be held in Paris on January 15. It has but one objective: to set the stage to eradicate Israel.
• In this new "Dreyfus trial," the accused will be the only Jewish state and the accusers will be the OIC and officials from Islamized, dhimmified, anti-Israel Western states. As in the Dreyfus trial, the verdict has been decided before it even starts. Israel will be considered guilty of all charges and condemned. A draft of the declaration to be published at the end of the conference is already available.
• The declaration rejects any Jewish presence beyond the 1949 armistice lines -- thereby instituting apartheid. It also praises the "Arab Peace Initiative," which calls for returning of millions of so-called "refugees" to Israel, thus transforming Israel into an Arab Muslim state where a massacre of Jews could conveniently be organized.
• The declaration is most likely meant serve as the basis for a new Security Council resolution on January 17 that would recognize a Palestinian state inside the "1967 borders," and be adopted, thanks to a second US abstention, three days before Obama leaves office. The betrayal of Israel by the Obama administration and by Obama himself would then be complete.

In response to new Federal Law, RCCG creates separate office for National Overseer in Nigeria

The General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has announced the appointment of Pastor Joseph Obayemi as Overseer for the Church in Nigeria.  Speaking at the annual national Ministers’ Thanksgiving service on Saturday 7^th January, Pastor Adeboye said the development was necessary in view of the new law governing Not for Profits, which was recently announced by the Federal Government of Nigeria.  The new regulations (the NFPO Code 2016) officially became operational in Nigeria on 17^th October 2016.  It imposes much stricter restrictions on leadership structures in Not for Profit Organizations operating in the country; and significantly, now includes religious organizations in its scope.

Hitherto, Pastor E.A. Adeboye had implicitly assumed the role of Nigeria’s  National Overseer, together with his office as General Overseer, him being based in Nigeria. The RCCG has Parishes in some 192 countries of the world and each country has at least a Country Representative or Overseer, depending on the size of the Church in that country.  A number of Special Assistants to the General Overseer  oversee wide geographical blocs such as North America, Europe, Britain, Australia and the Pacific, Southern Africa, Central Africa, Northern Africa, West (Africa) Coast, etc.   Nigeria had always been left out of these arrangements, until  now, when the new structure is being announced in compliance with the new Federal law.  

Pastor Adeboye observed that Pastor Obayemi has actually been providentially prepared for this new role, him having served extensively in the Salary Review and the Inland Missions structures of the Church.  Also Pastor Obayemi had been representing the RCCG in other Christian organizations in Nigeria such as the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, and the Christian Association of Nigeria.  Also announced, as required by the new Federal Government regulations, were the Secretary and Treasurer for the Nigerian operations of the RCCG.  These are respectively Pastor Johnson F. Odesola and Pastor Joseph Adeyokunnu.

We thank God for the wisdom being granted His people to navigate the tight ropes they constantly are being required to tread, not only in Nigeria, but worldwide in these end times. Virtually all the top Pentecostal Churches in Nigeria are affected by the new Law, and they also would be responding one way or another as the Holy Spirit would be showing them how.  Pastor Adeboye had prefaced this new announcement by mentioning how the more generous and effective pension scheme the Church had operated for years, had to be discontinued in compliance with the new pension laws in the country.

Five Muslims Sentenced to Death for Throwing Couple Accused of ‘Blasphemy’ Into Kiln, Burning Them to Ashes

LAHORE, Pakistan — Five Muslim men have been sentenced to death for their part in murdering a couple who they had wrongfully accused of blasphemy against Islam in 2014. On Wednesday 23^rd November, Judge Chaudhry Azam sentenced Irfan Shakoor, Muhammad Hanif, Mehdi Khan, Riaz Kamboh and Hafiz Ishtiaq to die by hanging for allegedly throwing Shama Bibi, 28, and Shahzad Masih, 32, into a burning kiln in 2014. Eight others were sentenced to two years behind bars.  Details at http://christiannews.net/2016/11/27/five-muslims-sentenced-to-death-for-throwing-couple-accused-of-blasphemy-into-kiln-burning-them-to-ashes/         

Iranian Pastor, Behnam Irani, released after 5 years imprisonment

Good news from Tehran, Iran.  Behnam Irani, pastor at the 300-member Church of Iran in Karaj, was released from jail on October 17.  He had served 5 years in jail for the crime of leading a Bible Study in 2010.  Officially, the charge was  Mofsed fel-Arz or “spreading corruption on Earth,” which carries the death penalty. Another translation of the charge is “enemies of God on Earth.”  As reported by Christiannews.net, Irani had been “beaten while incarcerated, and suffered a bleeding ulcer and herniated disc, as well as failing eyesight. He also had been pressured to recant his faith in Christ, but persevered.” Details at http://christiannews.net/2016/10/23/iranian-pastor-imprisoned-for-spreading-christianity-now-free/

Italian Senate seeking to de-criminalize adultery.

