RUSSIA CONTINUES ARMS SALES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Several reports are coming out, including an article in the Jerusalem Post, which reveal a large-scale arms deal between Syria and Russia. This arms sale would include anti-aircraft missiles, MiG fighter jets, surface to air missiles, and an array of additional weapons. This is part of a disturbing trend in the the region, as Russia is also actively supplying Iran and Turkey with arms, in similar agreements. This is taking place while the world watches Russian involvement in constructing Iranian nuclear facilities, which are expected to have the capability to produce nuclear weapons by the end of this year. Of course, this is in the context of Iranian President Ahmadinejad having well-known intentions to destroy Israel.

The most concerning aspect of this development is the close association between Iran, Russia and the terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas. Hezbollah and Hamas currently occupy and control Lebanon and Gaza, respectively. The general assumption is that these Russian made arms will end up in the hands of Hamas and Hezbollah, which is not surprising given that many of the missiles currently being launched from Gaza are supplied by Iran and Russia.

As mentioned previously, prophecy watchers are keeping a close eye on developments between Russia and Iran, and their influence in the region. The current alignment (through various treaties and arms deals) of Russia, Iran, Syria, Turkey, along with northern Africa's Islamic States, and the various terrorists groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas and Fatah, looks very much like the geopolitical scenario seen by the prophet Ezekiel approximately 2,500 years ago.

All of this is occuring at a time of Israel experiencing major political turmoil. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is under intense investigation, with mounting pressure to resign and it is becoming apparent that his term will end soon. The question then becomes, will Israel hold new elections, and if so, who will be in power next? Its unclear how Olmert's demise will change things in Israel, but its certianly a significant development - one to follow closely. This political uncertianty may also serve as an opportunity for one of the terrorists groups to attack Israel, as so frequently promised.

As usual, its difficult to see exactly where all of this is going, but in these end times, any significant development in Israel seems to have prophetic implications. Things are happening at a rapid rate in the middle east and its a given that violence will continue to escalate, probably over the course of this summer.

Meanwhile, we'll continue to watch and spread the news of Christ's return.

Why Do We Watch?

Whats the point of watching "signs", as given by ancient prophetic scriptures? Whats the point?
After all, people have mistakenly thought that they were living in the last days before - why would we want to make that same mistake?

There are multiple reasons for watching. One could argue that prophecy reveals the presence of God - that through prophetic fulfillment, one can make the case for God's very existance, as there is no other explanation for hundreds of prophetic scriptures being fulfilled in a manner exactly described in the bible. Only a sovereign God could know the future. In fact, no other religion can claim such literal, specific fulfillment of prophecy, as we have seen throughout bible history. Additionally, prophecy represents approximately 30% of the bible. Ignoring prophecy leaves a significant void in our understanding of God's word.

But there is a better reason for reading and understanding prophecy. It is important to Jesus. Very important. Jesus instructed us to watch for the signs of His coming over and over and over again. A quick glance at His last discourse, known as the Olivet Discourse, reveals no less than TEN warnings to watch for, and know the signs preceeding His coming:

Luke 21:36
Mark 13:33
Mark 13:35
Mark 13:37
Matthew 24:42
Matthew 25:13
Luke 21:28
Luke 21:31
Mark 13:29
Matthew 24:33

Isn't that enough? Don't we want to be obedient to Jesus?

I find it interesting that many folks express a desire to follow Jesus' commands, yet they ignore one of His most important commands, and that is to watch for His return, and the various signs that indicate His return is soon. In fact, we know from Matthew 24 that one generation of people living on the planet will see ALL signs given for His return. He urged us to know the signs, and understand the "season" of His return.

So what if we're all wrong? What if, for some reason, we're not in the season just before Christ's return?

All I can say is - I'd rather be wrong in making efforts to obey Christ's commands (to watch), rather than being wrong by ignoring His commands. In other words, I'd far rather face Jesus, having attempted to watch for the signs, and having been wrong, as contrasted with actually BEING in that last generation, and ignoring the signs. Plus, there is the added benefit of watching the signs and having such bible study bring us closer to Christ. Its hard to find a prophecy "watcher" who isn't coming closer and closer to Christ, as we await His return. Its hard to be lukewarm when you feel that Jesus' return is very near. I repeat: Its hard to be lukewarm when you feel that Jesus' return is very near.

However, the evidence is overwhelming that we're in that season; that we're actually living in the last generation that Jesus described so vividly.

