Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, centre right, and French President Francois Hollande, left, during a welcoming ceremony in Paris Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012. (photo credit: Jacques Brinon/Associated Press)

In a startling and very positive new twist to the intense drama unfolding in the Middle East, the prospect for an all-out Israeli-Iranian war now appears to have been pushed back by eight to ten months. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak was interviewed by a British newspaper this week. Barak indicated that while events could change yet again, it would now appear that the likelihood of a major war with Iran before next fall has been significantly reduced. Prime Minister Netanyahu is currently in France. He told the Paris-Match that an Israeli first strike on Iran would be welcomed by the Arab world, which fears the Persians getting the Bomb. Still, he, too, is telling French President Francois Hollande and senior officials in Paris that war isn’t imminent and is asking them to press forward with even tougher economic sanctions on Iran. This is a welcome relief and a huge answer to prayer. With the prospect of war seeming imminent just a few weeks ago — for reasons I explain in the new ebook, Israel At War: Inside The Nuclear Showdown With Iran — Christians all over the world have been praying for peace, according to Psalm 122:6, which commands believers to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” Iran’s decision to step back from the brink of building the Bomb has, for now, relieved tensions with the Obama administration. It has enabled Netanyahu to feel comfortable to call for new Israeli national elections in February. It is encouraging Jewish and Christian tourists to continue visiting Israel. Indeed, The Joshua Fund tour of Israel and 2013 Epicenter Conference remains on track for next June. Please get details here and sign up to join us. We would be honored to have you with us.What I find intriguing is that Barak indicates that war was increasingly likely this fall. The Israelis were preparing to hit Iran before the U.S. elections. But by the grace of God, something happened in Iran that unexpectedly changed the dynamic.

Here’s the story as we know it so far.

“Iran temporarily pulled back from its nuclear weapons drive this summer, and converted over a third of its enriched uranium to civilian use, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in an interview published Tuesday, intimating that this shift pushed off a decision by Israel and its allies about striking at Iran’s nuclear facilities,” reports the Times of Israel. “Barak told The Telegraph that Tehran’s move to transfer 38 percent of its enriched uranium stockpile into fuel rods for civilian use ‘allows contemplating delaying the moment of truth by eight to 10 months.’ Were it not for this Iranian move, he said, the situation would likely have ‘peaked’ before the US presidential election. Talk of an Israeli or American strike against Iran’s nuclear program has indeed died down since being raised to a zenith over the summer, with the US publicly opposing an Israeli resort to force and refusing Israel’s call to set ‘red lines’ that, if crossed by Iran, would trigger military action. The US maintains that time remains for diplomacy and sanctions to work, while Israel at the time said Iran was closing in fast on the ability to create a nuclear weapon. Asked whether, had they not made the move to reduce their uranium stockpile, the Iranians would likely be reaching the point of no return, necessitating military action ‘about now,’ Barak replied: ‘Probably, yes.’ He added that Iran could still reconvert the rods back into weapons-grade uranium, though this would take time and resources.”

“There could be at least three explanations,” Barak told The Telegraph.

1. “One is the public discourse about a possible Israeli or American operation deterred them from trying to come closer.
2. “It could probably be a diplomatic gambit that they have launched in order to avoid this issue culminating before the American election, just to gain some time.
3. “It could be a way of telling the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] ‘oh we comply with our commitments.’”

Mr Barak added: “Maybe it’s a combination of all these three elements. I cannot tell you for sure.”

>> New e-book – Israel At War: Inside The Nuclear Showdown With Iran — now available on Kindle, Nook, other formats for $2,99 (includes sneak preview of material from forthcoming Damascus Countdown novel, as well)

>> 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.

>> Come with The Joshua Fund and me to Israel for the 2013 “Prayer & Vision Tour” and the 2013 Epicenter Conference — click here for more details and to register

The Bible says the Lord will shake all the nations in the last days. “For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. I will shake all the nations.” (Haggai 2:6-7) Why? To persuade people to let go of whatever they are holding onto ideologically, philosophically, financially, materially or otherwise for security, and turn to Jesus Christ who alone can save, forgive and provide eternal security.

