Tag Israel

Stirring up the hornet’s nest

Allen Frederick 3 Comments

And behave to your fellow men just as you would have them behave to you.  Luke 6:31 (WEY)

Hamas, stop dragging Israel into fighting.

Image by ShadoWalker Photography via Flickr

 

Countless truces and ceasefire agreements have been made and broken in the never ending struggle between Hamas and Israel. Each one pointing the finger at the other for the reason the hostilities have not ceased. They started it would be the cry from each side.

 

"This year alone, Hamas, which expressly calls for the obliteration of Israel, has launched approximately 3,000 rockets and mortar bombs into Israeli

civilian centers, always for the purpose of killing and maiming

Israelis if possible, and terrifying those who are not actually hit. In the last week or so, Hamas has fired some 200 rockets and bombs into Israeli communities." Source:http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/12/30/the_suffering_that_hamas_causes/

The world cries for peace in the middle east and yet one of the two parties involved in the peacemaking process vows to annihilate the other party involved. Passive watchfulness does not protect a citizenry from violent, lawless attacks on innocent civilians. Sitting by and watching bombs fall on your cities and towns does nothing to stop violence or render peace.

"Under these circumstances – circumstances which would have continued without end had the Israelis failed to act – it seems clear that the Israeli military response was not merely a necessary one. It was, regrettably, the only one left." Source:http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/12/30/the_suffering_that_hamas_causes/

"Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as human shields, utilizing homes, schools and community centers as launching pads, content in the knowledge that if innocent Palestinian civilians are caught in the cross-fire, it will be Israel that is criticized. This amounts to a sort of Daily Double of human rights violations: the use of innocent Palestinians as human shields for the infliction of violence upon innocent Israelis.

It is Hamas that perfected the use of the suicide bomb, by which young Palestinians were induced to kill themselves so that Israelis could also be killed. It is somehow apt that Hamas should be forever associated with the suicide bomb, for in a larger sense Hamas has proved to be an instrument of the demise of Palestinians in Gaza.

Hamas’s persistent call for the annihilation of Israel through jihad, its unequivocal rejection of any peace with Israel under any circumstances, its seizure of Gaza through a coup d’etat, its repression of women and freedom of expression, and its embrace of Iran have all disgusted the international community, which will have little to do with it. Hamas has likewise repelled numerous Arab governments, which might otherwise have been expected to dip into their ample reserves of petrodollars to provide much-needed aid and foreign investment to Gaza, but which have steered clear of it." Source:http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/12/30/the_suffering_that_hamas_causes/

If you do not wish to be stung
then do not stir up a hornet’s nest.

And yet we hear from some that Israel’s response to these senseless terrorist attacks is too extreme. What should Israel do? Should they start shooting off 3000 rockets back at the Gaza strip and kill innocent people like Hamas terrorists do? Is that the measured response the world wants Israel to engage in? Or should they just continue to sit back and watch as more and more rockets are launched into their cities and more innocent Israeli lives are lost? Would it be more palatable to the world if Israel would just surrender their nation to these terrorists?

I for one stand firmly with Israel in this conflict. I believe they should do everything they can to guard and protect Israeli lives and safeguard their borders from terrorists. At the same time Israel is doing everything it can to surgically strike at terrorist targets, but because, as the Boston Globe states, these cowards hide behind civilian populations, it is extremely difficult to wage a fair fight when one side continues to play hide and seek behind women and children.

The only way to maintain peace in Israel is when Hamas quits firing rockets. Until then Hamas has waged war with Israel and therefore they shall reap what they have sown. They shall have it done unto them as they have done unto Israel. I shall continue to stand with Israel as they attempt to root out the radical Hamas elements from amongst the Gazan citizenry and thereby return peace to the area. Until then let us pray that more innocent life is not lost during this war on terror.

 

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O Little Town of Bethlehem

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

 

I have been blessed by receiving Worthy Devotions in my inbox each day for over a year now and I wish to share just one of the many insightful messages I have received from this Jewish writer. A Jewish perspective can add valuable insight to a study of the bible, and so it is with this topic of Jesus being born in Bethlehem. Once again we can see the intricate design of God throughout the biblical narrative. If you are not already receiving Worthy Devotions in your inbox each day I would recommend that you sign up for an email subscription today. You will be blessed for having done so.

Micah 4:8;5:2 And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem. But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

There are many who are not aware of the very deep significance of Bethlehem,Yeshua’s (Jesus’) birthplace. Everyone knows that Bethlehem was a place where shepherds grazed their sheep, and where the Messiah was to be born, but do not realize that it was a town designated as the birthing place for lambs which were used for the Passover sacrifice. The Scriptures give significant details about this little town lying slightly south of Jerusalem.

