Save America Ministries

Guest (Male): This is Viewpoint with attorney and author Chuck Crismier. Viewpoint is a one-hour talk show confronting the issues of America's heart and home. And now with today's edition of Viewpoint, here is Chuck Crismier.

Chuck Crismier: The coming is near. That was a video that was produced by the Iranian government, a video that virtually unreported in the Western world said that all the signs are moving into place that Iran will soon help usher in the end times. That is a direct quote.

The theme is revolution, but revolution in Iran and the entire Islamic world is driven exclusively by religion. Despite the naive claims of Western pundits and politicians of a purported hunger for democracy, democracy, a political concept of fundamental freedom, is radically inconsistent with Koranic Islam, which mandates exclusive and inviolable adherence to and practice of Sharia law.

Islam by its very nature is the ultimate inseparable melding of religion and all civil government rules and relationships. In effect, a religious dictatorship mandating absolute submission by all in its sphere, either by voluntary submission or by force or threat of force.

Muslims anticipate their Messiah, called the Mahdi, who will lead them in the final conquest of Earth, deposing all who purport to resist, ushering in a global caliphate. It is the Islamic apocalypse or unveiling to be soon revealed in the end times. So I welcome you to Viewpoint. I'm Chuck Crismier. It's conversation as always with ever-increasing conviction.

Messiahs seem to be the rage and have been for many, many years, in fact, for a couple of millennia at least. In fact, before the last two millennia. But Jesus warned, "See to it that no one misleads you." He was speaking to the apostles who were gathered with him there on the Mount of Olives a couple of days before his crucifixion, which is recorded there in Matthew chapter 24, called the Olivet Discourse.

Jesus said, "See to it that nobody misleads you, for many are going to come in my name saying, 'I am the Christ,' and are going to mislead many." And then shortly thereafter, he said, "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many."

And then there was this right after that: "And if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or, 'There he is,' don't believe him. For false Christs and false prophecies and prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the very remnant elect."

It seems that Jesus wants you and me to be on the lookout for false Messiahs and their mouthpieces. But don't look for them under the chairs. Don't look for them under the couch or the tables. Don't look for them behind secret walls. They're going to be more open than that.

Today, we're going to take a look at the false Messiah figure that is influencing the nation of Iran's actions toward the world at large, especially at Israel and the United States. Robert Shoemaker wrote a piece just today that appeared on the Christian Post called "The False Messiah Driving Iran."

He didn't talk a great deal in that article about that false Messiah because he doesn't know, apparently, all that much about him. But we are going to delve a little more deeply into it here today on Viewpoint.

He did refer, however, to about 20 years ago when then-President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stated in an interview that he experienced a supernatural experience during a speech which he gave at the United Nations. In fact, you might even remember this. We reported here on Viewpoint.

Ahmadinejad claimed that he was bathed in a light from heaven at the outset of his talk before the United Nations, with the light remaining on him for the full length of the speech. Ahmadinejad made several references during that UN speech to a "mighty lord" who would hasten the emergence of "the promised one," a person who will "fill this world with justice and peace."

Any guesses as to who Ahmadinejad was referring to? During that time, CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen pointed out that groups such as ISIS had similar hopes based on their belief in Islamic prophecy.

They believe that their actions were hastening a supposed final battle at a small obscure Syrian town named Dabiq between Rome and Islam, where the forces of true Islam would triumph. Members devoutly believed that they are fighting a cosmic war in which they are on the side of good, which allows them to kill anyone who they perceive to be standing in their way with no compunction.

It would appear that embracing a Messiah or a Messiah figure or someone you believe to be a Messiah is a pretty serious delusion. But how serious is it? Well, we can see how serious it is when we see how it is guiding an entire nation and that nation is feeding its belief into other people groups surrounding Israel and affecting the whole world.

What groups would those be? Well, it would have been Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon surrounding Israel and Syria, which had been also somewhat of a client state of Iran, also surrounding Israel.