The Lord has certainly been shaking the U.S. in recent days. Here’s the latest: “Superstorm Sandy will end up causing about $20 billion in property damages and  $10 billion to $30 billion more in lost business, according to IHS Global  Insight, a forecasting firm,” reports the Associated Press. “In the long run, the devastation the storm inflicted on New York City and other parts of the Northeast will barely nick the U.S. economy. That’s the view  of economists who say higher gas prices and a slightly slower economy in coming  weeks will likely be matched by reconstruction and repairs that will contribute  to growth over time. The short-term blow to the economy, though, could subtract about 0.6  percentage point from U.S. economic growth in the October-December quarter, IHS  says. Retailers, airlines and home construction firms will likely lose some business. The storm cut power to about 7 million homes, shut down 70 percent of East Coast oil refineries and inflicted worse-than-expected damage in the New York  metro area. That area produces about 10 percent of U.S. economic output.”

One picture is worth a thousand words about Hurricane Sandy. (photo credit: AP)

“Millions of people from Maine to the Carolinas awoke Tuesday without electricity, and an eerily quiet New York City was all but closed off by car, train and air as superstorm Sandy steamed inland, still delivering punishing wind and rain,” reports the Associated Press. “The U.S. death toll climbed to 34, many of the victims killed by falling trees. The full extent of the damage in New Jersey, where the storm roared ashore Monday night with hurricane force, was unclear. Police and fire officials, some with their own departments flooded, fanned out to rescue hundreds. ‘We are in the midst of urban search and rescue. Our teams are moving as fast as they can,’ Gov. Chris Christie said. ‘The devastation on the Jersey Shore is some of the worst we’ve ever seen. The cost of the storm is incalculable at this point.'”

“This is the most catastrophic event that we have faced and been able to plan for in any of our lifetimes,” said Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy on Monday night as Hurricane Sandy hit land with 80-90 mile an hour winds and terrible ferocity. “This is the largest storm-related outage in our history,” said Con Edison Senior Vice President for Electric Operations John Miksad.

And it’s not over yet. The superstorm will still have a destructive impact for the next 24 hours or so and millions of Americans are reeling at the effect of the last 24 hours. At least 18 people have died due to the massive storm. More than 8 million are without power. It may take days to get power restored, even as temperatures plummet. Some are experiencing blizzard conditions due to the storm. Economic losses will likely top the damages done during Hurricane Irene last year, which was enormously expensive.

It could have been much worse. Many cities and states that expected to be hit as hard as New York and New Jersey were seriously impacted, but not nearly as badly as they had expected. That was certainly true here in the D.C. area. “The Washington area escaped the worst of the devastation brought to the East Coast by Hurricane Sandy, although more than 150,000 households were without power Tuesday morning and at least two local deaths were being attributed to the storm,” reported the Washington Post. “Rain and winds had tapered off considerably in the Washington area by Tuesday morning, and temperatures had dropped to a chilly 40 or so degrees. Scattered flooding, downed trees and felled branches prompted another another day of shuttered schools and government offices , and officials warned that flooding could worsen as the tide rises and as storm-swollen rivers and creeks flow from the north and west into local waterways. But the predictions of near-apocalyptic destruction did not come true for the nation’s capital.”

Please be praying for the many who were terribly affected by the storm, and by those who have lost loved ones and property. Many narrowly escaped death, and are now wrestling with questions about why they were spared and what faces them in the afterlife. Pray, too, for government officials overseeing recovery operations, for wisdom and direction. Pray for the crews working around the clock to restore power, for safety and for their success. At the same time, please pray that millions of Americans would wake up to their need to repent of their sins and give their lives wholly and completely to the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray that families are turning back to reading the Bible and praying, eager to know the Lord personally and ready to follow Him for the rest of their lives. God has used terrible storms throughout history to get people’s attention. Let’s pray that that is the result now, as well. As we pray for the Lord to show great mercy to people, let’s also pray that God would use this hurricane to set into motion a spiritual revival that will rescue our country from implosion.

