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Top cleric unaware of hand shake
Kuwait Times ^ | December 03, 2008 | Staff

Posted on 12/05/2008 1:32:05 PM PST by forkinsocket

Egypt's leading Muslim cleric Mohammed Tantawi has denied he knowingly shook hands with Israeli President Shimon Peres at a religious conference, saying he did not recognize him, a newspaper reported yesterday.

Pictures of the handshake during a UN-sponsored religious dialogue last month caused a furor in the Egyptian opposition press and demands by an opposition MP that the government-appointed Tantawi be sacked.

Tantawi, who heads the Islamic Al-Azhar University, told Al-Masri al-Yom that he did not know the octogenarian Peres, who has occupied various positions in the Israeli government since its founding in 1948 and is a Nobel peace prize winner.

(Excerpt) Read more at kuwaittimes.net ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Israel
KEYWORDS: egypt; handshake; israel; mohammedanism; peres
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1 posted on 12/05/2008 1:32:05 PM PST by forkinsocket
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To: forkinsocket

2 posted on 12/05/2008 1:42:48 PM PST by mirkwood (O.J. is FINALLY in prison.)
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To: forkinsocket
Aw, come on. It's not like he taught him the ATO secret handshake or anything.


3 posted on 12/05/2008 1:52:16 PM PST by USMCPOP (Father of LCpl. Karl Linn, KIA 1/26/2005 Al Haqlaniyah, Iraq)
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To: forkinsocket
Tantawi, I'd like to shake your hand. Hold on a sec, let me get this first.


4 posted on 12/05/2008 1:59:54 PM PST by USMCPOP (Father of LCpl. Karl Linn, KIA 1/26/2005 Al Haqlaniyah, Iraq)
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To: forkinsocket

I heard Bill Clinton say, “What? That wasn’t Hillary under the desk?”


5 posted on 12/05/2008 2:42:23 PM PST by IllumiNaughtyByNature (It Should be Immediate OPEN SEASON on all RHINO's and PUMA's.)
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To: forkinsocket
Tangible Proof the Bible is the Absolute Word of God and is Absolute Truth

Many people today are saying that if we just believe strong enough in one of the many religions, that we will be OK. After all the Bible isn't any different than any other religious book. So many of our young people today that go to evangelical Christian churches believe this lie.

I Tim 4:1 Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits & doctrines of devils.

II Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days, scoffers, walking after their own lusts

Matt 7:13-15 Jesus said, Enter ye in at the straight gate: for wide is the gate & broad is the way that leadeth to destruction & many there be that go in there at. But strait is the gate & narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, & few there be that find it.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto them, I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me.

You can't get it any more narrow or absolute than that!

What we want to do is to prove this Bible to be absolute truth, using God's own words from His book - how He proved it through the centuries & continues to prove it today in a way only the God of the past, present & future is able to do.

Our generation is living in a time when the Bible says the facts of its truth is shouting at us & very few are paying attention. The mega horn that is shouting at the human race is ISRAEL. God Himself told exactly what was going to happen to Israel - also stating He would prove to all the unbelievers, called heathen, that He was God by what He was going to do with Israel over a 2500 year period.

2 Peter 1:20-21

Knowing this first that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation for the prophecy came not of old time by the will of man but of holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

First God said because of Israel's sin of turning from Him, that He was going to scatter them (Jews or Israelites) all over the world, and they were scattered over 2000 years ago. This happened.

Eze. 36:19 And I scattered them among the heather, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them, this was prophesied hundreds of years before this happened. No one can argue that! Until the scattering , Israel for many years had been the most powerful nation in the world, but when they turned away from God, His protective hand left them & their enemies chased them - scattering them. Up until that happened, the rest of the world believed that Israel's God was protecting them. But because they turned from God to do it their way - and because of it they were made to leave their land - it caused the heathen world to not believe in Him. God said their action profaned His name.

