The video of the “State of the Epicenter Conference: 2012” message is now posted at http://www.epicenterconference.com.

>> UPDATE: Anti-American/Western protests spread to 20 countries

The Middle East and North Africa are in flames at this hour. Anti-American violence is rapidly spreading throughout the region — in Egypt, in Libya, in Tunisia, in Lebanon, in Yemen. An Israeli Arab official is warning of “Armageddon.” The region seems just days or weeks away from a major war between Israel and Iran. U.S.-Israeli relations haved reached an all-time low, with a prominent Washington Post columnist warning of “the abandonment” of Israel by the Obama administration. Meanwhile, fears of al Qaeda terrorism have shut down the University of Texas. As I said during my “State of the Epicenter” address on Wednesday night, yet again “the eyes of the nations are riveted on Israel and Jerusalem, the epicenter of the momentous events that are shaking our world and shaping our future.” You can click here to watch the video of that message. You can click here to read the prepared text of that message.

Please join us as the 2012 Epicenter Conference continues this evening. The live worldwide webcast begins at 9pm eastern (7pm mountain, 6pm pacific time) from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Tonight, we’ll look at several very controversial issues: Does the Bible say that God has chosen the Jewish people and promised the Holy Land to the nation of Israel? Do Jews have a “divine right” to the Land? What does the Old Testament say about the covenant and promises made to Israel? And does the New Testament reaffirm that covenant and those promises, or were those promises rescinded, or abrogated, or modified when Christ came in the 1st century? Leading Bible scholars Dr. Norman Geisler and Dr. Michael Rydelnik will speak. Then I will lead a Q&A session following their remarks.

Please pray for all the people of the epicenter right now. Please pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Please pray for wisdom for our leaders. Please pray for the persecuted and endangered followers of Christ in the Middle East and North Africa. Please pray for victims in the region, and their families and friends. Please pray for the Church to be bold and courageous in showing the love of Jesus Christ and sharing the good news of God’s love and forgiveness and eternal peace through faith in Jesus Christ. Please, pray, too, for the Lord to use this Epicenter Conference to help educate and mobilize Christians around the world to love Jews and Arabs and Iranians and all the people of the region and to serve them in the name of Jesus. Thanks so much, and may God bless you.

>> Help The Joshua Fund care for the poor and needy in Israel, teach the Word of God in the epicenter, educate and mobilize Christians around the world to bless poor and needy Israelis, train pastors and ministry leaders in Egypt, strengthen the believers in Syria, and prepare for a possible major new war in the epicenter — please prayerfully consider a generous, tax deductible financial contribution to The Joshua Fund.