“And when he [Jesus] got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, ‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing.’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?’ Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?’” (Matthew 8:23-27, ESV)

Here’s a snapshot of the latest developments:

• At least 18 storm-related deaths in the U.S. (revised upwards from 16 a few hours ago)
• 8 million Americans without power (Weather Channel)
• “Losses May Exceed Those of 2011 Storm” (WSJ)
• “Superstorm Sandy to Cause at Least $20 Billion in Damage — and Possibly  Much More” (Time)
• “Sandy’s Economic Impact Could Exceed $10 Billion A Day” (CNBC)
• More than 14,600 flights canceled (WSJ)
• State-by-state impact (AP)
• New York: “A record storm surge that was higher than predicted along with high winds damaged the electrical system and plunged millions of people into darkness. Utilities say it could be up to a week before power is fully restored.” (AP)
• Superstorm Sandy causes flooding in New York City (AP)
• “Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey called the damage to his state ‘incalculable’ and said the Jersey Shore had been ‘devastated.’” (NYT)
• “The storm was the most destructive in the 108-year history of New York’s subway system, said Joseph J. Lhota, the chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.” (NYT)
• Photos of devastation in Point Pleasant, New Jersey
• Washington, D.C. escapes worst-case scenario, but still largely shut down (Washington Post)
• Sandy spawns heavy snow over Appalachia (Gannett)
• Superstorm Sandy dropping snow, closing schools in West North Carolina (News 4, North Carolina)
• Sandy sweeps snow showers into Indiana (WISH-TV 8, Indiana)

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>> Listen to the two-hour podcast of the “Implosion Radio Special” with Joel C. Rosenberg and Janet Parshall discussing the major issues facing America, the danger we could soon face God’s judgment, and the hope of a major spiritual revival along the lines of a Third Great Awakening.

>> Implosion: Can America Recover From Its Economic & Spiritual Challenges In Time?

>> MY SPIRITUAL JOURNEY: How my parents & I came to faith in Jesus Christ.

Isn’t God trying to get our attention?

This is God’s “October Surprise.” Hurricane Sandy is a potentially historic, catastrophic, monstrous, devasting storm.

• * It is a “superstorm” that is 700 miles wide. * It has already killed 66 people. * It is carrying winds of 100 mph or more. * It threatens to knock out power for 60 million Americans or more for days on end. * It threatens to create blizzard conditions in parts of PA, MD, VA and WVA that could drop 2 feet of snow or more on rural communities. * More than 9,000 flights have been canceled. * Schools are closed. * The federal government is mostly closed.* Public transportation is not operating on the much of the East Coast.* The U.S. stock markets are closed.* Those of us in the Washington, D.C. area have been warned to finish last-minute errands by noon and not to go outside after that because conditions will be “life-threatening.”  Weather experts say poses the “worst case scenario” to the Eastern seaboard of the United States.  Isn’t God trying to get our attention? Just days before one of the most significant and momentous presidential and Congressional elections in American history, I believe God is reminding us that America’s fate lies not in the hands of the politicians, but in His hands. Will America listen? Will we realize how fragile our existence is, how desperately we need the Lord’s divine love and protection?Please pray for the Lord God Almighty to dissipate the intensity of the storm and to protect the lives of people and property. Pray, too, that the Lord uses this moment to motivate Americans to repent of our sins and turn to faith in Jesus Christ as our only hope of personal and national salvation and rescue. “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

“The projected storm surge from Hurricane Sandy is a “worst case scenario” with devastating waves and tides predicted for the highly populated New York City metro area, government forecasters said Sunday,” reports the Associated Press. Excerpts from the story: 

• The more they observe it, the more the experts worry about the water — which usually kills and does more damage than winds in hurricanes. In this case, seas will be amped up by giant waves and full-moon-powered high tides. That will combine with drenching rains, triggering inland flooding as the hurricane merges with a winter storm system that will worsen it and hold it in place for days.
• Louis Uccellini, environmental prediction chief for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told The Associated Press that given Sandy’s due east-to-west track into New Jersey, that puts the worst of the storm surge just north in New York City, Long Island and northern New Jersey. “Yes, this is the worst case scenario,” he said.
• In a measurement of pure kinetic energy, NOAA’s hurricane research division on Sunday ranked the surge and wave “destruction potential” for Sandy — just the hurricane, not the hybrid storm it will eventually become — at 5.8 on a 0 to 6 scale. The damage expected from winds will be far less, experts said.
• Weather Underground meteorologist Jeff Masters says that surge destruction potential number is a record and it’s due to the storm’s massive size. The storm surge energy numbers are bigger than the deadly 2005 Hurricane Katrina, but that can be misleading. Katrina’s destruction was concentrated in a small area, making it much worse, Masters said. Sandy’s storm surge energy is spread over a wider area. Also, Katrina hit a city that is below sea level and had problems with levees.
• National Hurricane Center Director Rick Knabb said Hurricane Sandy’s size means some coastal parts of New York and New Jersey may see water rise from 6 to 11 feet from surge and waves. The rest of the coast north of Virginia can expect 4 to 8 feet of surge.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Up-to-the-minute information from The Weather Channel
• National Weather Service bulletin — “EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STORM”
• Washington Post coverage
• New York Times coverage
• CNN coverage — “Storm Threatens Catastrophe”
• Fox News coverage — East Coast braces for 11 foot wall of water

