INTRODUCTION            Much of what is going on in the Middle East today is reported to be a result of Iran’s direct efforts.  The recently elected new president of Iran has adopted the same position as the former president of Iran, Ahmadinejad, both of whom subscribed and do subscribe to the policies and Islamic theology of the Ayatollah Khomani.  In substance, these men are what is generally referred to as “Twelvers.”  They believe in the imminent arrival of the Mahdi who is believed by many Muslims to be the coming Savior who will bring about the Caliphate and the ultimate rule of Islam over all the Earth.  At the present time, Iran is reported to be actively involved in trying to overthrow the government of Iraq.  Iran also supports Hezbollah, the Palistinians, Syria under Basher Assad, and is reported to be heavily involved in both Egypt, and Libya and Bengahzi.     The full quote from Esther, Chapter 4, verse 14 is as follows:            “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will            arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your Father’s house will perish.            Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”The events recorded in the book of Esther took place during the days of Ahasuerus also known as Xeres.  Xeres was the Persian king that is also seen in Ezra, Chapter 4, who ruled the Persian Empire stretching generally from India in the East to Greece in the West.  It also included Egypt.  The period of time began at approximately 550 B.C. when Cyrus the Persian inherited the kingdom of the Medes who had seized Babylon.  You will recall that the handwriting on the wall during Daniel’s lifetime (seen in Daniel, Chapter 5) was the precursor to the downfall of Babylon.  That very night, Babylon  was taken by the Medes and Persians (Daniel 5:30 & 31)  who then ruled to approximately 465 B.C.             Today, Iran is what was formerly known as Persia.  The avowed goal of Iran and the radical Islamists is to re-establish the Caliphate and to eradicate Israel, Christianity, and ultimately rule the entire world.  The present Pope of the Roman Catholic Church was recently quoted, in substance, as saying that the Muslims “worship the same God as he worships”.  This is the same Pope who has also been quoted as saying that even Atheists can go to heaven if they are basically good.             There are professing Protestant Christians in America, purporting to be leaders of the Christian church, who are presently pushing for and advocating a “merger” of Islam and their version of Christianity.  This coincides with the push by the present Pope of the Roman Catholic Church toward Ecumenicalism, which many have said is a push toward the One-World Church.            There are also many so-called Christian leaders in Protestant churches in America who are substantially supporting this same position.  Many of these people have taken positions contrary to God’s Holy Word.  They have advocated one or more of the following positions:(1)    The heavens and the earth and all that is therein WERE NOT created in thesix days stated in Genesis, Chapter 1.  (Genesis, Chapter 2 refers to Genesis,Chapter 1 as being “the historyof the heavens and the earth when they werecreated, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens ….”).(2)    There was no historical “Adam and Eve”.(3)    There was no global flood, it was only regional and there was no Ark.  Many alsoadd that the Ark could not have saved all of the creatures anyway because it was not big enough.(4)    Homosexuality is not a sin. (5)    Abortion is not murder.(6)    Sodom and Gomorrah were not judged by God.(7)    Men (mankind) are basically good.(8)    Jesus was not resurrected.(9)    There is no such thing as the Great Doctrine of Substitutionary Atonement.(10)  Men are saved by their good works.             There are many other deceptive positions being espoused today by men purporting to be leaders in the Christian church, but these are a few of the representative positions that have been reported.•           The Fallacy of Such Positions         The obvious problem that exists is that God has said that “God is not a man that He should lie” (Numbers 23:19) Jesus (God the Son) has said, “… thy Word is Truth.” God’s Word says in many places that it, or He, IS true. Jesus said that “He is Truth.” Thus, there is a conflict with the above reported positions.  The positions are mutually exclusive with scripture.  They cannot both be true.  These “Christian leaders” who advocate such ungodly, unholy, and untrue positions, must be confronted and refuted.  This can only be done, as the apostle Paul writes, by God’s Holy Word. Paul tells his young protégé Timothy that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)  Paul also says, “evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived [in the last day when perilous times will come]….you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.”  (2 Timothy 3:1ff & v. 15)            In the light of all that is going on, the question arises, what are we to do?  Is there anything that we can do?  The answer, of course, is that there is much that we can do and, indeed, emphatically, there is much that we mustdo!  “Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom [of heaven] for such a time as this?”I.                    THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM            The underlying problem of many of the positions which have been taken by the aforesaid “church leaders” advocating the positions set out above, as well as others, is adherence to or confusion resulting from the doctrines advocated by evolutionists.  