“Iran now could produce enough weapons-grade uranium to arm a nuclear bomb within two to four months but would still face serious ‘engineering challenges’ — and much longer delays — before it would be able to use the material in an atomic warhead, a respected US think tank said Monday,” reports the Associated Press. “The Institute for Science and International Security did not make a judgment on whether Iran plans to turn its enrichment capabilities toward weapons making. But in its report made available to The Associated Press ahead of publication Monday, it drew a clear distinction between Tehran’s ability to make the fissile core of warhead by producing 25 kilograms (55 pounds) weapons-grade uranium from its lower enriched stockpiles and the warhead itself. ‘Despite work it may have done in the past,’ Iran would need ‘many additional months to manufacture a nuclear device suitable for underground testing and even longer to make a reliable warhead for a ballistic missile,’ the report said….Uranium enriched to 20 percent can be turned into weapons-grade material much more quickly than low-enriched uranium. If the centrifuges at Fordo that now are idle also start operating and are used to make 20 percent material, Iran — using its total enrichment output of low and higher grade uranium — could produce enough weapons grade uranium for a warhead within three or four weeks, said the summary.”

With rumors of war between Israel and Iran intensifying, and fears of a U.S. economic and cultural implosion growing, Americans’ anxiety is growing. But so, too, are many Americans’ curiosity about Bible prophecy. Can we know the future? Does the Bible shed light on the future of the U.S., Israel, and other countries? Does it reveal specific clues about your future and mine?

On Saturday, October 6th, I will address these questions at a conference on Bible prophecy in Houston, Texas. I have been asked to deliver two one-hour messages, and then participate in a panel with the other speakers.

Please join us for a fascinating discussion at a critical time in our nation’s history and in world history. To learn more and to register, please click here. 

Better debate than I’d expected, — more lively, more factual, more interesting, and more respectful. But something important was missing: America’s $16 trillion national debt wasn’t discussed as “grave danger” or “looming threat.” Why not? It was referenced, but not focused on. Not explained in detail. Romney did reference the President’s continual $1 trillion deficits — but there was no sense of urgency, no sense of impending catastrophe coming, no clarity about possible coming implosion of the American economy and the financial status of the middle class. Neither candidate mentioned the “fiscal cliff” the U.S. is heading to early next year. We’re facing the biggest tax increase in the history of the country. We’re facing automatic budget cuts on such a massive scale that the military, for example, will be gutted.

• CNN commentators are calling President’s performance “flat” and “listless.” James Carville said on CNN “it looked like Romney wanted to be there and President Obama didn’t want to be there….It gave you the impression that this whole thing was a lot of trouble.” He added that “Romney had a good night.”
• MSNBC commentators are apoplectic about President’s lifeless performance. “What was Mitt Romney doing tonight?” asked Chris Matthews. “Winning!”
• Andrew Sullivan blogged, “This was a disaster for the president for the key people he needs to reach, and his effete, wonkish lectures may have jolted a lot of independents into giving Romney a second look….Obama looked tired, even bored; he kept looking down; he had no crisp statements of passion or argument; he wasn’t there. He was entirely defensive, which may have been the strategy. But it was the wrong strategy. At the wrong moment….[Obama] choked. He lost. He may even have lost the election tonight.”

Maybe yes, maybe no. Liberals seem distraught. Conservatives seem excited tonight. But neither the President nor Governor Romney communicated clearly and compellingly the magnitude of danger America is in if we don’t get our fiscal house in order urgently. Danger ahead.

UPDATE: Mideast crisis mentioned late in the debate (10:26pm eastern). Israel never directly mentioned. Iran nuclear threat never directly mentioned.

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

My friend Rick Santorum just sent me a copy of his new book, American Patriots: Answering The Call To Freedom. It was released yesterday. I’m traveling right now but I’m really looking forward to getting home and reading it. What’s more, I’m looking forward to having my sons read it as well. America desperately needs a revival and a return to the first principles upon which this country was founded. Are we raising up a new generation of patriots?

Right now, we are engaged in a time of prayer for America and Israel. I hope you’ll join me and Christians all over the country who are beseeching the Lord to show His mercy on our country and unleash the greatest revival in history. I don’t see how we keep from imploding if we don’t experience a Third Great Awakening.

Today, in this context, I wanted to share with you my own personal testimony. In this hour-long audio message (divided up in 10 minute segments on YouTube), I explain the spiritual journey my parents and I were on to come to faith in Jesus Christ, as well as I how I experienced a powerful revival in my junior year of high school that completely transformed my life. I hope it will encourage you in your own faith, and that it will be something you can share with family and friends to help and encourage them, as well. Thanks and God bless you.