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>> Listen to the two-hour podcast of the “Implosion Radio Special” with Joel C. Rosenberg and Janet Parshall discussing the major issues facing America, the danger we could soon face God’s judgment, and the hope of a major spiritual revival along the lines of a Third Great Awakening.

>> Implosion: Can America Recover From Its Economic & Spiritual Challenges In Time?

>> MY SPIRITUAL JOURNEY: How my parents & I came to faith in Jesus Christ.

Experts say Hurricane Sandy could be one of the most disastrous storms in American history. Are they right? (photo credit: AP)

“For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. I will shake all the nations.” (Haggai 2:6-7) Just days before one of the most significant and momentous presidential and Congressional elections in American history, God is reminding us that America’s fate lies not in the hands of the politicians, but in His hands.   Weather experts are warning Americans on the East Coast to “get ready, be prepared” for Hurricane Sandy, which they say could prove to be one of the most devastating storms in American history. Is that hype, or is it true? Tens of millions Americans are not taking any chances. They are buying water, food, gasoline and other supplies as the storm moves towards land. I can tell you that my family and I in the Washington, D.C. area are doing the same.   As I discuss in-depth in the two-hour “Implosion Radio Special” — which will air on more than 700 radio stations this coming weekend — we live at a very dangerous moment in American history. It is a time when the Lord God Almighty is trying to get our attention and call us to repent of our sins and turn back to faith in Jesus Christ and back to reading and obeying the Bible. At the moment, we are far from God and far off track as a nation. Massive debt. Skyrocking murder and violent crime. More than 53 million abortions. The stain of pornography. The list of our sins is getting longer and longer each year. Yet the country has not yet woken up and realized that turning our collective backs on God is a recipe for judgment and disaster. What’s more, too many pastors are refusing to preach clearly and Biblically on the need for American to repent and ask God for a sweeping revival.  There are many ways God could use to shake us further and try to wake us up to our need to turn back to Christ. War. Terrorism. Financial collapse. Natural disasters, and so forth. As I noted in Implosion, hurricanes along the East Coast and Gulf Coast pose grave dangers for the U.S. and could be used by God to shake us to our core. Hurricane Irene swept the East Coast of the United States in August 2011, causing the largest evacuation in American history as millions of Americans fled the storm’s path. When Irene hit, some 5 million Americans were left without power. Thousands of homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed, and dozens of people lost their lives. Irene became one of the top ten costliest hurricanes in American history. Yet it could have been much worse. At its peak, Hurricane Irene was about six hundred miles wide, or about the size of the state of Texas. Had it remained a category 3 storm—or even increased in intensity—it could have created the greatest natural disaster catastrophe in the history of the United States.Fortunately, that’s not what happened. The storm lost speed and power as it approached land, and by the time it reached New York City, most of its “teeth” had been removed. As the cleanup began, critics said the storm was hyped up and overblown by government officials and weather forecasters. But did the experts really badly misjudge Irene, or did God hear people’s prayers and have mercy on us by weakening the storm faster than the experts had predicted? I think both are true. I am grateful to the Lord for his grace and mercy on us.But what if God had not been so gracious? What if rather than shaking us and waking us up to what he could do, he actually let us experience what other nations around the world have experienced?

The Washington Post reports: “Confidence is now high that the monstrous and menacing Hurricane Sandy will bring serious to severe wind and rain to the Washington, D.C. metro region. At this point there are essentially two scenarios for the area: a worst case scenario (less likely) and a very bad scenario (more likely) — but the differences between the scenarios are not significant for most of us….The worst of the storm will hit Monday into Tuesday. There will be a prolonged period of strong winds, potentially sustained at 25-45 mph, with gusts to 45-60 mph (likely higher east of the Chesapeake Bay) for a period of 12 hours or more during the height of the storm.  Power outages are likely. Rainfall totals of at least 3-6” are a good bet. Flood prone areas are likely to flood. Start preparing now.”

