This week Israel announced extensive plans for additional housing units to be built in East Jerusalem over the next few years. Of course, there was an immediate outcry from the Palestinians, who claim this as their land, with Israel as the accursed occupiers. And as would be expected both U.S. and European officials decried the action as blocking the way to peace. They never stop to consider that any time Israel has stopped construction, the PLO has always found some other excuse to not negotiate.
I wonder if anyone cares what Jehovah thinks. There is a rather comprehensive few verses of Scripture which gives us a very clear understandding of what God is about in all of this. "For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep [Israel] and look after them. . . .I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land" (Ezekiel 34:11, 13 emphasis added).
Can it be any clearer. God is bringing His people back to " their own land" and expects them to prosper and build "all the settlements" they need to provide for their population. Isn't it unique? The very term that is being used to provoke discussion and dissension is one to which God spoke long ago. The settlements are His idea. I wouldn't want to mess with them. God is superintending the activity of His nation even though most of the people there are not aware of His perfect plan for them.
Magnificent
MAGNIFICENT! If you can take five minutes for a moving experience of worship focused on God's magnificent creation, click on the photo. You will be glad you did.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
THE ONLY THING STABLE IS INSTABILITY
Sorry that I have not been posting much. I have been so occupied with finishing up work on my study on Zechariah (see cover photo at left) that I have not been up to writing much else. But I have been keeping an eye and an ear on what is taking place in the Middle east and gthe name of the game seems to be instability. Look at the news from just the last few days.
Qaddafi was finally taken out as the leader of Libya. Question now is what kind of government will replace him? We are certain that Iran has been waiting in the wings to help push the decision. They talk of democracy of which they have not the foggiest notion. Big concern is whether Muslim Brotherhood will come to the front and take power.
A terrorist plot to take out the Saudi ambassador and two Embassies on US soil show how close to home the terrorist attacks are. We surely owe a lot to the folks who are breaking up some of these plans. This attack looked to me to be planned to drive a wedge between US and Saudia Arabia. Their Crown Prince died in a NY hospital last week. Now the instability of who will succeed to power there arises.
Our President has announced a pull-out of almost all our troops in Iraq. Most of us are tired of the war, but again instability in that country will be paramount. In all likelihood, soon after we are gone the situation will be so chaotic that Iran will come in and overtake at least part of the country. What will that do? It will give Iran then a straight shot across Iraq and Syria directly to the border of Israel.
Israel last week showed how much they value one of their soldiers when they traded 1,000 Palestinian criminals for the one Israeli soldier that had been held for over five years after he was kidnappedd by Hamas in Gaza. Don't expect any progress in peace talks. The Palestinians have no interest or desire for peace. Their definition of peace is when there are no more Jews in the world to have talks with.
Keep your eyes on Jordan. Things have been very quiet there, but they share the longest border with Israel of any nation. If the Arab "spring" comes into play there, it is hard to tell what is likely to happen.
I write all this to remind you that we are indeed living in days that the Bible speaks of with precision and clarity. The world is gearing up for the final showdown between the forces of evil and the power of God. The terrible time we know as the Tribulation could be closer upon than we think. Jesus said to keep ourselves abreast of the Signs of the Times and our spirits in tune with His so that are not taken by surprise when the end times begin to be fulfilled.
Qaddafi was finally taken out as the leader of Libya. Question now is what kind of government will replace him? We are certain that Iran has been waiting in the wings to help push the decision. They talk of democracy of which they have not the foggiest notion. Big concern is whether Muslim Brotherhood will come to the front and take power.
A terrorist plot to take out the Saudi ambassador and two Embassies on US soil show how close to home the terrorist attacks are. We surely owe a lot to the folks who are breaking up some of these plans. This attack looked to me to be planned to drive a wedge between US and Saudia Arabia. Their Crown Prince died in a NY hospital last week. Now the instability of who will succeed to power there arises.
Our President has announced a pull-out of almost all our troops in Iraq. Most of us are tired of the war, but again instability in that country will be paramount. In all likelihood, soon after we are gone the situation will be so chaotic that Iran will come in and overtake at least part of the country. What will that do? It will give Iran then a straight shot across Iraq and Syria directly to the border of Israel.
Israel last week showed how much they value one of their soldiers when they traded 1,000 Palestinian criminals for the one Israeli soldier that had been held for over five years after he was kidnappedd by Hamas in Gaza. Don't expect any progress in peace talks. The Palestinians have no interest or desire for peace. Their definition of peace is when there are no more Jews in the world to have talks with.
Keep your eyes on Jordan. Things have been very quiet there, but they share the longest border with Israel of any nation. If the Arab "spring" comes into play there, it is hard to tell what is likely to happen.