Eze. 36:20 And when they entered unto the heathen, whether they went, they profaned my Holy name when they said to them, these people are the people of the Lord and are gone forth out of His land. You see, the land of Israel was an uncondtional forever promise to the father of the Jews, Abraham, because of his trust in God. So God said they would be scattered and it would cause unbelief in Him. No one can deny this prophecy which has taken place. But look what God said He would do with Israel at a later time. This is happening now!!

Eze: 36:21-24 But I had pity for mine Holy Name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God: I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine Holy Name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes for I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

For over 2500 years, the Jews did not have their land, but they got it back in our generation - in 1948. Prophecy is still happening as Jews are still gathering from all nations to Israel. God said He would cause this to happen.

Now the world leaders said it could never happen - that the Jews could get their land back.

Isaiah 66:8-9 Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion (Israel) travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth & not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth & shut the womb? saith thy God

The people going back to Israel are called Zionists, so we know when the prophet Isaiah is asking the question - can a nation be born in a day? - he's talking about Israel. In 1948 when the United Nations Security Counsel voted Israel to become a nation again, it happened in one day. Isaiah said "Who has seen such a thing?" No people ever before or since has been out of their land for over 2500 years and become a nation again. They brought back with them the Hebrew language which they continued to use, therefore preserving it - yet another miracle. All nations that challenged Israel's return were defeated and will be judged for their actions. The next day after Israel was restored, they were attacked by the Arab nations around them but Israel defeated them. God said once He brought Israel back - at the end of the age - He, God, would fight for them & He is!

We know from verse 34 when the Jews came back to Israel, the land wasn't producing because Ezekiel says they would come back to a desolate land.

Eze.36:34-37 And the desolate land shall be tilled whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that pass by. And they shall say, this land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden and the waste & desolate & ruined cities are become fenced & are inhabited. Then the heathen (unbelievers in Christ) that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, & plant what was desolate. I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it.

Mark Twain in the early 1900's toured that land before Israel was given the land back. He said it looked like the most worthless God forsaken land he'd ever seen. Now the land as the Bible said it would be, looks like the Garden of Eden. Their crops of fruits & veggies are sought after all over the world. In less than 60 years, they have become the world's 8th largest economy. God kept His word - He blessed them after bringing them back. God said He would personally cause their land to abundantly produce like the Garden of Eden.

It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out what caused the Jews to want their own land again. Jer 16:15-16 states: But the Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the North, and from all the lands whether He had driven them, and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers. Jer 16:16 - Behold, I will send for many fishes, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them, and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

For many years before 1948, some Jews that were trying to lure other Jews back to Israel reminds us of a fisherman. But only a few were trickling back until Hitler started hunting them down. The world witnessed those horrible death camps.

Eze.37:12-17 Therefore, prophesy and say unto them, thus saith the Lord God. Behold, O my people, I will open your graves & cause you to come up out of your graves & bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord when I have opened your graves, O my people and brought you up out of your graves. And I shall put my spirit in you and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land, and ye shall know that I the Lord hath spoken it and performed it saith the Lord.

The Zionist movement has been going on since the scattering of the Jews 2000 years ago. There has always been a small remnant in their land & others wanting to go back to their homeland. A movement was started trying different ways to get all their people back. Jeremiah 16:16 describes these Jewish people "fishers". After WWII the world saw what had been happening to the Jews by Hitler, the Hunter, - when they opened the graves of the Jewish prison camps in Germany & Poland. The verses in Ezekiel where it says, I will cause you to come up out of your graves & bring you into your own land Israel and I will put my spirit in you and you & yours shall live and I will place you in your own land. You shall know I the Lord have spoken it and performed it.

I believe that when the graves were opened & the Jewish people saw the horror of what was done to their people, the same spirit of those dead people in the grave who undoubtedly longed for a homeland of their own before their deaths, entered millions of the Jews who had escaped this awful holocaust. Then the Zionist movement really took hold.