Just as we watched for a loved one to return from a long trip, we watch for Jesus to return. It shows our deep love for Him, and our deep desire to be with Him. Lets not make the mistake made 2,000 years ago, when Jesus walked on this earth. The signs of Christ's first coming were largely ignored; something Jesus addressed following the resurrection. As Jesus appeared to the apostles, He reminded them of why they didn't understand the events which had just taken place, three days earlier:

"He said to them, 'This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms'. Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures". Jesus went through all of the prophecies about Himself on the last remaining days that He had on earth.

The bottom line: If its important to Jesus, it should be important to us. Period. So lets keep watching.

Maranatha!

Hezbollah Gains Control of Lebanon

The terrorist group Hezbollah has taken control of Lebanon, following a bloody internal conflict over the last few weeks. This is significant for a number of reasons. Now Hezbollah can control the northern border with Israel, without obstruction. Hezbollah has also been re-arming themselves with a variety of missiles, acquired from Syria and Iran for the last two years. Two years ago, we watched a one month battle take place between Israel and Hezbollah. Despite the U.N.'s Security Council resolution that Hezbollah disarm, Lebanon's new government have now informed the world that they have no intention of disarming http://news.yahpp.com/s/ap/20080526/ap_on_re_mi_ea/lebanon. Syria and Iran, both of whom have stated their intentions for the destruction of Israel on numerous occasions, have supplied Hezbollah with thousands of missiles, all intended to reach Israel in the next conflict.

The prophets Zechariah and Ezekiel predicted these events nearly 2,500 years ago. According to Zechariah, "...all the nations of the earth are gathered against her". We also know from Ezekiel 38-39 that a massive invasion of Israel will take place, as led by Russia "from the far north" and Iran (aka "Persia"). We watch these events in the middle-east with great interest, as they are stated to take place "in the latter days", which is old testament code for the time just preceeding the coming of Christ. We also watch these events because God will reveal Himself during this epic war: "I will make known my holy name among my people Israel, I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the Lord am the Holy One in Israel" (Ezekiel 39:7), as he destroys the invading force, presumably in a supernatural manner. Ezekiel 39 gives us great detail for these events.

It seems hard to believe, as we haven't seen God directly intervene on this earth, in such a dramatic manner, since the time of Christ. However, for those of us who have doubts, God left us with this word, as spoken through the prophet Ezekiel, "It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord. This is the day I have spoken of" (Ezekiel 39:8). That scripture removes any doubt - this invasion will take place, and it appears to be shaping up exactly as described throughout these two chapters in Ezekiel's prophecies.

Israel is preparing for another conflict this summer. Will the next conflict evolve into the epic battle described by Ezekiel? No one can know for sure, but with every development in the middle-east, things seem to be moving rapidly in that direction. We watch these events in the middle east because watching prophecy unfold reminds us of the exact nature of prophecy fulfillment, and that tells us something very important: God knows all, and reveals His presence through prophecy.

After all, God has informed us that HE, and HE ALONE will conclude this war and He will do so for one reason:

"I will display my glory among the nations" (Ezekiel 39:21)

So we'll continue to be obedient to Jesus' command to watch these signs, as we prepare for His coming. At the same time, we all must remember to pray for the Nation of Israel as they face their enemies, all of whom are arming for the next invasion. We can also rest assured - God is in control and He will make this abundantly clear very soon. Keep watching!

Ruang Refleksi: Bayang-Bayang Merek Lulusan Luar Negeri

Artikel berikut merupakan tulisan penulis yang dimuat dalam rubrik Ruang Tamu Majalah Arus Kampus Edisi IV – Rabi’ul Akhir 1429 dengan fokus "Imunisasi Akademik". Arus Kampus merupakan media independen gerakan mahasiswa Indonesia di Cairo dengan tujuan meningkatkan wawasan dan jaringan peran. Penulis mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Dewan Redaksi yang telah mengundang dan memberikan kepercayaan kepada Penulis untuk sedikit menggoreskan penanya dan sedikit berbagi pengalaman dengan kawan-kawan Mahasiswa di Mesir.

Semoga tulisan ini dapat juga dijadikan Ruang Refleksi bagi seluruh pelajar dan mahasiswa Indonesia dimanapun berada.

Salam Hormat,
Pan Mohamad Faiz

BAYANG-BAYANG MEREK LULUSAN LUAR NEGERI

Sebuah Refleksi oleh Pan Mohamad Faiz*
Ketua Umum DP PPI-India 2007/2008

“Berangkat saja, kesempatan emas ini belum tentu datang dua kali. Untuk apa tunggu-tunggu waktu lagi... ”, jawab salah seorang Profesor saya dalam merespon kebimbangan diri ini ketika saya menerima tawaran untuk melanjutkan pendidikan di Negeri Gandhi, India.