To Iran, this model of messianism includes a messianic-type figure known as the Mahdi, the mighty lord that Ahmadinejad was referring to in his UN speech. We see how far this can go. It controls the flow of oil to the world. It impacts the economy of the world and has for the past several months.

It is impacting the openness of transportation through the straits of Hormuz. It is controlling much of the politics of the world. Don't think that a messianic belief doesn't have consequences. It really does.

Christians will say, "Well, we know that that's not the true Messiah, so therefore it doesn't matter. It's irrelevant." No, it's not irrelevant. It's very relevant and it's making its relevance known in very tangible and practical ways around the world, both financially and in terms of defense, in terms of politics, just about in every conceivable way, it is affecting the entire world.

More recently, the existence of Israel is being viewed and understood as the greatest barrier to the reappearance of the 12th Imam. According to this doctrine of Mahdiism, part of preparing for the reappearance of the 12th Imam is removing all obstacles and barriers to his return.

Against that backdrop, Iran's hardline clergy affiliated with the RGC claim religious Hadiths state that the Jewish state will be destroyed before Mahdi's arrival. Are you beginning to see the significance?

We saw the attack by Hamas against Israel three years ago. Now we see the whole world engulfed in the Iranian Mahdiism. We'll be back.

Guest (Male): Once upon a time, children could pray and read their Bibles in school. Divorces were practically unknown, as was child abuse. In our once great America, virginity and chastity were popular virtues and homosexuality was an abomination. So what happened in just one generation?

Hi, I'm Chuck Crismier and I urge you to join me daily on Viewpoint, where we discuss the most challenging issues touching our hearts and homes. Could America's moral slide relate to the Fourth Commandment? Listen to Viewpoint on this radio station or any time at saveus.org.

Chuck Crismier: Again, I welcome you back to Viewpoint. Today, we're taking a look at what is driving Iran, what is behind Iran and its decisions. Is it just the desire for nuclear power? No.

The desire for nuclear power and the ability to carry out nuclear ambitions in terms of nuclear bombs and ICBM missiles and so on is not in and of itself or by itself the goal. The goal is to have the capability to prepare for the coming of the Mahdi, their envisioned Messiah.

The unfortunate thing is right now that our governments, the governments of the West primarily, spend enormous resources analyzing Iran's economy, military capabilities, nuclear ambitions, all of that being good in and of itself, but they miss the mark. They miss the most important thing that's going on, and that is they should be devoting equal attention to understanding the theological convictions that motivate many of the regime's politicians.

History has repeatedly shown that leaders driven by deeply held religious beliefs cannot always be deterred by conventional assumptions and actions, and ignoring those beliefs doesn't make them disappear. It simply makes them strategic miscalculations and very dangerous.

Our leaders need to heed Jesus' warning about false Messiahs. Understand it wasn't merely a religious observation. It was a reminder that false hopes and false saviors have real-world consequences, both spiritually and politically.

So what did Jesus say? Take heed that nobody misleads you. So maybe we should listen up. Maybe our leaders should listen up. Maybe Donald Trump should listen up.

The problem is if we believe this total idea of separation of church and state, it becomes almost impossible for us in America and even in the Western world to somehow discern that a spiritual drive and belief system in Iran could have such power as to rule the world. Its goal is to rule the world.

All that having been said, let's take a little broader look at the concept of Messiahs in the world and over the history. Actually, I put in a little request to the amazing wisdom of Google and AI as its assistant. I asked the question, "How many claimed Messiahs has Israel had in the past?"

Here is the answer. Throughout history, over two dozen to several dozen individuals have claimed to be the Messiah or have been proclaimed as such by significant followings in Israel. Because claimed Messiahship is a monumental event in Jewish tradition, exact counts vary, but historians have documented between 75 and 86 claimants over the centuries.

That's a lot of people claiming to be Messiah or who have followers who claim they were Messiah. Can you understand then why Jesus would say, "Take heed that no man deceive you"?