I write all this to remind you that we are indeed living in days that the Bible speaks of with precision and clarity. The world is gearing up for the final showdown between the forces of evil and the power of God. The terrible time we know as the Tribulation could be closer upon than we think. Jesus said to keep ourselves abreast of the Signs of the Times and our spirits in tune with His so that are not taken by surprise when the end times begin to be fulfilled.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
LOST JEWS COMING HOME TO ISRAEL
It was reported this week that a large group from one of the "lost tribes" of Israel will soon be allowed to emigrate to Israel. There are more than 7,200 remaining members of the Bnei Menashe community. Their name means "children of Menasseh." They live in two of India's northeast states. The Jerusalem Post wrote this week that the Ministerial Committee on Immigration and Absorption has approved the bringing to Israel these remaining members.
The Bnei Menashe community claims that they are the descendents from the tribe of Menasseh, one of the ten tribes of Israel, often called the lost tribes, who were exiled the the Assyrians invaded Israel's northern kingdom in the 8th Century B.C. The tribe probably traveled through Persia, Tibet and China before arriving in India where they have existed relatively unknown until recently.
Why am I reporting this? As I have been writing my study on the prophet Zechariah for my new book, The God Who Remembers, I have found a key teaching there that is directly connected with this story. That is, God says very clearly that in the end time He will bring back His people from the far reaches of the earth to dwell in Israel. "I will signal for them and gather them in. Surely I will redeem them; they will be as numerous as before. Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will return" (Zechariah 10: 8f).
It can't be much clearer than that. These supposedly lost tribes have not been lost to God. He has known where every one of them has been through all these nearly 3,000 years. Now, He is sending out the signal to come back to the land of Israel. Surely, He is about to do something very significant in the near future. It is amazing and encouraging to our faith to see these evidences of prophecy come to fulfillment in our days.
The Bnei Menashe community claims that they are the descendents from the tribe of Menasseh, one of the ten tribes of Israel, often called the lost tribes, who were exiled the the Assyrians invaded Israel's northern kingdom in the 8th Century B.C. The tribe probably traveled through Persia, Tibet and China before arriving in India where they have existed relatively unknown until recently.
Why am I reporting this? As I have been writing my study on the prophet Zechariah for my new book, The God Who Remembers, I have found a key teaching there that is directly connected with this story. That is, God says very clearly that in the end time He will bring back His people from the far reaches of the earth to dwell in Israel. "I will signal for them and gather them in. Surely I will redeem them; they will be as numerous as before. Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will return" (Zechariah 10: 8f).
It can't be much clearer than that. These supposedly lost tribes have not been lost to God. He has known where every one of them has been through all these nearly 3,000 years. Now, He is sending out the signal to come back to the land of Israel. Surely, He is about to do something very significant in the near future. It is amazing and encouraging to our faith to see these evidences of prophecy come to fulfillment in our days.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
SHOWDOWN AT THE U.N.
Heads up, everybody! A big showdown at on the agenda for the U.N. this week. The Palestinians will be coming before the Security Council and asking to be recognized as a legitimate nation. Isn't this a rather ludicrous situation? For over sixty years the Palestinians have denied that Israel, the land on whose land they reside, has the right to be a nation. Yet, they want to be recognized. What is it they want recognized? It it their government in which no one knows who is in charge. Abbas has the title of Prime Minister, but Hamas doesn't recognize him. They take over and do their own thing. The people of Palestine have no government that really cares about them. They have no land of their own. They have no history; there has never been a nation called Palestine. Only the land is known by that name which is really a corruption of the name Philistine.
Prime Minister Netanyahu plans to speak to the Security Council prior to their vote, once again presenting Israel's right to the land and call for direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Pres. Obama has promised to veto the measure if it should pass the Security Council. Then the Palestinians will ask the entire General Assembly for recognition.
There is a wide range of opinion on this issue. I have a hunch that the largest group of people are those who simply say they just don't understand it. Many are trying to arrive at a solution using what they think is common sense. But this is not just an isssue betgween two feuding neighbors. This is a spiritual issue that goes all the way back to the book of Genesis in the Bible. This entire and complex problem began when Abraham decided not to do things God's way. So the enmity between his two sons was born. The conflict is between the sons of Ishmael and the sons of Isaac.
Like it or not, God has already cast His vote in this issue. He has called the people of Israel to come back to the land and establish themselves and that He would make a nation of them in the land that He promised to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) forever. I am presently writing a book on the message of Zechariah. There I find these words:
"I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God." and "But I will defend my house [Jerusalem] against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch" (Zechariah 8:8, 9:8).
It doesn't take a degree in international politics to understand that the Palestinian organization has as its primary goal to overrun Israel, to destroy them so that their name is no more remembered on the earth. The showdown at the U.N. is only the tip of the iceberg between these two groups which presently occupy the same piece of land. These are exciting days to watch how Bible prophecy is coming to pass right before our eyes.