Genesis, Chapter 1 says that “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”  The evolutionists do not want to believe Genesis, Chapter 1 because they do not want to acknowledge the Creator, and more directly, they do not want to acknowledge that they were created.  If they were created (and they were), then they have a master and owe allegiance to him;  God’s word goes on to say that “the Lord God made the earth and the heavens and all that in them is.”  (Genesis 1)  In the very first chapter of Genesis, God’s Word records that the grass, the trees, and the herbs yielded seed according to its kind, and the tree yielded fruit … according to its kind.”  This was God’s creation and as you continue through the first chapter of Genesis, you see that God created “great sea creatures and every living thing that moves…according to their kind.”  He created “every winged bird according to its kind.”  He created “the living creatures according to its kindand “cattle and creeping things and beast of the earth each according to its kind,”so everything was created.  It was created according to its kind.  And it has re-created according to its kind.  There is not even one piece of evidence that indicates in any way that an amoeba became a monkey.  Neither is there one shred of evidence that a monkey became a man.  Indeed, the discovery of the double-helix representing DNA has revealed after much study that “in each of the one hundred trillion cells in our body there are duplicate copies of the double-helix of DNA.  Numerous studies have revealed that there are forty-six segments of DNA in almost all of your cells.[1]Of the forty-six segments, you received twenty-three segments from your mother and twenty-three from your father.      “DNA contains the uniqueinformation that determines what you look like, much of your personality, and how every cell in your body is to function throughout your life.”(In the Beginning, page 3)·         CreationBrown also reports in his magnificent work, In the Beginning:  Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood,that “if all the DNA in one of your cells were uncoiled, connected, and stretched, it would be about seven feet long.  It would be so thin its details could not be seen, even under an electron microscope.  If all this very densely coded information from one cellof one person were written in books, it would fill a library of about four thousand books.  If all the DNA in your body were placed end to end, it would stretch from here to the moon more than five hundred thousand times!  In book form, that information would fill the Grand Canyon almost one hundred times.  If one set of DNA (one cell’s worth) from every person who ever lived were placed in a pile, the final pile would weigh less than an aspirin!  Understanding DNA is just one small reason for believing that you are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’.” (Psalm 139:14).  “              The discovery of the double-helix of DNA and resulting discoveries from the study of the DNA repudiate the theory of evolution conclusively for any thinkingperson.  Additionally, the Lord God has allowed through space exploration many discoveries that also refute the theory of evolution.  For example, Brown states that after the more than twenty billion dollar lunar exploration program, no evolutionist has been able to explain with any knowledge and confidence how the moon was formed.  Yet, there are still many science teachers and professors presenting outdated and illogical theories in science regarding the formation of the moon.  These people, and those who follow in their attempts to influence teachers and students alike, are either willingly ignorant or willingly fail to understand that “the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth forth His handiwork.” (Psalm 19:1) ·         The Genesis Flood            The steadfast refusal to acknowledge the declared existence of the worldwide flood and its implications contribute to the continual advocacy of the theory of evolution.  Clearly, many of the features on earth, such as the Grand Canyon, for instance, can be explained only by this worldwide flood. The Genesis flood is the most cataclysmic and literally earthshaking event that the world has ever experienced.  How can anyone simply ignore it when there is so much evidence of a worldwide flood? While Genesis clearly states both the occurrence and the cause of the flood, much of this evidence exists independently of scripture.  Much of it can actually be seen on the earth today.  God reveals in His Holy Word that He told Noah to build the Ark.  God’s Word declares that the Ark existed.  Noah and his family (seven other souls) went into the Ark in “the six-hundredth year of Noah’s life in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month and on that day all he fountains of the deep were broken up and the windows of heaven were opened and the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.” (Genesis 7)  The Psalmist wrote more than three thousand years ago, “the waters were standing above the mountains.  At thy rebuke they fled:  at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.  The mountains rose:  the valleys sank down…[so the waters] may not return to cover the earth.” (Psalm 104:6-9) ·         The Fossil RecordThe fossil record, so highly touted by the evolutionists, reveals fossils that can be seen today.  