The nations that had the veto power at the UN probably would never have voted for Israel to become a nation again had they not seen these same horrible holocaust open graves.

Over 2500 years before God scattered the Jews, they were two nations & had two kings - Israel in the north & Judea in the south. God said at the time when He brought them back to Israel, they would be one nation with one leader. PROPHESY FULFILLED IN OUR DAY!

Eze. 37:22 And say unto them thus saith the Lord God: Behold I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen whither they begone, and will gather them on every side and bring them into their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel, and one King shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms anymore at all.

God said after the Jews return to their land that the whole world would turn against them and trouble themselves with them.

Zach 12:2-3 Behold I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about. When they shall be in the siege both against Judah (Israel) and against Jerusalem. And in that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people, all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. Most every nation in the UN thinks of Israel as a burdensome stone & all but the US vote against Israel all the time blaming a tiny nation for all the problems of the world. Notice God said any nation that burdens themselves with Israel & Jerusalem will be cut in pieces. That has happened in the past and is happening right now.

Isn't it interesting a tiny country approximately the size of Rhode Island has the continual attention of the world? Isn't it interesting that every nation that has tried to stop the Jews or kill them, that God has brought these nations down? I know personally an individual that hated the Jews so much that he couldn't have a conversation without cursing them. This man ended up dying in an insane asylum. So the promise to Abraham the Father of the Jews, is an unconditional promise forever. God told Abraham that because of your faithfulness, I will bless those that bless you and your descendents, and I will curse those that curse you and your descendents.

History has proven this true. Knowing & seeing what has happened in our lifetime - Germany the once great power, brought down, England, the once great power that the sun never set on her kingdom, but after they tried to block the Jews from coming back and re-establishing their land, rapidly started losing their holdings. Russia persecuted the Jews - and has lost the power it once had. AND THIS SHOULD BE A WARNING TO THE U.S.

Joel 3:2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehosaphat (in Israel) and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel whom they have scattered among the nations and parted my land.

So we know from these versus that the nations working on dividing Israel's land (which is now happening) will be judged in the end.

Some prophesies have happened and some we are watching happen today.

In summary:

The scattering of the Jews among the nations was prophesied years before it happened.

God foretold He would have people fishing for & hunting down the Jews - see Jer 16:15-16

The gathering of the Jews back to their land after over 2500 years of not having a nation & gathered from all nations

That a nation could be born at once or in a day - and it was

That Israel was two kingdoms, but when brought back, they would be one nation or kingdom as it is

The land would be desolate when they came back to it but God would cause it to flourish and crops would grow so that it would look like the Garden of Eden - which we can see now has happened

God foretold the event that would put the final driving spirit in the Jews hearts to leave their homes & want to have their own nation - the holocaust graves and world persecution

One other prophecy not mentioned before that is happening as you see the evening news & read your papers appears in Ezekiel 36:35b which says - the ruined cities are become fenced and are inhabited. The fencing has been done to keep out terrorists. The Bible doesn't state the why, but the reason is obvious today. What we have witnessed and are witnessing today, was prophesized over 2000 years ago - and in precise detail?

What are the odds that (8) prophecies over 2500 years old have come to pass in exact detail and order?

Just to give you an example about the odds - I read of some mathematician figuring mathematically this kind of odds.

Said it would be like placing a marked silver dollar in a hidden location in Texas, then covering the whole state with two feet deep of unmarked silver dollars. Blindfold a person & ask him to reach down one time and pull out the marked silver dollar. The odds are trillions to one or impossible by chance. The only way all these prophesies could happen in detail as written in the Bible, and over several thousand years, is that the One who spoke them was/is alive to orchestrate their happening.