“‘Do not focus on the intensity of the storm, it is a minimal Category 1 hurricane right now, but certainly nothing like any category1 that we have seen,’ said Hurricane Specialist Carl Parker on The Weather Channel. ‘It is a very large storm, a hybrid storm, the area of strong winds is going to be absolutely enormous by the time it come into the northeast, and that’s why it is going to be a high-impact system.’ Sandy is expected to interact with a pair of winter weather systems as it moves inland, becoming a monster storm bringing nearly a foot of rain, high winds and up to two feet of snow. Experts said the storm would be wider and stronger than last year’s Irene, which caused more than $15 billion in damage, and could rival the worst East Coast storm on record. Officials did not mince words, telling people to be prepared for several days without electricity. Jersey Shore beach towns began issuing voluntary evacuations and protecting boardwalks. Atlantic City casinos made contingency plans to close, and officials advised residents of flood-prone areas to stay with family or be ready to leave. Airlines said to expect cancellations and waived change fees for passengers who want to reschedule.”

>> Listen to the two-hour podcast of the “Implosion Radio Special” with Joel C. Rosenberg and Janet Parshall discussing the major issues facing America, the danger we could soon face God’s judgment, and the hope of a major spiritual revival along the lines of a Third Great Awakening.

>> MY SPIRITUAL JOURNEY: How my parents & I came to faith in Jesus Christ.

Good news on Israel’s southern border today: In a strange but welcome twist, the government of Egypt stepped in last night and actually persuaded Hamas and other pro-Iran terror groups to cease their fire of rockets and mortars against Israel. Could the truce be broken? Yes. Could Hamas and the other terror groups change their mind? Yes. But for now, things are mostly quiet again. This is positive but surprising on several levels.

• First, the new Egyptian government is run by President Mohamed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood leader closely allied with Hamas (which itself is a branch of the Egyptian Brotherhood).
• Second, Morsi has called for jihad against Islam’s enemies, including Israel.
• Third, on October 19th, Morsi was seen on Egyptian television saying “amen” at a sermon by a radical Egyptian cleric who prayed for Allah to drive the Jews out of Israel. “Oh Allah, deal with the Jews and their supporters,” the cleric prayed. “Oh Allah, disperse them, rend them asunder. Oh Allah, demonstrate your might and greatness upon them. Show us your ominipotence, oh Lord.”

Despite such views, Morsi and his team stepped in to pressure Hamas. Why did they do it? Humanly speaking, it’s not yet clear. The main reason, I believe, is because Christians here in the U.S. and all over the world began praying to the God of Israel to stop the rockets, and the One True God — the God of the Bible — heard and answered those prayers. Thanks so much to all of you who were praying. Please don’t let up. Let’s also be praying for Morsi and the Egyptian government. They are Radicals, but God has constrained them. There’s something going on behind the scenes, too. A few days ago, Morsi actually sent a warm, friendly letter to Israeli President Shimon Peres calling Peres  a “great and good friend.” An Egyptian official then confirmed that the letter is authentic. It’s not clear why Morsi is reaching out to Peres, beyond the power of prayer. But let’s pray for Christ to change Morsi’s heart — to save him, and transform him, and his government, too. Is anything too hard for God?

Bottom line: Yes, the new Egyptian governnment is a Radical Muslim regime and a threat to the State of Israel. However, our God is greater. Let’s not be cynical. Let’s not throw up our hands in despair. Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is sovereign over all things, all people, all leaders. So let’s keep praying for peace, even as we continue to prepare for the possibility of war. Let’s also be praying for the Christians inside Egypt to be brave and bold and courageous and to preach the Gospel and to teach the Word of God without hesitation. And let’s pray for many Egyptian Muslims to turn to faith in Jesus Christ.