• My spiritual journey — part 1 — how becoming the author of The Last Jihad triggered people asking me a critical question
• Part 2 — how my Jewish grandparents escaped from Russia, my father’s Jewish upbringing, my mother’s Gentile heritage, and how they met
• Part 3 — my mother’s spiritual journey
• Part 4 — my father’s spiritual journey, and then how I came to faith
• Part 5 — how I learned I was Jewish, and then my crisis of faith in high school
• Part 6 — the conclusion of my story, and so what? Why should this matter to you?

A friend just sent me a link to a wonderful review of the new book I wrote with Dr. Koshy. The review was written by Richard Burkey, a senior pastor in California. on his blog. I was so encouraged by it I’m reblogging it here in full:

2 simple questions, 1 great read, that’s what Joel Rosenberg and Dr. T. E. Koshy’s book, The Invested Life offers. The 2 questions are:

1. Who is investing in me?

2. Whom am I investing in?

The goal is to make disciples of all nations for Jesus Christ one person at a time. From challenging Christ followers to have a big biblical vision and laying out the first baby steps to pursue. The Invested Life lays out a process to not only answer those 2 simple questions, but to live out that answer in a transformational way.

Yet the book is not only a step by step process to live out disciple making, it is also the story of how the disciple making process has worked and continues to work in the lives of the authors and those they have discipled. I loved the combination of here’s how you do it, and here’s what it has looked like in our lives and the lives of others.

I appreciated their affirmation that their approach is not the only approach. That sense of humility as well as honesty makes this book a great tool to build a discipleship relationship. They do not provide formulas to follow, but models to emulate. It’s how they learned discipleship, and how they teach their readers to fulfill the Great Commission.

Even more than the steps that are given and process to follow, there is a reliance on God and coming to Him in prayer. He leads the process.  As they say, “We don’t choose whom to disciple. God chooses for us.”

My one criticism of the book is their answer to the 1st question, “Who is investing in me?” Their answers and suggested answers always focused on finding one older than yourself. That is probably the typical relationship, one farther along in the journey of faith. Yet as I grow older, I find myself also learning from those younger than myself, for they open my eyes to new ways to learn from God.

I give The Invested Life 5 out of 5 stars. The topic, the models to follow and the stories that are shared make this a great read for those who want to invest in others and see that we all grow to not only follow the Great Commission, but watched it fulfilled. My thanks to Tyndale Publishing for a free copy to review. My only requirement in receiving a copy of the book was to provide an honest review. Thank you Tyndale for providing a great book to read.

You can read the opening chapter by clicking here. Learn more about Joel C. Rosenberg here or Dr. T. E. Koshy here.

Could Israel soon launch a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities despite intense White House pressure not to? The scenario portrayed in my novel, The Tehran Initiative, could still happen soon. But in light of Netanyahu’s speech to the U.N., it now seems the likelihood is very low this month. That’s a significant change from a few weeks ago. Israeli leaders now seem prepared to wait in part to see if Mr. Obama or Mr. Romney wins on November 6th. Also, Jerusalem is watching Iran’s crumbling economy. The Jerusalem Post reports: “The Iranian rial plunged more than 13 percent in open-market trade on Monday to a new all-time low of about 33,500 per US dollar, traders and currency-tracking websites said, meaning the currency has lost about a quarter of its value in the past week.” Could international sanctions force political change in Tehran? Unlikely, but possible. Let’s keep praying for peace, but preparing for war. www.joshuafund.net

You and I both know America is on the wrong track economically and spiritually. In fact, more and more Americans realize we are in grave danger not just of further decline, but outright collapse or implosion. The question is: What are we going to do about it? Would you join me in committing to 40 days of prayer for revival in America? Will you join me and Christians from all over the country in humbling your heart, praying and seeking God’s face, turning from your wicked ways, and pleading with the Lord to heal your heart, family and nation? Now is the time to urgently get on our knees and plead for His mercy and forgiveness. We need to beseech Him to grant us repentance, to make it possible for us to see our sins and truly, humbly repent — to turn back to the Lord — before it is too late.