They include many fossils where a larger fish is shown with a smaller fish in its belly.  Digestion, is of course rapid,  therefore, fossilization could not have been lengthy, but must have occurred rapidly.  As further evidence of the rapidity with which fossilization began, there are cases where a fish is actually in the process of swallowing another fish showing that the fossilization occurred literally almost within the blink of an eye!  There are thousands of such fossils that have in fact been found.  Nevertheless, “ no transitional forms of life have ever been found…despite evolutionary based ages of 1.5-300 million years.”[2]Dr. Brown, in his book In the Beginning, records many other interesting and astounding facts refuting evolution and confirming the existence of a The Genesis flood.  He reports numerous astounding finds of frozen mammoths, including the  Benkendorf mammoth found in May of 1846, in Siberia and the Berezovka mammoth also found in Siberia both of whom were frozen upright. This was an event which must have occurred so rapidly as to prevent the mammoths from escaping.  Indeed, the Benkendorf mammoth was thirteen feet tall and fifteen feet long and was fat and perfectly preserved.  It had a full stomach containing young shoots of fir and pine and a quantity of fir cones also in a chewed state.[3]  There are other interesting and phenomenal facts which I have omitted here to save space.·         The ArkAdditionally, of course, there have been numerous reported sightings of the Ark on Mt. Ararat which are also reported in Dr. Brown’s work beginning at page 43ff.  Brown also reports that “every major mountain range on earth contains fossilized sea life – far above sea level and usually far above the nearest body of water.  Attempts to explain ‘shells on mountain tops’ have generated controversy for centuries.”  A discovery dating back to approximately 2500 B.C. shows the Chinese word for boat in classical Chinese.  Chinese “words” are frequently referred to as pictographs which are composed of smaller symbols that themselves have meaning and together tell a story.  The discovery which is shown on page 46 of Dr. Brown’s work shows the classical word for boat combined with eight persons.  There were eight persons on the Ark including Noah.  Peter writes in 1 Peter 3:20, in pertinent part, stating that “…in the days of Noah, while the Ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is eight souls, were saved through water,”thus confirming the authoritive Biblical account that eight persons were on the ark.            There are many other interesting, known facts which are reported in Brown’s magnificent work, which any interested lay person ought to consider, which totally refute the sinful theory of evolution and its resulting positions advocated by many of the so-called “Christian leaders”.  Bear in mind these are secular, extra-Biblical sources all of which confirm the account of The Biblical history of creation.  Jesus himself authenticated the Biblical account of creation contained in the first chapters of Genesis in Matthew 19:4 where he said, “Have you not read that in the beginning God created them…male and female He created them.”  Thus, when one is advocating these ungodly positions, one is indirectly, if not directly, calling the Savior a liar.  This can never be permitted without refuting the statement. II.                THE ONE TRUE FAITH        The Gospel of Jesus Christ is declared to be “the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16)  We are told that not everyone will believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  When Paul wrote his first epistle to the church at Corinth, he said, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel of Christ, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.  For the message of the cross is to them who are perishing foolishness, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God.”  (1 Corinthians 1:17 & 18)  Thus, the implication clearly is that there are those who will not believe the Gospel of Christ for they will think it is foolishness and in thinking such foolishness they will perish.  Paul, however, does not leave us to have to infer what he means, for he goes on to say the following:                                    “For the Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom, but                                    we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the                                     Greeks foolishness, but to them who are the called, both Jew and                                    Greek, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.”The Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is God’s revealed account of His redemption of fallen mankind, is His “power unto salvation.”  We are redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus. (Ephesians 1:7)  “For He himself bore our sin in His own body on the cross that we might be dead unto sin and alive unto righteousness and with His stripes we are healed.” (1 Peter2:24)  Additionally, we can read in 2 Corinthians, Chapter 5, verse 21 that “He hath made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”  This is the basic fundamental doctrine of substitutionary atonement.  Jesus says that He came “to seek and to save that which was lost and to give His life a ransom for many.”  (See Luke 19:10 and Mark 10:45)  Thus, it can be easily seen throughout scripture that Jesus is God’s only provision for redemption.  