Prime Minister Netanyahu plans to speak to the Security Council prior to their vote, once again presenting Israel's right to the land and call for direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Pres. Obama has promised to veto the measure if it should pass the Security Council. Then the Palestinians will ask the entire General Assembly for recognition.
There is a wide range of opinion on this issue. I have a hunch that the largest group of people are those who simply say they just don't understand it. Many are trying to arrive at a solution using what they think is common sense. But this is not just an isssue betgween two feuding neighbors. This is a spiritual issue that goes all the way back to the book of Genesis in the Bible. This entire and complex problem began when Abraham decided not to do things God's way. So the enmity between his two sons was born. The conflict is between the sons of Ishmael and the sons of Isaac.
Like it or not, God has already cast His vote in this issue. He has called the people of Israel to come back to the land and establish themselves and that He would make a nation of them in the land that He promised to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) forever. I am presently writing a book on the message of Zechariah. There I find these words:
"I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God." and "But I will defend my house [Jerusalem] against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch" (Zechariah 8:8, 9:8).
It doesn't take a degree in international politics to understand that the Palestinian organization has as its primary goal to overrun Israel, to destroy them so that their name is no more remembered on the earth. The showdown at the U.N. is only the tip of the iceberg between these two groups which presently occupy the same piece of land. These are exciting days to watch how Bible prophecy is coming to pass right before our eyes.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
WATCH THOSE ISRAELI BORDERS
Sorry I haven't posted for a while. But as I looked at the news today, it came quickly to mind that there is much to think about when we take a look at the map and see once again how surrounded Israel is by distress. Their enemy neighbors are on the move.
At left is a photo of the bus that was targeted as part of a three-phase attack yesterdy in south Israel, north of Eilat and along the border with Egypt. Why is that significant? It points out the result of the unsettled government in Egypt. They appear to be unable to effectively secure their border with Israel. Now why does that phrase, "secure the border," sound familiar. This will become an increasinly important thing as we progess into the end times. Seven people were killed and another 25 were injured in the three attacks. Prime Minister Netanyahu promises that there will be retaliation, and he asserts that it is most likely that the attacks originated in the Gaza Strip by Hamas.
Another border to watch is the one between Israel and the Palestians within the country itself. Israel a few days ago approved moving ahead with more than 200 new housing units in what the Palestinians claim to the their territory. Nearly another 300 are slated for approval soon. What does this mean? Next month the UN is slated to deal with the issue of declaring a Palestinian state. This move ahead on the housing projects is indication that Israel has no intention of honoring any such declaration by the UN. As supporterss of Israel, we need to pray that if the UN does pass the declaration, that President Obama will use the US veto power in the Security Council to stop the action. This will be a time when we finally find out where our President really stands in regard to supporting Israel.
A third border to keep watch on is the one with Syria. Our country called today for Syrian President Assad to step down and all Syrian assets in US have been frozen. It is time for this brutal dictator to go, but we don't really know what will come after him. The Syria border on the Golan Heights is critical to Israel's self protection. We can expect that there will be skirmishes there in the future as whoever controls Syria wants the Golan to be returned to their control.
Blessings and remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. That is the best way that most of us can support them in these tumultous days.
At left is a photo of the bus that was targeted as part of a three-phase attack yesterdy in south Israel, north of Eilat and along the border with Egypt. Why is that significant? It points out the result of the unsettled government in Egypt. They appear to be unable to effectively secure their border with Israel. Now why does that phrase, "secure the border," sound familiar. This will become an increasinly important thing as we progess into the end times. Seven people were killed and another 25 were injured in the three attacks. Prime Minister Netanyahu promises that there will be retaliation, and he asserts that it is most likely that the attacks originated in the Gaza Strip by Hamas.
Another border to watch is the one between Israel and the Palestians within the country itself. Israel a few days ago approved moving ahead with more than 200 new housing units in what the Palestinians claim to the their territory. Nearly another 300 are slated for approval soon. What does this mean? Next month the UN is slated to deal with the issue of declaring a Palestinian state. This move ahead on the housing projects is indication that Israel has no intention of honoring any such declaration by the UN. As supporterss of Israel, we need to pray that if the UN does pass the declaration, that President Obama will use the US veto power in the Security Council to stop the action. This will be a time when we finally find out where our President really stands in regard to supporting Israel.
A third border to keep watch on is the one with Syria. Our country called today for Syrian President Assad to step down and all Syrian assets in US have been frozen. It is time for this brutal dictator to go, but we don't really know what will come after him. The Syria border on the Golan Heights is critical to Israel's self protection. We can expect that there will be skirmishes there in the future as whoever controls Syria wants the Golan to be returned to their control.
Blessings and remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. That is the best way that most of us can support them in these tumultous days.
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