This Week's 66/40 Radio Broadcast

Articles and Commentary

• Is Marriage Unnecessary? - (Read)
• Why Israel May Strike First - (Read)
• Examining Ezekiel - (Read)

Important News Headlines

Memory Verse of the Week

IS MARRIAGE UNNECESSARY? - (Print)

Some call it "living together" or "cohabitating", others call it "shacking up." Yet no matter what terminology is used the fact remains that a rising number of couples are choosing not to get married. According to a new survey, more than 4 in 10 Americans believe that marriage is not necessary in order to have a successful long-term relationship. Of those surveyed who were in their 20s the numbers were even higher, more than half said marriage wasn't essential. Most of those polled also said that they favored living together before getting married.

In recent years societal trends have moved away from traditional marriage. In 2005, the number of married couple households in America dropped below 50 percent for the first time. Correspondingly, the number of unmarried women bearing children rose to its highest level ever. Compare that to 1930, when about 84 percent of households were married couples.

Many young adults think it's a good idea to live together to "test drive" a potential spouse in order to insure that they are "compatible." While such logic may seem practical to some, statistics show that such relationships usually end in tears and heartache. While some of these couples intend to eventually get married, the reality is that cohabiting couples break up far more than married couples, and couples who cohabit before marriage are more likely to get divorced after marriage. Research conducted by Rutgers University's National Marriage Project indicates that couples who live together before marriage are 46 percent more likely to divorce and significantly more likely to experience domestic violence within their relationships.

The Word of God is clear: "Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge (Hebrews 13:4)." The Bible expressly condemns fornication (1Cor 6:9,18) and there are great reasons why. Sex is a physical, emotional and spiritual act of two people becoming one (Matt 19:5-6, 1 Cor 6:15-16). Any relationship will have a better start if both spouses are free of vast amounts of baggage from previous broken relationships. Besides the risk of disease, of children born out of wedlock, and other complications, it is simply spiritually and emotionally damaging to engage in a series (long or short) of sexual relationships. Waiting until marriage also involves practicing self-control, which is just as useful a virtue in the years after the wedding as it is before. Couples who have proven self-control also tend to trust and respect one another more than those who were sexually active before the wedding date.

In the scriptures husbands are exhorted to love their wives "even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it." In other words, a Biblical marriage is one rooted in God's love rather than human love. C.S. Lewis calls this kind of love a "gift of love." Whereas, human love is a "need love." God's love is a gift because there are "no strings attached" to it. There are no conditions to fill, nothing to earn, nothing to do, and nothing to be. It just loves unconditionally, spontaneously, and continually.

Marriage is one of God's greatest inventions, offering us partners in the battle through life, to encourage us in times of discouragement, to help us up when we fall. Marriage offers us a constant friend and companion, a second head in trying to solve problems and a second set of hands in doing the work that needs to be done. Marriage is the foundational structure of a whole, happy family, where children can be raised in security and love. To learn more about God's unconditional love and what makes a marriage last click on the links below.

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WHY ISRAEL MAY STRIKE FIRST - (Print)

The now-infamous National Intelligence Estimate on Iran's nuclear intentions has prompted some to write off the Iranian threat. The NIE report appears to represent a surprising about-face in the US intelligence community's interpretation of the facts. However in reality the portion of the report that is available to the public (only about 4 pages of analysis, the remaining 140 pages are still classified) is so narrow in scope that its conclusions are fundamentally flawed. So much so that even the IAEA (which is no friend of the Bush administration) has contradicted its findings. It disregards many important facts and prompts more questions than it provides answers. The report represents the lowest common denominator in the combined opinions of 16 different government agencies, as a result it is too watered-down and bureaucratic to be of any real value. Furthermore, most of what the public has heard has been taken out of context and distorted by the press.

While the NIE report has confused some, embarrassed others, undermined negotiations, and caused a something of a furor in the press, it seems Israel is unfazed. There is no doubt in the minds of Israel's leaders that Iran poses a serious threat to the Jewish state. Diplomacy isn't working and with each passing day Iran gets closer to its goal. There has long been speculation that Israel is preparing for a possible strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. Some even suspect that Israel may target Iran's clandestine nuclear program with a tactical nuclear strike.

Such a bold move would no doubt reap the ire of the international community and probably trigger a violent backlash if not a full-scale war. Yet it wouldn't be the first time Israel has taken such a risk. Israel bombed the Iraqi nuclear reactor in Osirak in 1981 shortly before it became operational - a move that was widely condemned at the time by the international community. More recently, in September of this past year, Israel carried out a covert air strike deep inside Syrian territory. The mysterious raid remains cloaked in secrecy, however it is believed that Israel conducted a preemptive attack on a Syrian nuclear facility.

Analysts say that a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities would be much more difficult than the raid on Osirak or Syria. Primarily because there are multiple sites, spread throughout the country, and many of them are fortified in underground bunkers. Other possible complications include the sheer distance to and between the various targets, as well as Iran's plans to purchase new and improved Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles.