Some of the most notable figures were Simon Bar Kokhba there between 132 and 135 AD, proclaimed as Messiah by Rabbi Akiva. He led the Bar Kokhba revolt against the Roman Empire. So that's how the Jewish people saw him. He was a Messianic leader like the one they were expecting when Jesus showed up on the scene to lead them into control and destruction of Rome and lead them into their final dispensation of power in the world.

Then there was Moses of Crete, 440 AD, convinced his followers on the island of Crete to throw themselves into the ocean, claiming he would part the waters to return them to Israel.

There was David Alroy, 1147 AD, a prominent claimant from Babylon who attempted a rebellion to capture Jerusalem. Then there was Sabbatai Zevi in 1626 to 1676 AD, a Jewish mystic who amassed a massive global following before eventually converting to Islam to save his life. Can you imagine the Messiah, the Jewish Messiah converting to Islam? But that's what he did.

Then there was Menachem Mendel Schneerson from 1902 to 1994 AD, a leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, who many followers believe was the Messiah until his death. All of those came after Jesus, every one of those.

While many individual claimants arose through the centuries, Jesus of Nazareth remains the most widely followed Jewish Messiah claimant in history. The claim to be Messiah is a big deal and not something any Jew in any period has claimed lightly. But they did claim it, and there were consequences to claiming it.

Jesus had warned about it. He knew what was coming. Ultimately, in mainstream Judaism and Christianity, there is only one ultimate Messiah, the word Messiah meaning "the anointed one" or "deliverer." Not an anointed one, but the anointed one.

But if you're asking about claimants or specific Messianic roles, then you've got a whole lot of people that start fitting into the gap. So who is the anointed one? Well, there are many anointed ones, but only one, the anointed one.

There's only one who is called the anointed one, and that's Yeshua, Yeshua HaMashiach, the Messiah, the Holy One of Israel. Islam recognizes Jesus as a Messiah but not the Son of God. In fact, they believe and teach that anyone who claims that Jesus, that they call Isa, is the Son of God and died on a cross and rose again is a blasphemer worthy of death.

Therefore, it becomes necessary for us to understand a little bit more about this Mahdi versus the Messiah. The Mahdi versus the Messiah, the definite article. So when Iranian government, as we introduced the program today, declared in a video a few years ago "The coming is near," they were declaring that Iran was going to usher in the end times, help usher in the end times.

I believe that's the reason why Louis Farrakhan of Nation of Islam went from the United States to Rouhani, then the President of Iran, and declared Iran to be the vanguard or the point, the attacking point of the Islamic revolution that would rule the world.

That brings us to the further look at this Mahdi, this 12th Imam, whose coming is called the coming. Notice in the Christian faith, we believe in the coming of the Lord. We even find that in the Battle Hymn of the Republic: "The coming of the Lord. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored. He has loosed his faithful lightning with his terrible swift sword. His truth is marching on. Mine eyes have seen the coming of the Lord."

Well, I have a picture of a billboard that came in the Southern California freeway. It was a huge 60-foot-wide billboard. I think it was 60 feet wide. And it said, "The sword of the Lord coming soon." This was back around the early 1990s. "The sword of the Lord coming soon."

Well, that's talking about the Bible. It's not talking about the Koran. It's not talking about Hadiths. It's not talking about the words of Muhammad. It's not talking about Iran or the Mahdi. It's talking about the sword of the Lord, that is Israel's Messiah, the anointed one, coming soon. The sword of the Lord.

The Bible says in the book of Isaiah that the sword of the Lord is going to destroy many. Then in the book of Revelation chapter 19, it talks about Jesus the Messiah coming in the clouds of heaven. He rides this white stallion and carries a sword in his hand, but with his mouth, the sword of his mouth, he destroys the nations that are resisting him.

That's the Messiah, the Jewish Messiah and also the Christian Messiah, who are the same thing. However, the Jewish Messiah from their viewpoint is not the Son of God either, because that's why they crucified Jesus. He claimed to be the Son of God.

