A tale of two kings

Many will be familiar with Charles Dickens' historical novel: A tale of two Cities - based on the period before, and during, the French Revolution, and set in both London and Paris.

The Book(s) of Samuel in the Old Testament part of the Bible, could have been named "A tale of two kings". Saul, and David were so different - yet there were similarities as well. This video explains, briefly, what those similarities and differences were.

Do remember that these clips are no more than overviews, or tasters. To get the full story, you really do need to read the full book. I suppose that the videos are a bit like road maps. They give you the general direction - but to enjoy the scenery, you must make the journey!

Happy travelling!

From Judges to a monarchy!

Personally, I am not a Republican. I have a deep affection for Elizabeth I of Scotland - also known as Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth!! 

However, the Children of Israel were meant to live under the Kingship of the Creator - YHWH. This they failed to do and, as we saw in the Book of the Judges, that particular form of leadership led to what we would term, today, as anarchy: "... every man did what was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:25).

The Book(s) of Samuel take the story on to the next stage:

Do remember that these videos are no more than a brief overview. I would encourage you to take the time to read each book fully, and fill in all the missing detail.

Truth - the first casualty of conflict!

The following has been received from my good friend in Israel. It is unlikely that anyone will learn of it in the MSM!

“Hypocrisy and lies fuelled by an obsessive hatred for Israel”,  is Benjamin Netanyahu’s description of United Nations Human Rights Council’s condemnation of Israel.

Ravid Elfassi, who served as served as an officer in the IDF’s Golani Brigade was given 90 seconds,  yes  just  90  seconds,  to  present  Israel’s  case  before  the  UN  HRC.   He  spoke  on  behalf of the  

organisation:“MyTruth”.   

     

In his 90 seconds he said the following:

“The hardest lesson that I learned during my military career was that while we put our lives on the line to protect our families and children, Hamas and other terror organizations use their own children as human shields and cannon fodder,” said Ravid Elfassi at the council in Geneva. “This is not an isolated event. It’s their standard operating procedure.”

My Truth collects signed testimonies and photographs from combat operations between 2004-2018 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that attest to the use of human shields and other human rights violations by Hamas and other terror groups.

Elfassi only had 90 seconds to present his testimony to the council, but in the short amount of time he was given, he told the council of salaries paid to Palestinian terrorists sitting in Israeli jails by the Palestinian Authority and the murder of the Fogel family, who were killed by a Palestinian terrorist in their home in 2011.

“It has been said that terrorism in the eyes of one person is a freedom fighter in the eyes of another, but how can you consider yourself a freedom fighter, for stabbing a three-month-old baby, Hadas Fogel, in front of her parents? How can someone call himself a Jihadi, a “holy” warrior, for taking the life of a child? These are the fanatics who we as IDF soldiers are fighting against on a daily basis,” he said.

Elfassi, who continues to serve as a combat officer in his reserve duty, also spoke of the use of women and children as human shields by Hamas – a tactic the group continues to use to this day during the weekly, violent Great March of Return.

“In 2007, I was sent on a mission in Gaza to seek out a Hamas squad which was launching rockets at Israeli cities. With my own eyes, I witnessed as Hamas sent out six- and seven-year-old children to search for me and my men. When these children found us, Hamas opened heavy fire using AK-47s and RPGs, while the children were still between us and them,” Elfassi said of an incident he witnessed during his IDF service.

“If the United Nations truly wishes to investigate terrorism and human rights, I implore you to look at the My Truth report, which details the use of human shields by terror organizations,” he said. “If so, you might better understand the reality that we as IDF soldiers confront – and which is too often neglected by this forum.”

My Truth, which days earlier spoke at a panel at the United Nations along UN Watch and NGO Monitor, has documented dozens of testimonies from former combat soldiers, including several who just recently finished their military service and were posted along the Gaza border fence during the Great Return Marches.

On Friday the UNHCR voted to adopt a report accusing Israel of human rights violations, including war crimes, for its response to violent riots and attacks as part of the weekly Great March of Return along the Gaza border fence.

The Council’s 40th session voted by a margin of 23 to 8, with 15 abstentions and one absence to adopt the 252-page report conducted by the Commission of Inquiry which claims that 183 Palestinians, including 35 children, have been killed in the clashes, and that the majority were unarmed.

Ruth - a model of devotion.

It is sometimes claimed that everyone loves a love story. I am not in a position to verify that claim - or otherwise. However, I do know that the Book of Ruth in the Tanakh (the Old Testament) is a beautiful story of love and devotion. You may have already read the story, and think that you know all about it - but I would encourage you to take about seven minutes of your time to watch this overview of the book. You might even learn something new!!

Judges

In any "developed" nation, the legal system has, at the highest level, those who are referred to as "judges". The same was true for ancient Israel. However, these were not men dressed in special robes, wearing wigs, and sitting in a special court room. These were men, and one woman (Deborah), who were raised up to positions of leadership. They were not referred to, specifically, as "judges", but as those who "judged Israel". 