He alone has paid the price for our sin.  He alone is the propitiation of our sin. Jesus calls us to come to Him.  It is only “in Christ” that we are redeemed.  It is only “in Christ” that our sin is forgiven.  It is only “in Christ” that we have peace with God by His precious blood and we also receive the peace of God.  The Gospel of Christ is not just a set of rules, nor is it merely “a decision” to join the church.  The Gospel of Christ brings about “a new creation”.  “If any man be in Christ he is a new creation.  Old things have passed away, behold all things are becoming new.” (1 Corinthians 5:17)  We are createdin Christ Jesus alone unto good works, unto holiness.  We are not “born again” in order to do what we want to do, but we are “born again” in order that we can “fulfill the righteousness of the law.”  We are “born again” in order that we can do what we oughtto do.  It is only “in Him” that we have forgiveness of our sin.  This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  How one gets “in Him” is a miracle of new creation. It is all of grace! One must be “born again” said Jesus.  The actof conversion, according to the Westminster Confession of Faith, involves repentance toward God, that is a surrender of our will to God’s will.  It is saying I no longer live for myself, but purpose to surrender to live as God’s holy law calls us to live.  “Repentance” is a gift of God. Conversion also involves “saving faith”.  Saving faith is faith that “trusts” in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.  If I tell you that I can walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope, you may saythat you believe me, but until you put your “trust” in me and let me carry you across on my shoulders, you are not “trusting” in me.  Both “repentance unto life” and “saving faith” are sheer gifts of God.  You will find Him when you seek Him with your whole heart.  This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This is the one faith that we are to declare to the world.III.              EARNESTLY CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH            Jude, Jesus’ half-brother, who did not believe in Jesus, was brought to repentance toward Godand saving faithin the Lord Jesus Christ after Jesus’ resurrection.  In the book of Jude, he calls on his readers, and on all of us, to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”  Jude gives the reasons.  Those reasons are substantially what we are seeing today.  He says, “There certain men who have crept in unawares, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the Grace of our God into lewdness (lasciviousness) and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Of course, we must know the Gospel of Christ before we can “earnestly contend” for the true faith, that is, the Gospel of Christ.            The great expository preacher Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, in his commentary on Paul’s epistle to the church at Ephesus states that this “one true faith” is justification by the grace of God only. He alone gives us “saving faith.” The apostle Paul in Romans Chapter three states the following:                        As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.[4] Jude authenticates the bringing of the people out of the land of Egypt by the Lord God, but they were later destroyed because they did not believe.  Hebrews tells us they perished because, having heard the same Gospel which we hear, it was not mixed with faith.  Jude authenticates the fallen angels who did not keep their proper domain; he authenticates the perishing of Sodom and Gomorrah who had given themselves over to sexual immorality and committed homosexual sins.  Jude tells us that these occurred “as an example for us”.  The men who have proclaimed the things that have been set out above, “who deny the truth of the Word of God,” even “denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” “who would not have any to perish but all to come to repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,” are not to be believed!  They are to be confronted by God’s Word.  They are to be refuted.  I urge you to “study to show yourself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth.” (1 Timothy 2:15)  Read books such as In the Beginningby Dr. Brown so that you can be prepared as the apostle Peter says to,” sanctify the Lord God in your heart so that you can give an answer to any person that asks the reason for the hope that is in you with gentleness and with reverence.”  Jude calls on those who are receiving his letter to “building on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keeping yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”  This is what we can do and indeed, this is what we must do.  I urge you to be zealous to tell others of Jesus who is mighty to save, for He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to Him.            I end this writing not presumptuously, but as Jude did his, by saying                        “Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to                        present you faultless before the presence of His glory with                        exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior be glory                        and majesty, dominion and power both now and forevermore. Amen” When I survey the wondrous cross,On which the Prince of Glory died, My greatest gain I count but loss,And pour contempt on all my pride.”           Your friend and brother in Christ, Bill