Therefore, the Rabbis, the Sanhedrin, the high priest and also the 71-member Sanhedrin condemned Jesus to death there at the high priest's house, took him to the Praetorium before Pontius Pilate and had him crucified, ordered to be crucified, because they claimed he was a blasphemer.

But Pontius Pilate realized the real truth behind their claim, and that was they were envious of Jesus. They felt that Jesus was eroding their power, place, and position with regard to the Jewish people and with regard to Rome.

So that gives us a little bit bigger picture there concerning Jesus, Yeshua as Messiah. But now we shift back to the Iranian government that sees the current advancing unrest of the Middle East as the sign that the Mahdi, the Islamic Messiah, is about to appear.

While the revolutionary movements gripping the Middle East have created uncertainty throughout the region, CBN News reported that the video shows that the Iranian regime believes the chaos is divine proof that their ultimate victory is at hand. So the video is titled "The Coming is Near."

The video produced by a group in Iran called the Conductors of the Coming. In other words, they believe that they are the ones to help facilitate the coming of the Messiah or the Mahdi, as they call the Messiah.

The Iranian and the Basij, the Iranian military force, claims the Mahdi will lead the armies of Islam to victory over all non-Muslims in the last days. That is in their video "The Coming is Near."

So this video, which was produced by the Iranian government, was approved at the highest levels of the Iranian government and claims Iran is destined to rise as a great power in the last days to help defeat America, that is the West and Israel, and thus prepare the way for the return of the Mahdi.

Whatever you think about America, whatever you think about Israel is not the important thing at the moment. It's what Iran thinks. It's what the leadership of Iran thinks. And as a man thinks in his heart, Jesus said, so is he.

Iran thinks, regardless of what you think, Iran thinks, the leaders of Iran think, whether they be a million or three million people at the head of the Iranian government and all of its tributaries throughout the Iranian society. This is what they believe. And what they believe is being brought forth. As a man thinks or as a leaders or a country thinks in its heart, so it is.

That's what Jesus said. So this should not come as a surprise. It should not come as a strange thing to those in the West. It should not come as a strange thing to our political leaders, except that our political leaders are not spiritual leaders.

In fact, most of them resist spiritual leadership and resist the whole concept of taking into account what the Bible has to say. Maybe just maybe they're rejecting the wisdom that they need. We'll be right back.

Guest (Male): There is so much more about Chuck Crismier and Save America Ministries on our website, saveus.org. For example, under the marriage section, God has marriage on His mind. Chuck has some great resources to strengthen your marriage. First off, a fact sheet on the state of the marital union, a fact sheet on the state of ministry, marriage, and morals, saveus.org. Marriage, divorce, and remarriage, what does the Bible really teach about this? Find all of this at saveus.org.

Also, a letter to pastors, the Hosea Project, saveus.org and many more resources to strengthen your marriage. It's all on Chuck's website, saveus.org. Again, you can listen to Chuck's Viewpoint broadcasts live and archived on Save America Ministries website at saveus.org.

Chuck Crismier: Again, I welcome you back to Viewpoint. We're talking today concerning the Islamic Messiah, the Mahdi, particularly when Shiite Islam within Iran. This is a very, very big deal and it is the driving force that determines what they do, how they act, what they believe, and what they're going to do about and under the nature of that belief.

Purported peace will be purchased not by the sacrificial blood of the infidels, though those who refuse to submit to Sharia under the Mahdi, but through the self-destruction, the pursuit of martyrdom. They believe that they must give themselves wholeheartedly to martyrdom if necessary in order to allow the circumstances to arise to bring about the coming of the Mahdi, their Messiah, to rule the world. And that's their goal.

If you really, really, really believe that, it's going to determine how you use your life. It's going to determine for what you're willing to lose your life. And that's precisely why losing one's life for the sake of Allah and also the coming of the Mahdi is deemed to be the ultimate persuasion for the existence of one's life in Islam.

