I happened to watch the 'Fitna' film on the internet tonight. It is deeply disturbing, and I don't recommend you watch it. The religion of Islam can and has inspired its followers to commit barbaric acts, that is beyond dispute. And these acts should be utterly condemned. But the Bible tells us that we war not against flesh and blood (2nd Corinthians 3:10). Believe it or not, Islam is not the enemy. Satan is the enemy, and he is the real god behind this religion, and every religion that refuses to recognize Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour (2nd Corinthians 4:4). The Muslims need Jesus Christ as much as we do. But how can we reach them with the Gospel if they think we are their enemies? Saul was a Jew, and even he killed Christians (Acts 22:4). Yet he said he did it in ignorance and unbelief (1st Timothy 1:13). He was following his religion to the letter of the law (Philippians 3:6). Many Muslims today are simply following their own religion to the letter of the law. How can we then blame Muslims, who don't know God, for holding fast to what they understand to be truth? We can't. It's true, Muslims have killed many people. But then so have Catholics. And so have Protestants. And so have many religions, and they do so in the name of their god. I won't forget some of the murders that have taken place in my own country, every bit as barbaric as some of these Muslim killings. The only thing that will make a difference in this world is if we go and tell them the truth about Jesus Christ, how He died to take away their sins. The only thing that will make a difference is if we go and tell them how they can come to know the true God. When they come to know Jesus Christ as Lord, then they will be clothed and in their right mind (Luke 8:35). 

Well I hadn't intended to say all that. What I was going to comment on was my trip to Israel. God willing, I will be heading off for the Holy Land this Monday. I have wanted to visit Israel for many years now. Before I started this website, I prayed for over a year about what the Lord would have me to do. This was just after my motorbike accident. I was prepared to go to Africa or Israel to do missionary work. I prayed many times, "Here am I; send me", Isaiah 6:8. And I looked for opportunities whereby this might come about. But the opportunities never bore fruit. So I decided to start this prophecy website 'in the meantime', hoping that I could serve the Lord in this way until He showed me what to do. Well a few years later I was fed up. I had been interested in this girl that I knew, but she was never interested in me. Eventually I decided, Chris, forget about that and just get out there and start enjoying yourself. So I decided to go to Israel. My grandparents had a great love for Israel, and went three times to the Holy Land. My late grandmother had a great love for the Jews, and would often seek out Jews living in this country so she could give them Hebrew Bibles. When I was just a baby, my grandmother put mine and my sister's name on a slip of paper, and put it in the Wailing Wall. A few years ago she went home to be with Christ. And now I am following in her footsteps. Last year I decided to pray for confirmation that it was God's will for me to go to Israel. And I opened my Bible at random, and pointed at this verse...

Nehemiah 11:2
And the people blessed all the men, that willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.

I was glad when I read that verse, for it confirmed to me that this desire to visit Israel was of God, and He had acknowledged my prayer. But disappointment was in store. Our first trip was booked for October 2007, but we never got to go, due to trouble arranging flights. That was disappointing, for I had booked the trip in January of that year, and had waited 10 months for a holiday. So the trip was postponed to next year. Well that date has finally arrived. This coming Monday afternoon, God willing, a friend and I will be flying out to Prague and then on to Tel Aviv, for our holiday in the Holy Land. I have been wondering what will be like to see the places where Jesus walked, to see what we believe to be Golgotha - where He was crucified, and the Mount of Olives - where He will return. A few days ago I was reading my Bible, and God gave me this verse...

Isaiah 33:20
Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.

What will that be like? I can't really tell now. But I guess should bring tears to my eyes as I realize all that the Lord has done for me. My grandmother had a sister, Lily, who died very young. She became a Christian on the 9th of February, 1932. She had a wonderful testimony and witnessed to all those she came in contact with. But just two years later, after a brief period of illness, she was taken home to be with her Lord. She was just 17 years old. Her eyes never saw the things we are now witnessing today. She never saw Jerusalem. She never saw the nation of Israel reborn. The trip organizers have asked us to take a small pocket Bible with us to the Holy Land. I've lost mine. But I will be taking Lily's pocket Bible with me to Israel. In my mind that will be something special, to remember Lily and my grandmother at the Wailing Wall. I bet neither of them would ever have imagined this would be happening. Of course it's special for me, because I know both were saved and are presently in heaven with Jesus Christ. I will have the joy of meeting them again one day. But what about you? Will I see you in heaven? Put your trust in the One Who died on Calvary's cross.