The book of Judges is the next book in the Old Testament writings of the Bible.  You may watch the overview here:

It is my hope that even the few who are following this series will not only learn from the video clips, but will also be encouraged to read the books for themselves, and be able to fill in all that the videos gloss over.

Christchurch, New Zealand - some personal reflections.

During my time in the British Merchant Navy, I had the opportunity to visit New Zealand. Indeed, at that time in my life, my plan was to emigrate to Australia; get a job in a good hotel (I was an experienced chef); be married to a nice Australian Christian girl (there were a couple of distinct possibilities!); and eventually retire to New Zealand. None of that took place, but I have friends who live in New Zealand - including a couple in Christchurch. The news of the deaths, yesterday, caused me to reflect in a number of ways.

The random killing of any human being is to be abhorred. When nearly fifty are slaughtered, our minds reel. We pray that those who have been bereaved in the Christchurch massacre will be helped by those who are able to most effectively do so. It is never easy to bring help to the bereaved - I know that from both personal, and pastoral, experience. However, I also know that those who are able to turn to Jesus, receive help, and strength, that are not available from any other source.

Death, of course, is one of the certainties of life - at least until the Rapture of the Church! Yet it is something that we tend to assume won't happen to us - certainly not if we are under some arbitrarily-chosen age! Yet death is no respecter of persons. It touches all - infants; young children; teenagers; 20s and 30s; those heading towards, and in, "middle age"; the elderly. My point is that it is highly unlikely that any of the victims in Christchurch left their homes that day thinking that they would not return! 

That being the case, is it not wise for each of us to take time to consider our readiness to meet with physical death? Of course, there are different beliefs as to what happens when that event takes place. For some, there will just be 'nothingness'. Life is extinguished - and that is that! Others believe that we have another shot at life - in circumstances that are dictated by the life we are living this time around. 

However, for those of us who claim to be disciples of the Lord Jesus, the Christ, the outlook is much more positive. The anonymous writer of the Letter to the Hebrew disciples of Jesus makes it quite clear that there is no "second" (or subsequent) chance: "... it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment, ..." (Heb 9:27). And there is the assurance that, for those who have repented of their sins, and accepted, by faith, the gift of full salvation that Jesus gained for us at Calvary, we will live with Him eternally. Of course, for those who have rejected Him, or simply ignored Him, there is only eternity without Him. That is referred to as hell - and it is not something that any thinking person would wish to suffer!

Of course, Christians are regularly the victims of deadly attacks. In Nigeria, for example, it is the Muslim terrorists of Boko Haram, and the Muslim Fulani tribesmen who slaughter Christians - not in their tens, but in their hundreds and thousands. Indeed, some 90% of all Christians who died in 2018 as a result of terrorist activities (mostly at the hands of Muslims) were murdered in Nigeria! One single attack by Boko Haram, last year, left 106 dead; while one attack by Fulani militants resulted in the deaths of more than 200! However, such events do not receive the attention of the world's media in the same way as has the attack in Christchurch!

So what is a proper response for disciples for Jesus in this situation? May I offer three suggestions?

1. to pray for the bereaved, regardless of their religious, ethnic, national, or social background.

2. to remember that, if all of those who died in Christchurch were devout Muslims, then they died without the Christ - and so without hope - and to seek to do whatever we can to bring the Gospel message to the followers of Islam. It is reported by many that more Muslims are coming to saving faith in Jesus than ever before. We may not be able to physically go to a Muslim country - but we can support, prayerfully and financially, organisations such as SAT-7 (https://www.sat7uk.org/), FEBA (https://feba-radio.org/), and Arab World Media (http://www.awm.org/),who do work amongst these people.

3. to pray for our fellow disciples of Jesus who suffer for His Name's sake - often in ways that are beyond the understanding of most of us.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God." (John 3:16-21). 

The wonders of modern technology!!! I have just discovered that I am able to provide a preview of my books.

At this moment, I am only organised for vol.3 - but do feel free to have a look. You may then wish to purchase, especially as ALL royalties now go directly to the bank account of Release International - supporting the persecuted church.

"https://lire.amazon.fr/kp/card…"

I shall endeavour to post the other two preview samples as quickly as possible. 

Now, to our Book of the Bible for this post. We've been through the Torah books - Genesis to Deuteronomy - and Moses, the great leader of the Children of Israel, has died. As he had already been told by YHWH, he was permitted to see the Promised Land - but not to enter it. "So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of YHWH, and He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-pe'or; but no man knows the place of his burial to this day." (Deut 34:5-6). He was succeeded by his personal servant, a man named Joshua, and the next book bears his name, as he leads the Children of Israel into the land which YHWH had promised, so many centuries before, to Abraham.

😇

Repetition helps!