Martyr-driven ideological commitment. Now for Christians, we revere martyrs. We revere people who are willing to give their life. Jesus said, "Whoever is not willing to lose his life, if you want to claim your life, you've got to be willing to lose it." If you're not willing to lose it, basically you're ultimately going to lose it.

Therefore, you have to be willing. You either seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness or you're not. You're either seeking first God's glory or you're not. But he is not telling people that they should claim power through death. He is saying you have to be willing to give your life because if you want to hold onto your life, you will lose it. But if you're willing to lose your life for my sake and the gospel, then you will find it.

People will say, "Well, how different is that from Islam?" Well, in Islam you hear so much about men. It's men who get the blessings of eternal whatever it is in Islam. What kind of blessings are those? Well, if you're martyred for Allah, then you get 70 virgins in the end times in heaven or whatever it is in order to have perpetual sex.

In other words, it almost sounds like then that Islam becomes a sex orgy and is a sex cult that is promoted by Muhammad and in his Koran and Hadiths. There's a lot of truth in that. We're not here to argue all of that, but this is exactly what they believe.

So men that are moved by that will do what they think they have to do and are willing to do, give up their lives for eternal sex. But how about the women? What promises are given to the women? Well, the women are second-class citizens in Islam at best. Second-class citizens at best.

So what is their hope? Well, that's not talked about really. That's not given any attention because only the men matter. Only the men matter. In the Christian faith, both men and women matter. Notice the difference.

And no purported peace, by the way, is going to pacify this kind of martyr-driven ideological commitment. So global conflagration is inevitable to bring about the anticipated reign of the Islamic Mahdi over the planet.

We can say definitely the epic end time and eternal battle for king of the mountain, that is the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, is emerging right now in front of us. In fact, we've been watching it for about 20 years now from partial cover-up to open unrestrained conflict. That's what's happening.

Now, to understand this more deeply, I urge you to get a copy of my book, King of the Mountain: The Eternal Epic and End Time Battle. We have an entire chapter called "The Mahdi versus the Messiah." The Mahdi versus the Messiah.

And if you think this matter, if you've convinced yourself or somehow just rested in the idea that this doesn't matter, you're sorely mistaken. In order to understand the greater picture so that we aren't unduly disturbed, unduly moved, and keep our hearts and our minds fixed, we need to understand the dynamics of what is taking place and why.

Jesus put it in broad terms. Today, we're putting it in much more specific terms so that we can understand it. Iran is at the forefront because it believes they are the vanguard as if they were the tip of the Islamic ICBM mission to destroy and create chaos in the world so that their Islamic Messiah can come and introduce Sharia law to govern the world.

And where will that be introduced? Where will that rule and reign? They have already declared it. From Jerusalem. From the Temple Mount. Not from Medina, not from Mecca, but from Jerusalem.

In other words, this ultimately should be seen and can be seen as a true battle for king of the mountain. God's mountain, the one that He calls His holy hill. The eternal epic end time battle, king of the mountain. For he who rules the Temple Mount is deemed to rule the world.

It's also said that he who rules, controls the energy is deemed to rule the world. That's the reason why energy, that is oil and gas, are right at the heart of the world's effort, the leaders of the world's effort to gain dominion over the Temple Mount. He who rules, who governs the energy, rules the world.

Where has all the oil and gas been located up until now? Well, primarily in Middle Eastern Islamic countries. Middle Eastern Islamic countries, except for Russia. And Russia has 20% Muslims. Did you know that? 20% of Russia's population is Muslim.

Then you look at the some of the former republics of the Soviet Union that was broken apart, whether they be Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and so on. Notice the "stan, stan, stan, stan, stan." Yeah, they're all Islamic.

So you can understand then why Vladimir Putin declared a few years ago that Russia is the guardian of the Islamic and Arab world. Now are you beginning to get a bigger picture? Hopefully.