Now do you know why God himself said "I will use my people the Jews to prove to the world that I am the Almighty Sovereign God" of the universe & the Bible? Science uses test tubes to prove what is real and what isn't. But the Sovereign Scientist GOD that gives the earthly scientists a little of His knowledge, out trumped them by using - beyond any test tube - a way to prove Himself not only by creation but by taking a people He chose to use thru all of man's generations using prophecies hundreds of years in advance in detail & each generation has been able to see it little by little come to pass, far surpassing any scientific test. No other religious book has ever been able to prove it is God's inspired writings. Only the Bible says these are the ways God would prove himself. God proved who He is using a way only a Sovereign God can do. No scientist or chemist or the most learned physicist could ever begin to prove a religious belief true or false. God trumped them all. God had this plan at the beginning of time. He himself stated that He needed to prove Himself at the end of the age because false religions would be rampant & only the One that controls the future trumps all.

God also revealed thru his Bible, that He is the Holy Spirit dwelling on earth. The Bible says when we're born into this world, we have a rebellious nature against Him. That came from the first ones He created - Adam & Eve, when they sinned. If we read the above proof of Bible truth given by our creator, and still don't want to believe, we have just proven the rebellious nature we are all born with.

After Adam & Eve sinned, man was in a fallen state and headed for hell unless we choose the only way of salvation - God's. We are created eternal beings. Our spirit is eternal. We'll live somewhere forever - in a place called heaven with our creator, or in torment in hell . We are made a free moral agent with choice. Because of God's love for us, He lets us choose where we want to spend eternity.

So God in His love chose to send His son Jesus (Yeshua) to earth to give man another choice by his redemption. He chose to die on a cross and shed His blood for us, then we could choose His salvation & lordship. Here again He used a Jewish virgin to bear His Son on earth which was prophesied also. The people that lived during this great event witnessed prophesy come to pass from hundreds of years before.

Is 53:1-6 (Prophesied 680 years before Christ) Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before Him like a tender shoot and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him. Nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised and we esteemed Him not. Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God smitten by Him and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions He was crushed for our iniquities the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray, each one of us has turned to His own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Prophecy telling of Christ's coming is all thru the Old Testament and even though some try to deny Christ did come, it is a historical fact with witnesses that He did come, dying on the cross for the remission of our sins in order that we could have the choice of having restored fellowship again with God as Adam & Eve originally had before the fall.

Now that TRUTH thru PROPHECY proven in a way that only a sovereign God could do, let's see what more truth (the Bible) has to say.

How to be saved - be restored to fellowship with God

John 3:16-17 For God to loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world thru Him might be saved. Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteouness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Truth tells us we've all sinned and need a Savior

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God

Truth tells us the penalty of sin

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death - eternal hell

Truth tells us how we're forgiven of our sins

1John1:9 If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins & cleanse us from all unrighteousness

We were created to have a personal relationship with Father God thru Yeshua (Jesus). He desires our fellowship.

I Cor 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ Our Lord.

Now the truth, the Bible, has given us the way to receive God's salvation. What a loving sovereign creator we have to make it so simple. Anyone, anywhere, poor or rich can receive Christ as Savior. Just pray something like this -

Jesus or Jeshua, I believe you are God and came to earth and died on the cross paying the penalty for my sin, and rose again and now sit at the right hand of the Father. I accept you as my Savior right now and want to have a relationship with you. Romans 10:9-10 is truth and states - "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

1 Cor 1:9 God's faithful fellowship

6 posted on 12/05/2008 6:46:08 PM PST by antonia (A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves. - Edward R. Murrow)
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To: forkinsocket

7 posted on 12/05/2008 6:59:19 PM PST by antonia (A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves. - Edward R. Murrow)
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To: antonia

Jesus was TOUGH. Jesus was TENDER.

Jesus made some exclusive claims. He referred to God intimately as His own Father. By doing this He was claiming to be equal with God. In John 14:6 he basically says, “If you want to get to God, you got to go through me first.” He is not just saying he is the way to God, He says He is God. “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen God. “not just a god, but the God, the Big Guy in the sky, the creator of the universe.”


8 posted on 12/05/2008 8:47:13 PM PST by antonia (A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves. - Edward R. Murrow)
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