 

In Micah 4:8 we read about the “watchtower of the flock”, or in Hebrew, “Migdal Edar.” According to the “Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah“, by Alfred Edersheim, a Jewish believer in the late 1800’s, Migal Edar was the location where the Messiah was to be revealed. This watchtower stood as a place of protection for the city from approaching enemies, but it was also utilized by shepherds to watch over the specific flocks from which sacrificial Passover lambs were taken.

The shepherds who were tending these particular flocks were no ordinary shepherds. They were specifically trained by the Rabbis for a holy task. They had to insure that, as much as possible, every lamb was free of any blemish or injury, in order to be used for the Passover sacrifice. Since they were instructed by the Rabbis, they almost certainly knew of those passages in the Targums (Aramaic translations) and the Mishna associating the birth of the Messiah with “Migdal Edar”. For example, Migdal Edar is translated in one of the Targums as “The Anointed One of the Flock of Israel.” It is also written in the Mishna that “He spread his tent beyond Migdal Edar, the place where King Messiah will reveal Himself at the end of days.”

Those shepherds had strong hints of Messiah’s advent in the very town where they lived, so that when the angelic host appeared announcing his arrival, they responded immediately and went to worship Him. We too have increasing signs of His soon Second Coming. Are we also prepared to respond? Our readiness to act in faith and worship will show how well we understand the signs of our own times. With so much work to be done, let us stay awake and be inspired by the expectation of his soon arrival – for, just like those shepherds of Bethlehem, we truly were born for such a time as this!

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

 

George, Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah
Currently in the Negev Desert, Israel

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Beware the tax man cometh

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

Insight for your “Journey across the Sky”
A View from the Nest www.eagleviews.org

When someone makes you slaves, consumes your wealth, seizes your property, orders you around, or slaps your faces, you put up with it. 2 Corinthians 11:20 (GW)


How better to describe the current state of our political affairs. Congress keeps enacting laws that are enslaving the population once again and it appears we the people tolerate it.

Why is that?

Could it be that we are so fearful of self-rule that we would much rather put up with those who tell us what to do and how to do it, when we can do it, for how long we can do it, and for how much?

Is the thought of freedom that frightening that we prefer the government enslaves us with burdensome taxation and regulation?

Are we no longer the land of the free and the home of the brave? Why is it we allow our potential political leaders to slap our faces and ridicule our way of life and make us feel guilty for living in such a great nation? They hold us up to national disgrace when they march on the world stage and belittle the American way of life. And we the people sit back and take it.


But the people refused to listen to Samuel. They said, “No, we want a king! Then we, too, will be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us, lead us out {to war}, and fight our battles.” 1 Sam 8:19-20 (GW)

I feel our nation like Israel before, has also rejected the guidance and direction of God, and has instead substituted the rule of the government in place of the rule of God. Listen to what Samuel told the Israelites the rights of a king were. What they had to look forward to by choosing to be ruled by a king. Does any of this sound familiar?

The Lord told Samuel, “Listen to everything the people are saying to you. They haven’t rejected you; they’ve rejected me. They’re doing just what they’ve done since I took them out of Egypt—leaving me and serving other gods. Listen to them now, but be sure to warn them and tell them about the rights of a king.” Then Samuel told the people who had asked him for a king everything the Lord had said. Samuel said, “These are the rights of a king: He will draft your sons, make them serve on his chariots and horses, and make them run ahead of his chariots. He will appoint them to be his officers over 1,000 or over 50 soldiers, to plow his ground and harvest his crops, and to make weapons and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters and have them make perfumes, cook, and bake. He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his officials. He will take a tenth of your grain and wine and give it to his aids and officials. He will take your male and female slaves, your best cattle, and your donkeys for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks. In addition, you will be his servants. “When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king whom you have chosen for yourselves. The Lord will not answer you when that day comes.” But the people refused to listen to Samuel. They said, “No, we want a king! Then we, too, will be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us, lead us out {to war}, and fight our battles.” When Samuel heard everything the people had to say, he reported it privately to the Lord. The Lord told him, “Listen to them, and give them a king.” Then Samuel told the people of Israel, “Go {back} to your own cities.” 1 Sam 8:7-22 (GW)

In spite of all these warnings the people still wished to be ruled by a king. Their reasoning was the king would fight all their battles for them so they would not have to. Is that not the state of America today? Is it not true that far too many are seeking HELP from the Government, too many rely on the king to fight their battles for them. They reason they should not have to face any adversity because it is the government’s job to take care of us. Too many feel that the government should take care of all their concerns. This comes at a great cost, that of enslavement and lose of identity. We are fast becoming a dependent nation, a slave nation, and not an independent one. Just like the Israelites of old we too are starting to look like all the other nations around us. Instead of being that beacon of hope for the world, our light is fading fast and growing eerily dim.