And to get an even bigger and more accurate picture, get a copy of the book King of the Mountain. You can have that book in your hands for your gift of $15 or more to Save America Ministries. $15 or more to Save America Ministries. Give us a call 1-800-SAVE-USA, 1-800-SAVE-USA or write to us at Save America Ministries, P.O. Box 70, South Lyon, Michigan 48178. Write us at Save America Ministries, P.O. Box 70, South Lyon, Michigan 48178, or give us a call 1-800-SAVE-USA, 1-800-SAVE-USA or go to our website saveus.org.

The anticipated coming of the Messiah by Jews looks for a time of reconciliation of all things. That's how they see it. The reconciliation of all things or a time of redemption, a buying back of a destroyed planet and its inhabitants and the restoration of all things or bringing Shalom, that is peace and wholeness and completion to all mankind.

Preparation for that coming is largely made by doing good works, the Jewish word mitzvahs, so as to usher the world into the time of what they call Tikkun Olam or the restoration of the world fit for the Messiah. Tikkun Olam.

So the Jewish view of Messiah is not looking for a divine Messiah. Definitely not looking for a divine Messiah. They're looking for a man just like Moses. A man, a physical man just like Moses, who will be somewhat charismatic and that God will empower to bring about their deliverance from being cast away throughout the earth and will bring glory to Israel so that Israel can fulfill its responsibility to teach the world good works and righteousness.

Therefore, they believe that Israel must earn, shall we say, the right to have this Messiah come by doing mitzvah or good works. That's the belief system. They still believe that anyone who claims Yeshua, Jesus, is Messiah is not only sadly mistaken but is basically a blasphemer. The same belief that put Jesus on the cross.

They're not going to come out and say it that way because that puts them in conflict with Christians that they rely upon for financial and political support in the world to protect them. But that's what they believe.

I'm not saying that accusationally, I'm just saying it factually. That's what they believe. And that is exactly what was said on this radio program just six months ago by an orthodox Jew who happens to be one of the key, shall we say, media personalities conducting talk radio in Israel.

We've had that person on this program many a time and will likely have her on again because I want to continue having that relationship there to be able to truly somehow explain the role of Christians, although she doesn't want to talk about that on the air.

So we're going to finish up as we continue now to take a look at this Mahdi versus the Messiah and the contrast then that we need to understand, this Messiah factor. What's coming? How to understand it. We'll be right back.

Guest (Male): Have you ever considered what the early church was like? Many people are developing a heart longing for a greater fulfillment in our practices as Christians. A recent study showed 53,000 people a week are leaving the back door of America's churches in frustration. What is going on? Why has there not been even a 1% gain among followers of Christ in the last 25 years?

Could it be that God is seeking to restore first-century Christianity for the 21st century? Jesus said, "I'll build my church." Is Christ by His spirit stirring to prepare the church for the 21st century? The early church prayed together and broke bread from house to house. They were family, and it was said by all who observed, "Behold, how they love one another." Incredible. But the same can be found right now. Go to saveus.org and click Cell Church. We can revive first-century Christianity for the 21st century. It's about people, not programs. It's about a body, not a building. That's saveus.org. Click Cell Church.

Chuck Crismier: The epic end time and eternal battle for king of the mountain is emerging right now from a partial cover-up in the past several years to an open and unrestrainable conflict as we're experiencing it in the Gulf of or straits of Hormuz and throughout Iran, echoing into the Gaza Strip, Syria, and also Lebanon, southern Lebanon with Hezbollah.

This is happening and quite frankly, the emissaries of Iran have already been deputized under fatwas to destroy a whole series of people in the United States of America, including one who just died suddenly over the weekend, a Senator.

The whole world is talking about him, and we're not going to spend time talking about that Senator. He was a great Senator, whether you like him or not, he was a great Senator and most of the world attests to that. But Iran hated him. Iran hated him and issued a fatwa to destroy him just as they've issued one to destroy Donald J. Trump and a number of other personalities in the United States of America.

