The Gulf Oil Spill: A Sea of Blood
July 11, 2010 Chester FBC Dr. Mike Fogerson
Introduction:
A God is a God of miracles, signs, wonders & He knows what is doing.
1 For example:
a The eggs of a potato bug hatches in 7 days,
*canary 14 days, *barnyard hen 21 days,
* ducks/geese in 28 days, *mallard 35 days, *parrot/ostrich 42 days . . . every one divisible by 7.
b Watermelon has an even number of stripes on the rind.
Each orange has an even number of sections
Each ear of corn has an even number of rows
Each stalk of wheat has an even number of rows.
c Elephant is a quadruped, is the only quadruped that has all four legs bend forward.
aa Horses (front legs), cows (rear legs)
bb The elephant is such a large animal He gave it four fulcrums so it can rise from the ground easily.
2 God has arranged, organized creation accurately, purposefuly.
a You and I are not the result of cosmic coincidence, but we are created by a loving God.
b The God who brought order into chaos wants to bring order and His glory into our lives!
c Only the one who made the brain & heart can successfully guide them.
B God is faithful & keeps His promises.
1 Gen. 12.3
a Abrahamic covenant between God & Israel. (Many Christians see this covenant still in affect)
b April 20, 1948 is the day Israel was birthed as a modern state.
aa For 1,900 years scattered amongst the nations,
bb After the holocaust & extermination of +6 mill.
cc Beauty from ashes (Accomplished in 62 years as a nation what has taken others centuries to do.)
2 By God keeping His word to Israel, we have proof/evidence He still keeps His word.
a The God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob/Israel is the God of the Church!
b He’s still making history & the future.
3 His word tells us that there is a great tribulation coming in the last days.
a 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, " Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 1 Thess 5:2-6 (NASB)
b I believe we are experiencing labor pains of what God is birthing in the prophetic as evidenced by an increase in earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, ecological disasters.
C The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died. Rev 16:3 (NASB)
1 God is going to send a plague on the seas that is reminiscent of a plague He sent to Egypt on behalf of His people.
a We’re aren’t in the tribulation yet so I DO NOT SEE THE OIL SPILL AS A FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY.
b What I do see . . . birth pains.
aa Foreshadowing of what is to come.
bb Studies have shown that up to 30% of the oxygen in the Gulf of Mexico has been depleted.
cc We’re always just 2 disasters away from social upheaval.
dd How easy it is for people to expect the gov’t to have the answers & the gov’t willingness to say that they have the answers.
2 Sadly, the one who has the answer has been deported from the country.
D Many pastors, bible scholars are seeing a link in the catastrophic events that occur within a 24 hour period after America (or other nations) stand against Israel.
1 Hurricane Andrew; Northridge, California earthquake, Katrina, (and more) are more than coincidence.
a Chile earthquake was so severe it moved the earth 3.5" off her axis. (Chile is the second highest Palestinian population in the world outside the middle east)
b Since Israel became a state in 1948, America has been her chief guarantor, supporter, and now it is as if we are turning away & the world itself is trembling in response.
2 Jesus himself gives a word in His Olivet Discourse in Matt. 24.7,8 that describes the last days events.
a For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. 9 " Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.
Matt 24:7-9 (NASB)
b I believe we are seeing & hearing the birth pangs. GOD KEEPS HIS WORD.
I God works through time yet He is not limited to it.
A Daniel 2.21,22
1 Jerusalem is a divided city since the 6 day war of 1967 (Gaza, West Bank, Golan Heights, Sinai Peninsula)
a On March 10, 2010, Our V.P. Biden was visiting Israel when it was announced that there would be 1,600 apartments built in Ramat Shlomo neighborhood in Jerusalem. (Made President Obama “Livid.”)
aa Offend Palestinians (Muslims)
bb Charles Bolden, Chairman of NASA went to the Middle East & gave an interview on Al Jeezera TV.
cc I am here in the region - its sort of the first anniversary of President Barack Obama's visit to Cairo - and his speech there when he gave what has now become known as Obama's "Cairo Initiative" where he announced that he wanted this to become a new beginning of the relationship between the United States and the Muslim world. When I became the NASA Administrator - before I became the NASA Administrator - he charged me with three things: One was that he wanted me to re-inspire children to want to get into science and math, that he wanted me to expand our international relationships, and third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with predominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science, math, and engineering.
b March 25, 2010, US criticism for Israel is heard around the world. Netanyahu makes an emergency visit to DC.
aa He’s snubbed by the President.
bb Also, Israel (who receives huge amounts of their military arsonal from US) didn’t receive Key Weapons system upgrades & spare parts.
cc President Obama delievered Apache Helicopters & F-16 Jets to Turkey.
dd We had also promised Israel “Bunker Buster” bombs, but have withheld them.
2 Remember the Abrahamic Covenant!
B April of this year we saw further split in our relations.
1 In April, the U.N. Security Council (15 members, job is keep peace, impose international sanctions, military action) met to discuss possible sanctions against Israel & Pres. Obama promised the chairman of China that the U.S. would not veto .
a This menuvoring put “blood” in the water and Israel’s neighbors smell it.
b April 6th, Jordan’s King Abdullah said he regretted his father, King Hussien, had made peace with Israel in 1979.
c April 7th, Turkey’s PM told the world that “Israel was the principal threat to peace in the Middle East.”
aa W/in days the PM of Lebanon is in Damascus, Syria solidifying ties.
bb President of Iran never misses an opp. to call for Israel destruction.
2 April 20th, Israelies are celebrating their independence (picnics, bbq’s, parades.)
a On April 20th, in the Gulf of Mexico, the BP deep sea drilling platform, Deep Water Horizon, explodes killing 11 men.
b Spilt roughly 3 to 6 million barrels of oil in the Gulf of Mexico.
aa Affected the coasts of TX, LA, AL, MS, & FL.
bb Cost the US billions so far, harming wildlife, & the well is still spilling oil.
3 If the Lord was going to send a message, He chose the appropriate day to do it.
II
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Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