Maklum saja, pada saat itu - dan besar kemungkinan masih terjadi hingga saat ini - atmosfer yang terbangun hampir pada diri setiap pelajar dan mahasiswa Indonesia yang ingin melanjutkan pendidikan di luar negeri terus berkiblat pada negara-negara barat, jika tidak Amerika, Inggris, Eropa, atau Australia.

Pengalaman ini mungkin bukan hanya terjadi pada diri saya sendiri, tetapi bisa jadi menghinggapi sebagian besar kawan-kawan pelajar Indonesia lainnya yang akan atau sedang menempuh pendidikan di negara-negara berkembang dunia. Raut penyesalan atau setidaknya rasa kurang percaya diri, seringkali terpancar jelas apabila saya tengah melakukan perbincangan bersama kawan-kawan mahasiswa Indonesia di India ataupun negara-negara berkembang lainnya.

Padahal, ketika kita menghadiri beberapa Konferensi Internasional yang diperuntukan khusus bagi Pelajar Indonesia di luar negeri, mereka yang hadir dari negara-negara berkembang dalam kenyataannya dapat membuktikan kemampuannya setara dengan mereka yang berasal dari negara maju lainnya.

Salah satu alasan utama yang kerap dijadikan sebagai “kambing hitam” terhadap situasi ini yaitu persoalan “brand” atau merek. Bahkan hingga saat ini, masih saja sebagian besar dari kita sendiri yang sebenarnya telah diberikan kesempatan menempuh pendidikan di luar negeri beranggapan bahwa negara yang dihuninya kini tidak mampu menciptakan lulusan yang berdaya saing dan berdaya jual tinggi.

Tidak bisa dipungkiri, hingga saat ini Indonesia memang masih terjangkit dengan apa yang disebut “branding syndrome”. Mulai dari berbagai macam produk pangan, sandang, dan papan, bahkan hingga memasuki ranah produksi lulusan luar negerinya, semuanya kalau bisa dikaitkan dan dimonopoli dengan merek yang terkesan kebarat-baratan.

Oleh karenanya, bagi kita yang sedang belajar di luar negeri, khususnya di India dan Mesir, sudah sepatutnya juga mengangkat derajat dan martabat kita bersama sekaligus membuktikannya bahwa pendidikan bukan sekedar ditentukan dari sebuah balutan merek, tetapi unsur kualitas yang harus lebih diutamakan.

Dalam membangun kualitas pribadi maupun bersama, tentunya komitmen dan tekad keseriusan dalam belajar harus sudah benar-benar bulat. Jika tidak, hasil yang diperoleh tentunya akan nihil. Oleh sebab itu, perjuangan kita pun harus menjadi dua kali lebih keras, yaitu pertama, membentuk pribadi yang unggul baik di bidang akademik maupun non-akademik dalam kaitannya untuk meningkatkan daya saing; dan kedua, memperkuat jaringan dan kerjasama antar sesama baik di dalam negeri maupun luar negeri, guna meningkatkan daya jual.

Kehadiran dan pesatnya perkembangan ICT (Information Communication and Techonology), tentunya lebih memudahkan kita mencapai kedua hal tersebut di atas. Sebab, sebagaimana Thomas L. Friedman katakan bahwa saat ini “dunia itu menjadi datar”. Artinya, berbagai informasi dan ilmu pengetahuan yang berada di belahan dunia lain pun sebenarnya kini dengan sangat mudah dapat kita miliki juga.

Namun kini pertanyaannya adalah telah sejauh manakah kita memanfaatkan kesempatan belajar di luar negeri ini sekaligus mempersiapkan diri untuk bersaing sehat dengan saudara-saudara sebangsa ataupun lain bangsa dari seluruh penjuru dunia? Jangan-jangan, sudah kita tidak menyadari problematika yang tengah menanti setelah lulus, masih saja kita berasyik-masyuk melakukan hal-hal yang kurang begitu penting di luar negeri ini dengan mengindahkan tujuan utama kita, yaitu belajar guna memperoleh ilmu pengetahuan dan pengalaman internasional yang seluas-luasnya.