So the belief system in Iran is spreading over the earth. Wherever, whenever, wherever they can find someone who seems to stand in the way of the spread of Islam, Sharia law, and the preparations for the coming of their Messiah Mahdi must be eliminated. That's their belief system.

Interestingly, even as the Muslim world is preparing to usher in the coming of the Mahdi, so the Jewish world is experiencing a rising expectation that both Jew and Gentile are now living in the Messianic age, however you might define it, that is.

So a debate is raging. Who's the Messiah? What are we expecting? In fact, there's a great division within Israel as to should we be building the temple in preparation for the Messiah or should we wait for Messiah to come in order to rebuild the third temple. That's one of the big issues behind the scenes in Israel.

Interestingly, a campaign began in the late 1970s with the slogan, "We want Messiah now" there in Israel. So these are the times, friends. We're in the latter days of the last days. Exactly how long the latter days of the last days are, we do not know.

So Jesus said, "Look, no man knows the day or the hour of the return of Christ. No man knows the day or the hour, not the angels, not the Son, but the Father only."

In other words, when the bride is ready, that is the remnant bride, those that the Father determines are ready. Not that pastors determine are ready, not that prognosticators or theologians determine are ready, but that the Father determines is ready.

In other words, a very relatively small remnant who are doing the will of the Father, not those who made a profession of faith, but those who are doing the will of the Father. As Jesus said, those are the ones who will be included in the bride.

So the bride should be making herself ready. As the apostle John said, "Whoever has this blessed hope, belief in Him, will purify himself even as Christ Yeshua, the Holy One of Israel, is pure."

You see, we have to tie all the scriptures together, not the favorite ones, not the ones that we want to believe, but all of the scriptures together so that we can understand it. There's a reason why the emphasis of Jesus in many of His parables was get ready. You don't know the day or the hour, so get ready. If you were already ready by making a confession, why would He say that?

It's not just making a confession. It's living according to what you say you believe. That's the Hebraic understanding of the word believe. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved in your house." What does that mean? It means to be a doer of the word and not just a hearer. It means to conform your life to what you say you believe.

You see, what we're talking about here is not just information concerning a Messiah. It's about our getting ready to be prepared for the coming of the Messiah. That's what the whole Bible's about. That's what the whole New Testament is about.

People, get ready. The world is not going to be ready, just the opposite. Jesus said as it was in the days of Noah, so it's going to be. They weren't ready. Everybody was going about business as usual, marrying, giving in marriage, doing all the usual things. They had no clue what was about to happen.

As it was in the days of Lot with Sodom and Gomorrah, they had no clue that they were about to be completely destroyed. Jesus said so. That's what it's going to be like.

And that's why on this program for years now, we have been pleading this ultimate cause of a lifetime to a jury of my peers, particularly the professing Christian community in America and then by incidence around the world to prepare the way of the Lord.

Make straight paths for your feet. That's what John the Baptist said was said to be calling the people to do in Isaiah chapter 40. That's what he did when he came and preached for six months to prepare the way of the Lord for his first coming. And the scripture says that God before the great and terrible day of the Lord would send forth the spirit of Elijah to again call the people to be prepared, to call the hearts of the fathers to be drawn back to the children, the children to the fathers.

This is the greater, this is the greater message, the greater Messianic message that the Bible presents. It's not about all the little individual people that have come around and pretended to be Messiah or that were believed to be Messiah.

It's not even about the 20 or some times when Barack Obama was declared to be Messiah or declared to be Jesus. I have a whole list of those right here in this book.

Here's one from Louis Farrakhan: "When Obama talks, the Messiah is absolutely speaking." He declared that on February 24, 2008, speaking before a crowd at the Nation of Islam Savior Day in Chicago.

ABC News had an article, "Is Barack Obama the Messiah?" The Obama website 2008 included a blog declaring Obama is God. I'm not kidding you, friends. These are real things.