Our problems are not because he have an elected government. Our problem is we have elected to be governed by a king and not the King of kings and Lord of lords. We have elected to reject Christ and God’s ways for an established kingdom made in the image of other nations. We have gone the way of Israel of old. In forgetting God, we have chosen instead to be governed by the dictates of man and thus we have reaped what we have sown. We have forced God out of our political process and in the process we have replaced Him with those who have no moral compass, who seek to enrich themselves as they enslave the populace.

However, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, search for me, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear {their prayer} from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their country. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (GW)

There is hope however. If those of us who are Christian, and have a relationship with God, would repent of our disinterest in governmental affairs, acknowledge that our nation has strayed from God, sincerely seek once again to be ruled by God and involve Him in our life and decisions, turn from our wicked ways, then God will hear from heaven and forgive our sins and heal our land. It is up to those of us who believe God and His word. We have for too long remained silent while the nation’s moral fiber continued to decline. Slave or free, rich or poor, life or death, the chose is ours to make or forsake. Either way we make a choice. Choose to do nothing and we become as nothing. Choose instead to obey God and seek His face, and desire to do things His way, and we reap instead life and health, blessings instead of curses, hope to replace despair.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Psalm 33:10a (GW)

And if it seems evil to you to be the servants of the Lord, make the decision this day whose servants you will be: Joshua 24:15a (BBE)

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

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Armageddon and an Independent Palestinian State

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

Image via Wikipedia

By Don Costello

There is much talk in the news lately about the formation of a Palestinian state. It has become a major goal of President Bush. I believe that he is making the worst mistake of his Presidency. Biblically the West Bank, as it is called today is part of the land that Almighty God covenanted with Abraham to give his descendants through Isaac. Even more important is the fact that one of the reasons Jesus Christ is coming back at Armageddon is to destroy the people trying to steal the land of Israel away from Him and Israel. Although the Golan Heights are included in that Covenant, I want to focus on the area of the West Bank because that is the area the whole world is trying to make an independent Palestinian state.

A crucial element of this debate for the Bible believing Christian is that the West Bank as it is known today is referred to in Scripture as “Judea” and “Samaria” or “the mountains of Israel”. In 1999, the magazine “Christians for Israel” published an article documenting this entitled, “The Mountains of Israel”, by Karel van Oordt and Pee Koelewijn. There is also a book entitled, “The Mountains of Israel” by Norma Archbold that refers to this.

According to scripture, from the time when Lot and Abraham separated until after God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham lived on the plain of Mamre, which is present day Hebron in the West Bank. The events of Genesis 15 of the cutting of the covenant and the giving of the land occurred at that very place. In these scriptures we see the elements of the ancient Middle Eastern covenant. In Genesis 15:9, the animals are chosen, in verse 10 they are divided and laind against one another and in verses 17 and 18 the participants pass through the divided animals. The purpose for this according to Unger’s Bible Dictionary was to confirm the covenant, “by slaughtering and cutting the victim into halves, between which the parties passed, to intimate that if either of them broke the covenant it would fare with him as with the slain and divided beast.” The element not mentioned in the Genesis passage but most definitely took place at the time of the oath in Ezekiel 47:14 (NIV) where God, “swore with an uplifted hand”, to give the land to Israel. We get that impression from Jeremiah 34:14, which says the LORD will punish those, “which have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof.” The picture we see when all these elements are included is when the LORD was passing through those pieces, He was swearing with an uplifted hand He was going to give Israel the land.

According to Isaiah 62:4, God is married to Israel and the land. The New American Standard Version says, “It well no longer be said to you “”Forsaken”” Nor to your land will it any longer be said, “”Desolate””; But you will be called, “”My delight is in her,”” and your land, “”Married.”” It is no wonder then that the first three verses of Ezekiel 36, which deals with the mountains of Israel, i.e. the West Bank, are laced with a very stern warning from God in the spirit of a jealous husband. Ezekiel 36:5 says the LORD is speaking, “in the fire of my jealouslyagainst the rest of the nationswho appropriated my land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and scorn of soul.” The LORD God in Jeremiah 12:14 (NIV) calls those nations “wicked neighbors” who would “seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel.” Continue reading “Armageddon and an Independent Palestinian State” →