Context: “A deadly flare-up in fighting between Israel and Gaza’s terrorist Hamas group subsided on Thursday after Egypt helped to restore calm ahead of a major Muslim holiday,” reports Israel Hayom. “‘The cease-fire was brought about because Hamas suffered serious blows and asked for a cease-fire,’ Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe (Bogie) Ya’alon told Israel Radio on Thursday. Weeks of simmering violence had intensified on Tuesday night, when rocket fire from Gaza drew Israeli airstrikes that killed two Palestinian terrorists. On Wednesday, terrorists in Gaza fired some 80 rockets and mortars at southern Israel, and Israeli aircraft struck Gaza four times. In all, four Palestinians, including three terrorists, were killed in the fighting and two foreign workers in Israel were critically wounded….Both sides confirmed Egyptian involvement in ending the fighting. Israeli defense official Amos Gilad told Army Radio on Thursday that Egyptian security forces had ‘a very impressive ability’ to convey to the terrorists that it was in their ‘supreme interest not to attack.'”

• 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 respond to war and/or natural disaster in the epicenter — please prayerfully consider a generous, tax deductible financial contribution to The Joshua Fund.
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• Join “Epicenter Team” on Facebook to track the latest developments in Israel and the Middle East.

UPDATED: Terrorists in Gaza have escalated their war against Israel. Just today, more than 80 rockets, missiles and mortars have been fired from Gaza at civilian population centers in southern Israel. Israeli schools in the south have all been closed. Residents are being told to stay in or near their bomb shelters. “Hamas’s armed wing, the Al-Qassam brigades, took responsibility Wednesday for both a barrage of rockets unleashed against Israel since Tuesday night and the bomb that critically injured an IDF officer along the Gaza border on Tuesday,” reported the Jerusalem Post. “The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) took responsibility for the Gaza border bomb.”

Please pray and please mobilize your friends to pray for Israel, that Israel will turn to the Lord for protection and His rescue. Let us remember the prayer of the Israelite King Jehoshaphat. “O Lord, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdom of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You. Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham, Your friend forever?….Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver us….O our God, will You not judge them [our enemies]? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” (2 Chronicles 20:6-12)

“Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel…and he said, ‘Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the Lord to you, “Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s….You need not fight this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.” Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.’ Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshipping the Lord.” (2 Chron. 20:14-18)

• Please pray for the one million Israelis that are living in fear of rocket attacks — pray that they and all Israel turn to the Lord for Him to deliver them.
• Please pray for peace and security to be reestablished, by God’s grace and mercy.
• Please pray for the Lord to give Israeli leaders wisdom to know how best to handle the situation.
• Please pray for the Lord to be gracious to innocent Palestinians living in Gaza to be safe from IDF efforts to stop the terrorists, as well as from the terrorists themselves.
• Please pray for God to bring those responsible for this terror to justice.
• Please pray for the believers in the epicenter to be able to love their neighbors, comfort and encourage them, and provide practical assistance, including humanitarian relief.
• Please also pray for The Joshua Fund team to have wisdom to know how best to help.

Thanks so much.

Sadly, the bad news just keeps coming. New reports shows violent crime in America is surging, our national debt is surging, and we’re about to have a $1 trillion deficit for the fourth year in a row. Nearly 60% of Americans say the country is on the “wrong track.”  Leaders in Washington, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, say our national debt crisis is a national security threat. The question is: Can we turn things around before it’s too late?

Let’s look first at violence in America. In Implosion, I noted that violent crime in America is up more than 400% since 1960, a sign that our society is at risk of spiritual/moral/cultural implosion. Now we learn that after several years of leveling off, violent crime spiked again significantly last year. “Violent crimes unexpectedly jumped 18 percent last  year, the first rise in nearly 20 years, and  property crimes rose for first time in a decade,” reports the Associated Press. “The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics reported Wednesday that the increase in  the number of violent crimes was the result of an upward swing in simple assaults, which rose 22 percent, from 4 million in 2010 to 5 million last year. The incidence of rape, sexual assault and robbery remained largely unchanged, as did serious violent crime involving weapons or injury.” Meanwhile, this year we have seen murder sprees in Chicago and New Orleans. We’ve seen massacres in Colorado and Wisconsin. We’re also seeing a record murder wave in small towns in America. At the same time, Americans are murdering more than one million unborn babies every year. We are already guilty of more than 53 million abortions since 1973, and the genocide just keeps happening.

Now let’s look at the national debt. We’re at more than $16 trillion and climbing. And now comes this report from CNN: “It’s official. The U.S. government rang up a $1.1 trillion deficit for fiscal year 2012, according to final numbers released Friday by the Treasury Department. It marked the fourth-straight year that deficits exceeded $1 trillion.” Worse, we’re approaching bills of $57 trillion in unfunded liabilities, promises our government has made us regarding Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid that we have no way of fully paying for. Yet the President still has no plan to balance the budget.