A newsweekwashingtonpost.com on faith asked the question, "Is Obama a or the Messiah?" Oprah Winfrey, "We're here to evolve to a higher plane. Obama is an evolved leader, a tongue dipped in the unvarnished truth," she said.

Ezra Klein, a Jewish man, said, "He is not the word made flesh but the triumph of word over flesh," talking about Barack Obama. Chris Matthews of MSNBC said, "This is bigger than Kennedy, this is the New Testament," responding to Obama's presidential primary victory.

Another, actor Jamie Foxx declared, "Our Lord and Savior Barack Obama." Evan Thomas for the Newsweek, an editor, said, "In a way, Obama is standing above the country, above the world. He's sort of God."

Don't have time to go into all of these, friends. I'm using these as illustrations to say what people are willing to believe looking for some sort of a savior, some sort of a redeemer, some sort of a messianic figure.

No wonder Rabbi Lazar, Jewish Rabbi Lazar, said the world today is in a state described by our sages as chevlei Moshiach, which is labor that precedes the coming of a Messiah. He said we're living on the verge of history. It can be felt everywhere. It can be felt everywhere.

Iran and its leaders feel it. That's why they're willing to stand against what appears to be the greatest superpower ever in the earth, the United States of America. It's because they believe, unlike many Christians, they actually believe and are acting upon what they say they believe.

Messianic fervor is growing. The question is among professing Christians, is it just interest? Is it fascination? Or is it actually building faith? That's the real question. Is it building faith? Is it catapulting our minds and our hearts down the prophetic track of time to prepare the way of the Lord?

To make straight paths for our feet. There's only one word that helps us to make that transition from bland faith to preparing in and that is the word repent. That's the key. Repent.

Repent of what? Well, ask the Lord. Is there anything in my life that's inconsistent with your word, your will, and your ways? I'm asking the Lord right now even as I'm bringing it before you. Is there anything in my life that impairs your coming in my life? That impairs my readiness for your coming?

Because as Paul said, Jesus is not coming back for a bride with spot, wrinkle, or any such thing. He just ain't. He's not coming back for a bride with spot, wrinkle, or any such thing. So he says be ye therefore perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect. And we all know that we can't be perfect, but he says press on.

The apostle Paul said this: "Look, I don't count myself to have already arrived," he said, "but this one thing I do. Forgetting those things that are behind and pressing forward unto the things that are ahead, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

What are you doing? Are you pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus or pressing toward something else? There are many things that call our attention, many things, as you know.

We live in the most prosperous era of the history of the world. It may not seem like that to you, but compared to the rest of the world and the history, yes we do. Comfort is everywhere.

But Isaiah the prophet was given a message by God to talk to Israel in advance of the coming of Messiah. He said, "Comfort ye my people." And then he said he would send forth Elijah the prophet, who was John the Baptist, to preach the doctrine or the calling to repentance. He did.

He said, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Jesus took over the same mantle and said, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." The apostles gave the same message, repent and believe the gospel. So did the apostle Paul and that's the message of the hour.

Thanks for joining us here on Viewpoint. Get a copy of the book, friends, King of the Mountain. $15 will put it in your hands on the website saveus.org. Call us 1-800-SAVE-USA. And by the way, the power to overcome is on its way. Become part of the overcomers project. Your gift of $250 to Save America Ministries will put your name on that list and we will send you 10 copies of that book for you to distribute as a messenger of the Lord in the spheres of your influence.

Call us 1-800-SAVE-USA, go to the website saveus.org, sign up for the Overcomers Project today. Time is short. Let's get on the move, friends. Jesus is coming soon.

Guest (Male): You've been listening to Viewpoint with Chuck Crismier. Viewpoint is supported by the faithful gifts of our listeners. Let me urge you to become a partner with Chuck as a voice to the church declaring vision for the nation. Join us again next time on Viewpoint as we confront the issues of America's heart and home.