With about half of Italian married men, (and a third of the women) admitting to having had extra-marital affairs, it is not surprising that the Italian Senate is considering a bill to outright de-criminalize adultery in the country. 

Supporters of the Bill, such as Senator Laura Cantini, argue that the concept of “fidelity” in marriage is  “outdated and obsolete”.  They therefore want the word to be removed from marriage contracts, just as it is missing from the contracts used by same-sex partners in their gay “marriages.”

The proposal has already been passed to the Senate Judiciary Committee to consideration.

Making a case for the change, Senator Cantini argued that the current marriage contract is “the legacy of an outdated and antiquated vision of marriage, family and the duties.”  Several comments from the public as noted by Christian.org were however critical of the Senator’s argument. On Facebook, Myra Frost wrote: "A marriage is also a commitment... to be faithful for better or worse. If one can't see himself/herself adhering to it, why bother? http://www.christian.org.uk/news/faithfulness-marriage-outdated-claim-italian-lawmakers/

            Meanwhile a judge in Illinois in the US has angrily noted that adultery is still an offense in the state.  Judge Richard Posner made the comment after he and his other two colleagues at the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals had reluctantly agreed with a man who sued his wife for wire-tapping his email, that the woman indeed had a case to answer.

Paula Epstein had tapped his husband’s email to gain access to his communication with several mistresses with which he was having adulterous affairs.  After the woman submitted these emails to back her filing for divorce, Epstein came up with the wire-tapping charges, which is a federal offense in the US.  Judge Posner remarked: “Mr. Epstein wanted to conceal his infidelity from his wife primarily it seems because the revelation of it would give her added leverage in a divorce proceeding. I don’t understand why federal, or for that matter state, law should protect an interest so lacking in any social benefit, especially when one considers that adultery remains a crime in 20 of the nation’s 50 states.” Obviously fuming, Judge Posner wrote:“I don’t understand why law should promote dishonesty and deception by protecting an undeserved, a rightly tarnished, reputation.”

Details at http://christiannews.net/2016/12/22/adultery-remains-a-crime-judge-notes-in-case-of-man-who-sued-wife-for-reading-email-from-mistresses/

Islamists hound Indonesia’s first Christian governor off new elections

In Indonesia, Governor of Jakarta, Basuk “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama is fighting the battle of his life – based on accusations by Islamists that he blasphemed the Koran.

In an unprecedented development, Ahok, a Christian minority was chosen to run as Vice Governor to Joko.. in 2012.  Two years into their regime, Joko further went on to run for Presidency of the country, and he won.  Ahok thus became the substantive governor.

Islamists in the ordinarily tolerant country with the largest muslim population in the world, did not find the development amusing or acceptable. Referring to Ahok as a “son of Satan”, Muslim cleric Habib Muhsin Alathas forcefully re-asserted the koranic/Islamic principle that Christians should never have authority over Muslims.

Ahok who is not known for much finesse, countered at a campaign trail to fishermen on Sept 27, saying: “Ladies and gentlemen, you don’t have to vote for me because you’ve been lied to [or fooled] with Surat Almaidah 51 [Sura 5:51] and the like. That’s your right. If you feel you can’t vote for me because you fear you’ll go to hell, because you’ve been lied to [or fooled], no worries. That’s your personal right. These programs will go forward. So you don’t have to feel uncomfortable. Follow your conscience, you don’t have to vote for Ahok.” (translation by Sidney Jones)

The video of that speech soon went viral on Youtube with the IFP insisting it amounted to blasphemy against the Koran.  Authorities at first treated the issue lightly, but when the IFP amassed first a restive crowd of 200,000 people, and later another crowd double that figure, the authorities responded by initiating legal proceedings against Ahok. Morning Star News reports that “The trial, which is being televised live, is being rushed through the court and is expected to conclude early in 2017.”

Almost all foreign experts following the case are convinced there is no way  Gov. “Ahok” can escape a jail sentence. Professor Tim Lindsay of Melbourne Law School was reported to have observed that not only has a fatwa been issued against Ahok, but the massive rallies have terrified authorities. “Consequently, Lindsay expects judges to be influenced by public opinion and pay little attention to evidence” the Morning Star News  reports on Dec 13.  To have an idea of the tensed atmosphere during the proceedings, some 2,000 policemen were required just to keep the crowd outside the courthouse in check.

In the meantime, following the refusal of the North Jakarta District Court  to accept Ahok’s initial refutations on Dec. 27, he has been forced to step out of the gubernatorial race scheduled for February 15 2017.  He had been the clear favourite to win the election before the Islamists got him entrapped with the blasphemy charge. If found guilty, as he is expected to be, Ahok could be jailed for up to five years.  Worse, some pious Islamist might decide to execute the fatwa already pronounced on him by direct assassination. For more details, see: http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21712161-countrys-reputation-tolerance-now-doubt-persecution-christian-mayor