I have joined with other American pastors and Christian leaders in a movement called “If My People 2012.” Together, we are urging people to pray for revival for 40 days and nights, leading up to Election Day. This is not a political movement. This goes way beyond politics. In this season as Americans prepare choose our national leaders to guide us into the future, it’s even more important that we decide to follow Jesus Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. As I write about in Implosion, I firmly believe that only Jesus Christ can save our nation from the path of self-destruction and judgment we are facing. That’s why I’ve joined with my fellow Christian servants in committing to praying for revival and a Third Great Awakening over the 40 days until November 6th. Please join us. Learn more at www.ifmypeople2012.org. Watch the daily prayer videos. Sign up for daily prayer alerts. Follow us on Twitter. And please gather your family and friends to pray like you’ve never prayed before.  “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)

At the same time, please include all the people of Israel and the epicenter in your prayers for the next 40 days as well. Pray for peace. Pray for the persecuted Church. Pray for the Gospel to be communicated clearly to all those in danger and darkness. Pray for the Holy Spirit to move in great power and grace. Thanks so much. These are dangerous and prophetic times. May God shake us out of lethargy and distraction and draw us close to His heart, come what may.

• Are you saved? If you died tonight, are you 100% certain you would spend eternity in heaven? Here’s a clear, concise explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• My spiritual journey — how did my parents and I come to faith in Jesus Christ?
• Implosion: Can America Recover From Its Economic & Spiritual Challenges In Time?
• The Invested Life: Making Disciples of All Nations One Person At A Time
• Listen to the podcast of the “Implosion Radio Special”
• 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.
• Follow Joel on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg
• www.epicenterconference.com

A friend of mine who used to work at the Department of Homeland Security told me something over the weekend that really stunned me: Americans are buying guns and ammunition at previously unheard of rates. People who had never even considered owning a weapon before are now eager to get armed and stockpile ammo. The first thing I did after my friend told me this was go home and do a search of recent news reports on the topic. Not that I doubted my friend’s veracity. He had a long and distinguished career in the U.S. military and then served in senior positions in the federal government. I trust his judgment. I simply hadn’t noticed any of this news before. But sure enough, his report is accurate. Consider some recent headlines:

• “Gun sales explode as election looms” (March 22, 2012)
• “U.S. gun sales up after theatre shooting” (July 25, 2012)
• “Growth Industry: Ruger Approaching Record Gun Sales” (August 21, 2012)

Consider, too, some of the specifics reported in a recent article in the Dayton Daily News: “GUN SALES AT RECORD HIGH.” (Sept. 22, 2012):

• “Smith & Wesson reported record net sales of $136 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2013, up 48.3 percent from a year ago. The company recently raised its full-year sales forecast from between $485-$505 million to $530-$540 million because of consumer demand.
• “We are under serving the market at this moment, we all know that, and that’s a great opportunity going forward for us,” Smith & Wesson CEO James Debney said during a recent conference call with analysts.
• “Since Obama has gotten elected, concealed carry’s been huge,” said Shannon Campbell of Campbell’s Firearms Training and Gun Accessories in Miamisburg. “People ask me all the time, it’s like, ‘So, who you like? You like Obama? I say yeah, I love him. He’s helped my business a lot.” Ohio is on pace to reach unprecedented numbers on issued conceal and carry permits and federal background checks. Through June, 35,022 new conceal carry licenses were approved. In all of 2011, the total was 49,828.
• Nationally, 11.7 million National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) checks have been made through August. That’s well above the 10.4 million at this time in 2011, which ended with 16.4 million checks, a record.

So this is a real phenomenon. Sobering.

The second thing I began asking myself is, “Why are gun and ammo sales surging?” Do people fear this country is going to implode? Do they fear a wave of criminal violence? Are they anticipating a civil war? What exactly is motivating this record surge in firearms? Guns & Ammo published an article in February headlined, “Why Gun Sales are on the Rise in 2012.” The article included some interesting details and theories. But I’m not sure it fully captured the dynamic.

The core reason, I believe, is that Americans are growing scared. They know our country is in serious trouble. But they fear things things could completely spin out of control. Where ever I travel and speak these days, I hear Americans worrying that our country is so far off track morally, spiritually and economically that people aren’t sure we can actually get back on the right track. As I write about in Implosion and discussed recently on the “Implosion Radio Special”, more and more Americans fear the ice is cracking under our feet. They’re worried we’re not just in a period of decline, but that America might actually collapse. With that collapse could come chaos. I’m not saying it will. I’m saying people fear it will. Movies, TV shows, books and articles about doomsday scenarios and preparing for such scenarios is on the rise.

More than ever, we need to be praying and fasting for the Lord God Almighty to have mercy on our country. We need to pray for revival — for a Third Great Awakening. Before it’s too late.

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• 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.
• Read Implosion: Can America Recover From Its Economic & Spiritual Challenges In Time?
• Listen to the podcast of the 2-hour “Implosion Radio Special”