Teringat nasihat penutup dari sang Profesor yang hingga saat ini terus melintas di benak saya dan sungguh pun hal tersebut telah menjadi inspirasi serta obor motivasi selama menempuh pendidikan di India. “... Toh, dari negara luar manapun anda lulus, pada akhirnya kualitas kamu sendirilah yang akan lebih menentukan, apakah kamu layak diterima dan diperhitungkan oleh masyarakat Indonesia atau tidak. Bukan sekedar asal negaranya. Paham?”, jelas sang Profesor lulusan Indonesia murni (S1-S3) yang kini menjabat sebagai Ketua salah satu Lembaga Negara RI.

Wallahu ’alam Bishawab...

* Penulis adalah Mahasiswa Pascasarjana Ilmu Hukum pada Faculty of Law, University of Delhi. Peraih penghargaan “The Best Oralist Presentation (Lecture)” dalam Indonesian Students Scientific Meeting 2008 di Belanda [update]. Penulis dapat dihubungi melalui http://panmohamadfaiz.com.

War News, Blogs, Opinions, And Wire Service Roundup -- May 22, 2008

WAR/TERRORISM NEWS SUMMARIES AROUND THE WORLD
United States Central Command
Global Security Briefs -- In Homeland Security
Complete Roundup Of World Trouble Spots -- Small Wars Journal
International, War, and Terrorism Headlines -- Rantburg
Morning Brief -- Foreign Policy
Global Incident Map
Spotlight on Military News and International Affairs -- Canadian Perspective
Summary Of Wars & Conflicts: Right Hand Side Of Page -- Counter Terrorism Blog
Global Security News Roundup -- Global Security.org
Latest News -- Strategy Page
Institute For War And Peace Reporting
Intelligence News Roundup -- Intelligence Online
Analysis And Commentaries -- International Relations And Security Network
Alertnet From Reuters -- Use Their Search Filter
Emerging Threats -- United Press International
International Forecasting And News -- Stratfor

IRAQ
Iraq News -- E I N News
Conflict In Iraq -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
War In Iraq -- MSNBC
Iraq News Online -- Times Online
Iraq Weekly Status Report -- U.S. State Department
Iraq Updates
Iraq Coalition Casualty Count

AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Afghanistan Update: April 1-30, 2008 -- Center For Defense Information
Operations In Afghanistan -- U.K. Ministry Of Defense

MIDDLE EAST
Mideast Conflicts -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Middle East Coverage -- Memri

SECURITY AND TERRORISM
Security -- MSNBC
Terrorism -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Terrorism -- MSNBC
National Terror Alert Response Center

U.S. MILITARY NEWS
U.S. Department Of Defense News
News in The Military -- Military News
Stars And Stripes
U.S. Armed Forces News -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Index Of Military Blogs: Stories Updated Daily -- Military.com
Milblogging: Stories Updated Daily -- Index Of Military Blogs
Directory Of Intelligence Sites -- Strategic IntelligenceComplete

Last Post For Tonight

Iraq War News Updates -- May 21, 2008

Summary Of Iraq War News
Iraqi Troops Take Charge of Sadr City in Swift Push -- New York Times
Iraqi troops test truce in cleric stronghold -- Reuters
Iraqi Army presses into Sadr City -- Long War Journal
Has Maliki Conquered Sadr City? -- Time Magazine
Operation in Sadr City Is an Iraqi Success, So Far -- New York Times
US says its troops kill 11 militants in Baghdad -- Breitbart
Cleansing Mosul Of al-Qaeda -- Strata-Sphere
Thousands of former Army personnel to return to service in Mosul -- Iraq Updates
Tariq Aziz stays defiant in face of trial for his life -- Times Online
Sadr Is Finished -- Belmont Club
White House Challenges NBC News to Explain Whether Iraq Is in 'Civil War' -- FOX News
Success in Iraq: A Media Blackout -- New York Post
What Happened In Basra When The Militants Were in Control -- CNN
Now Come The Horror Stories Of Mahdi Army Atrocities -- Strata-Sphere
U.S. Deploys a Purpose-Driven Distinction -- Washington Post
Iraqi forces to fully control security by year-end -- Kuwait News Agency

My Comment: The success of the Iraqi Army in both Basra and Sadr City are major accomplishments. This was not expected ..... at least if you read the main stream media. The true test will be to maintain control and to start to rebuild these areas of Iraq. The goal will now expand from security to providing jobs and the prospect of hope to its citizens. Terrorism and car bomb attacks, vendettas and revenge killings, these acts will still continue .... but these is now a small glimmer of hope.

I am now going to make a prediction ...... with its oil wealth, the assistance of the U.S., and a people determined not to fall sway to dictatorship or religious extremism .... I give the people of Iraq a good chance to come out of this better than where they have been for the past few decades.