“According to the U.S. Treasury, the debt of the U.S. government climbed by a total of $1,275,901,078,828.74 in fiscal 2012, which ended yesterday,” CNS News reported on October 1st. “That means the federal government borrowed approximately an additional $10,855 for each household in the United States just over the past twelve months. The total debt of the United States now equals approximately $136,690 per household.”

“The national debt was not on the official agenda for the third and final presidential debate, which focused on foreign policy,” CNN notes. “But both President Obama and Mitt Romney acknowledged Monday night what a chorus of former military leaders, current administration officials and fiscal hawks have been saying: that the country’s debt is a threat to national security. ‘A nation with our current levels of unsustainable debt … cannot hope to sustain for very long its superiority from a military perspective, or its influence in world affairs,’ Admiral Michael Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last month. The concern: If the debt continues to grow unbridled, the U.S. government will be constrained in its ability to pay for what it wants to do militarily and diplomatically. And it could limit the country’s leverage with foreign powers. Especially since other countries own close to half of all outstanding U.S. public debt, with China and Japan leading the list of creditors.”

These trends are not sustainable. There is a point of no return — a point at which God removes His hand of grace and mercy and turns to the judgment of America. If we don’t repent for our sins, we are going to face that judgment soon.

America is in desperate need of a Third Great Awakening. The Bible says, “If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14) Please join me in prayer and fasting for America. At the moment, we’re on Day 27 of 40 days of prayer through a ministry called If My People 2012.

Also, pastors, would you turn your Wednesday night service this week into a call to prayer, fasting and repentance along the lines of 2 Chronicles 7:14 and Joel chapter 2? More than ever, America needs pastors to boldly and passionately preach that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only message that will save this country. America needs pastors who will call this nation to humble ourselves and turn from our wicked ways and seek His face, before it’s too late. America cannot be saved unless the Church wakes up from our long and bitter slumber.

“Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; surely it is near….’Yet even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘Return to Me with all your heart, and with  fasting, weeping and mourning; and  rend your heart and not your garments.’ Now return to the Lord your God, for He is  gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and  relenting of evil. Who knows whether He will not turn and relent and leave a  blessing behind Him, even a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God? Blow a trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room and the bride out of her bridal chamber. Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, ’Spare Your people, O Lord, and do not make Your inheritance a  reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, ‘Where is their God?’” (Joel 2:1, 12-17)

>> Implosion: Can America Recover From Its Economic & Spiritual Challenges In Time?

>> Follow Joel on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg

>> UPDATE: “Officials at the White House and State Department were advised two hours after attackers assaulted the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11 that an Islamic militant group had claimed credit for the attack, official emails show,” Reuters is reporting….developing….

>> UPDATE AT NOON EASTERN WEDNESDAY: More than 80 rockets fired at Israel

>> UPDATE AT 10am EASTERN WEDNESDAY: 72 rockets and mortars have been fired at Israel in past 24 hours.

Iran’s relentless terror war against Israel has escalated in the last 24 hours. “The Gaza rocket barrage on Israel’s southern communities continues unabated,” reports Ynet News. “Ten rockets were fired at the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. There were no injuries. The Iron Dome system intercepted one rocket over Ashkelon after intercepting seven more earlier on Wednesday. In total, more than 60 rockets were fired at Israel since Tuesday night….Three foreign workers at the Eshkol Regional Council were injured on Wednesday. Two of the three sustained serious wounds and one sustained light wounds. They were rushed to the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.” Israeli schools in the south have all been closed. Residents are being told to stay in or near their bomb shelters. Please pray for the one million Israelis that are leaving in fear of rocket attacks. Please pray for peace and security to be reestablished. Pray, too, for Israeli leaders to have wisdom to know how best to handle the situation.

• WILL NETANYAHU TAKE ISRAEL TO FULL SCALE WAR? Read exclusive excerpts from new ebook, Israel At War
• New e-book – Israel At War: Inside The Nuclear Showdown With Iran — now available on Kindle, Nook, other formats for $2,99 (includes sneak preview of material from forthcoming Damascus Countdown novel, as well)