The clock is ticking. Iran's possession of nuclear weapons is only a matter of time. Wait too long and the consequences could be disastrous, yet move too quickly and risk alienation. There are benefits to striking before the Bushehr nuclear power plant becomes operational, however taking the offensive when there is no immediate or undeniable threat of a nuclear attack could be hard to justify. With the risks high and the outcome uncertain, why would Israel consider taking such drastic action? Because what is at stake is Israel's very survival.

To learn more about this topic, we encourage you to watch The Coming Conflict: Israel and Iran in which Avi Lipkin shares his unique insights on Middle East affairs.

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EXAMINING EZEKIEL - (Print)

It is difficult to understand the caldron of the Middle East without first studying the remarkable prophecies found in the book of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel was among the captives with King Jehoiachin in the second of three deportations under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He mentions Daniel three times, who had been in Babylon nine years before Ezekiel arrived. Ezekiel ministered, as did Jeremiah, to a nation experiencing judgment for their sins. In his captivity he lived at the River Chebar, which was the great ship canal branching off from the Euphrates above Babylon and turning through Nippur to the Tigris. This was the primary settlement location of the Jewish captives.

Ezekiel was born in approximately 627 B.C. and lived in a time of moral decline, distress and uprooting. His messages were not well received at first, but did ultimately result in the nation being purged of idolatrous practices. He was married and owned his home. His wife died during his ministry, and he was forbidden to mourn her.

We also learn that God intended his life to be a series of signs to Israel; therefore, he does all kinds of strange things. He shuts himself up in his home. He binds himself. He is struck dumb. In a formal ritual, he was to lie on his right and his left sides for a total of 430 days. He ate bread that was prepared in an unclean manner. He shaved his head and beard, which was considered a shame in his particular calling.

Throughout the book, his main theme was the sovereignty and glory of God. This is good for us, because we can get so focused on God’s grace that we tend to forget there is also a governing role of God, and that His glory requires justice.

Ezekiel was very direct. He carefully vindicated God’s justice throughout the book, although he deals more in symbol and allegory that any other Old Testament prophet. He is probably the greatest mystic of the Old Testament. He was well suited for the calling God gave him, which included a remarkable vision of God's Throne in Chapter 1. This dramatic vision of God never left him. It is not just introduced in the first chapter, it is referenced all the way through.

The Prophet of the Regathering

The famed vision of the Valley of the Dry Bones in Chapters 36 and 37 is unquestionably the monumental Biblical fulfillment of the 20th century. Beginning in the last half of the 19th century, the regathering that climaxed in the establishment of the State of Israel is one of the most irrefutable evidences that we are on threshold of God's climax for the nations mentioned throughout the Bible - and remarkably detailed in the writings of Ezekiel.

The final chapters, 40-48, climax with a remarkably detailed description of the Millennial Temple to be rebuilt. Ezekiel was uniquely qualified for this role due to his priestly background. He was the son of Buzi, who was also a priest. It is interesting that even though he never served as a priest, he apparently so influenced later worship that today he is called by some, "The Father of Judaism." From Numbers 4:3 we know that Kohathites had to be 30 years old before they could begin service as priests. When Ezekiel became 30, however, he was deported, in approximately the eightieth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. The Temple which Ezekiel describes has never yet been built. Most scholars regard it as the details for the Temple which will be established during the Millennium on Planet Earth.

Between the regathering of the nation in Chapters 36 and 37, and the Millennium Temple described in Chapters 40-48, there is a climactic event that intervenes. The invasion of Gog and Magog, described in Chapters 38 and 39, are among the most famous prophetic passages in the Bible. For a variety of reasons, the identity of "Magog" as the people of Russia seems well established.

Have you ever studied this incredible book carefully? See our verse-by-verse Commentary on the Book of Ezekiel, click on the link below to learn more.

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Court Ends Bible Distribution in School - January 15, 2008
A rural school district's long-standing practice of allowing the distribution of Bibles to grade school students is unconstitutional, a federal judge has ruled. The lawsuit was filed by the ACLU against the school district for allowing representatives of Gideons International to give away Bibles in schools. AP

Deadly New Form of MRSA Emerges - January 15, 2008
A deadly strain of the superbug MRSA which can lead to a flesh-eating form of pneumonia has emerged. The new strain is resistant to treatment by many front-line antibiotics. Research suggests it may be more prevalent among the gay community. BBC

US Considering Int'l Force in West Bank - January 15, 2008
The US may be preparing a plan to station third party troops in the West Bank. The international troops would secure the area after an Israeli withdrawal and before the Palestinian Authority can take over full security control. Jerusalem Post

19 Killed in Israeli-Palestinian Conflicts - January 15, 2008
Israeli troops killed a son of Gaza's most powerful leader along with 18 other Palestinians on Tuesday in the bloodiest day of fighting in the coastal area since Hamas militants seized control last summer. FOX News

Pakistan Prepares for Elections - January 15, 2008
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said that elections will be held on February 18th as planned and his government will instruct troops to shoot anyone trying to disrupt them. Meanwhile the violence continues, in Karachi on Monday a bomb exploded in a busy market killing 10 people and injuring 45 others. CNN

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
James 4:10 KJV

"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

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