As I continue the process of learning the French language, I know the importance of repetition! It's probably considered to be an old-fashioned process in the brave new world of modern education. However, I have always found it to be very effective. Certainly, I now speak reasonably fluent French (although I still have difficulty in understanding my French friends - possibly because most of my adult life has involved me in speaking more than listening!!!)

Anyway, as we move through the Tanakh (the Old Testament), we come to the book of Deuteronomy - which means "Second Law". This is not (entirely!) a new set of laws for the Children of Israel, but a repetition of the laws already given. So, take less than eight minutes to watch the video - that explains a great deal about this interesting book.

Can we be counted upon?!

In a moment of madness, I accepted a challenge, on Facebook, from a very dear young friend. I only wish that the response to that challenge (as, having failed, I had to pass it on!) could be replicated with my blog!!

Anyway, as we move through the amazing library of books that is named The Bible, we come to the book of Numbers. Maths just happened to be my best subject during my secondary education - but one doesn't need to be a mathematician to learn from this book. 

Here is the next video.

I wonder if anyone is noticing the lessons here?! How like those Israelites of old is the church - the body of the Christ - today! Indeed, as one who is intensely interested in, and supportive of, the modern descendants of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, I see the modern State of Israel behaving in the same way through its secular government that looks to alliances with other nations, rather than to the God of their ancestors! more to come in the next post.

Approaching the Creator.

Many people have made the laudable decision to "read the whole Bible", from cover to cover! Sadly, that is exactly what many of them start to do - forgetting that it is not a single book, but a library of books. However, they have no difficulty with the books of Genesis and Exodus. They are fast-moving narratives, that can easily hold the reader. Then they arrive at the third book - Leviticus. Oh dear! How different this is. This is where many fail - and forget about their original plan and intention.

Yet the book of Leviticus has much to teach even those who live under the new covenant. It is also worth remembering that the Tanakh (what most of us know as the Old Testament) was the only Bible that Jesus and the early disciples ever knew! Yet those early disciples of Jesus were able to use those books to even lead people to a saving knowledge of the Lord! 

Find out more about this book, right here! If you have, in the past, been "bogged down" by Leviticus, you really do need to watch this clip! 

Getting out - part 2.

In the previous post we left the Children of Israel having escaped from the Egyptians to whom they had been enslaved for some 400 years! The rest of the book is the record of their journey to the land that the Creator, the Covenant God, had promised to Abraham and his descendants. This clip doesn't deal with every part of that record (although you may read it for yourself - preferably in a modern translation that will not bog you down with archaic language!), but it does deal with some of the most important themes.

Okay, next time we move on to a book that many people choose to ignore - but that has a great deal to teach us!

Getting out!

The story used to be told of an Assistant Minister who was a particularly handsome young man, and unmarried. In the parish in which he was serving, there were a number of unmarried young ladies, and the mothers of these young ladies were constantly trying to get the young minister interested in their daughter. Eventually, the situation became too much for the young man and he went to his senior minister and asked if he could be released, and sent to a different parish. When he explained his reason for wanting to move, the older man smiled and asked, "But don't you know that there is safety in numbers?" "Oh I do." replied the assistant, "However, I believe that there is even greater safety in exodus!"

Exodus - a 'leaving'. It was certainly that for the Children of Israel, as recorded in the Old Testament book of that name. Here is the link to the Bible Project video on Exodus. This is another "two-parter", so be sure to come back in a couple of days for the rest of the story!

Stop Press

"Defending the Faith" - the third volume in my book series, is now available as a paperback at

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Defending-Faith-Apostolic-pastoral-advice/dp/1791394388/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1551715314&sr=8-5&keywords=Defending+the+Faith

Please note that ALL royalties, on all three books, now go directly to Release International, in support of the persecuted church. Please purchase; leave a review; and encourage others to do the same! If you order two, or more, books in the UK, there is no postage charge!!

Genesis - Part 2

As a student of history, I am all too aware that nations and empires rise - and fall! Where are the ancient nations of Philistines and Persians, to name but two? Many will not have read, but most will be aware of, Edward Gibbon's monumental work: "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire." However, there is one very real exception; one nation that, in spite of many attempts to destroy it, has survived for millennia. That nation is the Jewish Nation - the Children of Israel; the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The second part of the book of Genesis deals with the call of Abraham,and the events that followed. Here is the next video that gives a brief overview of all of that.

Now that you have seen the overview, may I encourage you to fill in much more of the detail by actually reading the book?! I would recommend a modern translation so that you are neither confused, nor 'put off'', by the somewhat archaic language of the Authorised (or King James) Version! My personal 'favourite' is still the RSV (Revised Standard Version), but the NRSV (New RSV) is also a good translation. Some will prefer the NIV (New International Version), but unless you already have a copy, I am informed that the 2011 publication is best!

Whichever version/translation you use, do read - and before doing so, take a minute to ask for the help of God the Holy Spirit, that you may understand what He is saying, specifically, to you.