Good morning on this Saturday, February 18th. Things are heating up in the exchange between Iran and Israel with the U.S. carefully measuring and monitoring the situation. The issue is Iran's continuing development of Nukes. Yesterday in the UK's Guardian newspaper there was an extensive article about Israel's timetable to launch military action to take out Iran's nuclear sites with the conclusion that this fall would most likely be their time to strike. However, Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, was quoted in the Washington Post  as saying that this spring was more likely. The U.S. has repeatedly warned Israel to stand down from any military action to give the imposed economic sanctions against Iran time to work. Israel is saying that there is a narrow window for them to act and if delayed too long it will lose its opportunity to take them out before they are activated. Israel and the U.S. also differ as to how far along Iran's nuclear development has come and when they would be able to produce a nuclear bomb. Israel claims they will be ready in weeks; the U.S. says months, even up to two years. Tensions are high among Israel's various leaders and between Israel and the U.S. over Israel's Prime Minister's threats to attack soon. The Guardian quotes U.S. officials in the Pentagon and State Department as saying they now believe that sanctions are ultimately doomed to fail but are currently serving two purposes: delaying Israel's military action and assuring the European nations that the U.S. will not act militarily until all other options are exhausted. The great concern is that any attack on Iran would involve us in another military conflict which could quickly escalate into an expanded and protracted war. Given the role Iran will play in future-fulfilled prophecy in Ezekiel 38-39, the current developments are being carefully observed by Bible scholars. We are monitoring the situation and will keep you well informed.
Tomorrow's sermon is from the book of Ephesians and is entitled, In The Heavenlies. I hope you can be there to hear it.
Mel Brown