Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose !

It was Solomon, the last king of a united nation of Israel, who wrote the book in the Bible that is known as Ecclesiastes (not to be confused with the Apocryphal book, Ecclesiasticus!), who gave us the well-known adage "... there is nothing new under the sun." (Eccl 1:9).

I was reminded of those words during my personal devotions this morning, as I read from Psalm 83. There were three specific passages that spoke to me, the first of which was "Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!" (v.4).

Scholars are unsure as to the exact background to this psalm, but these words, in context, make clear that Israel is under threat from those who are referred to as the enemies of God (v.2). They are working together with just one aim in view - the total destruction of the Children of Israel. I had to look twice to ensure that an article from this morning's newspaper hadn't found its way into my Bible!

There was certainly nothing new in those words. The Chosen People of Almighty God have been the object of hatred and opposition since their years of exile in Egypt. The Egyptian Pharaoh sought to destroy them - but the Lord preserved a baby who was given the name of Moses and who, in God's timing, led the nation out of Egypt. Later, a senior civil servant in the court of the Persian (modern Iran) king, Ahasuerus (Xerxes I), a man named Haman sought to destroy the Jewish people - but the Lord had Mordecai, and his niece, Esther, ready, and it was Haman who perished on the very gallows that he had had especially constructed for Mordecai (read the full story in the Book of Esther). Fast forward many more centuries, noting the Roman attempt to disperse and destroy the national identity of the Jews, and the many more local persecutions particularly in western Europe (including England!), and we come to the 20th century and the rise to power of Adolf Hitler. His attempt at the genocide of the Jewish nation also failed - even although he was responsible for the deaths of some six million. Indeed, every would-be destroyer of the Jews has been, in one way or another, defeated and humiliated.

Today, the same aim is expressed by a number of groups - either explicitly, or implicitly. One of the best-known Islamic terrorist organisations is Hamas (the Islamic Resistance Movement, and one of the wings of the Muslim Brotherhood). In its Charter, it states that "... our struggle against the Jews is extremely wide-ranging and grave, so much so that it will need all the loyal efforts we can wield, to be followed by further steps and reinforced by successive battalions from the multifarious Arab and Islamic world, until the enemies (i.e. the Jews) are defeated and Allah's victory prevails." Other groups - Hezbollah; the Palestinian Authority; Iran; etc - have the same aim: the destruction of the Jewish people.

The second verse that particularly caught my attention, reads: "Let us take possession for ourselves

of the pastures of God." (v.12). This time, the context shows that this is the aim of the enemies of God, from historical events. However, one does not need to be a Biblical scholar to be aware that this is also part of the aim of the various Islamic groups who make quite clear that they wish to take over the whole of the Holy Land. "From the river to the sea, "Palestine" shall be free" we have all heard chanted at various pro-"Palestinian", anti-Israel gatherings. By the way, there is no such land as "Palestine" - but that is too big a subject for a digression here!

Asaph, the inspired composer of this psalm (we often refer to "the Psalms of David", but the psalmist-king actually penned slightly less than half of those in the Psalter!) then prays about this situation. It is that prayer that constitutes the third point that "jumped out" at me. It reads:

"O my God, make them like whirling dust,

like chaff before the wind. 

As fire consumes the forest,

as the flame sets the mountains ablaze, 

so do Thou pursue them with thy tempest

and terrify them with Thy hurricane! 

Fill their faces with shame,

that they may seek Thy name, O YHWH. 

Let them be put to shame and dismayed for ever;

let them perish in disgrace. 

Let them know that Thou alone,

whose Name is YHWH,

art the Most High over all the earth." (vs.13-18).

There are two things of note, I believe. The first is that, in spite of the request for the destruction of Israel's enemies, Asaph also seeks their salvation! "Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek Thy name, O YHWH." (emphasis added). He is asking that these enemies would be ashamed, and dismayed, and turn to the Living God. Wow! Secondly, all of this is for the honour and glory of YHWH, the God of Israel. He isi the Sovereign God of the universe - and every nation on earth, whether or not any of them accept His sovereignty. As we look at our contemporary world - and not just the situation in the Middle east - we could be tempted to despair. That, however, is one thing we should never do!

Remember the words of the second of the Psalms:

"Why do the nations conspire,

and the peoples plot in vain? 

The kings of the earth set themselves,

and the rulers take counsel together,

against YHWH and His anointed, saying, 

"Let us burst their bonds asunder,

and cast their cords from us." 

He Who sits in the heavens laughs;

YHWH has them in derision. 

Then He will speak to them in His wrath,

and terrify them in His fury, saying, 

"I have set my king

on Zion, my holy hill." (vs.1-6).

He is still in control. He is still working all things in accordance with His plan and purposes. He is still the God Who inhabits eternity, and Who is worthy of all of the honour, and praise, and worship, and adoration, that we can bring to Him - and of much more besides! 

One day - I believe much sooner than many expect - He will "call time". There will be the rapture of the true church, followed by the time of tribulation, and then the Lord Jesus, the only-begotten Son, will return with His bride (the church). Then "... at the name of Jesus every knee [shall] bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil 2:10-11; emphasis added).

Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus.

Abraham - father of the faithful (3)

One theological movement goes under the title of "Replacement Theology". It's basis is a belief that the church has replaced the Children of Israel in the plans and purposes of Almighty God. So, have the Chosen People been replaced?

The ministry of Yeshua to the House of Israel led to the missionary work of the first Jewish belivers, who spread the message of God's love, and God's Kingdom, to the Gentiles. That message resulted in an explosive - even exponential - growth in the number of Gentile believers in the early centuries, A.D. However, possibly from a feeling of superiority , or of jealousy, or of religiosity, members of the early church claimed to be the "true Israel", effectively evicting El Shaddai from His established identity as the God of Avraham, Yitzak, and Yacov. This loveless condemnation of the nation of Israel for rejecting Yeshua as HaMashiach led, ironically, to much of the church discounting El Shaddai as Israel's God!

However, in spite of what some who claim to be disciples of Yeshua claim, even today, El Shaddai has not disassociated Israel from His promises, or abandoned His covenants with His Chosen People. He is a covenant-keeping God, true to His Word. That, of course, is good news for those of us who claim to be the followers of Yeshua because if God was willing to break His unconditional covenants, or any of His promises, to the Children of Israel, then He might break them with us as well! We may be grateful, therefore, that "God is not a human who lies, or a mortal who changes his mind. When He says something, He will do it; when He makes a promise, He will fulfil it." (Num.23:19; CJB)

Those who claim that God is done with the Children of Israel point to the covenant at Mt. Sinai, when God said: "Now, if you will pay careful attention to what I say, and keep my covenant, then you will be My own treasure from among the peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you will be a kingdom of 'cohanim' [priests] for me, a nation set apart." (Ex.19:5-6; CJB). Of course, as history records, the Chosen people broke their promise to El Shaddai, to do everything that He had told them to do.

This leads some to claim that it is patently obvious that the Children of Israel forfeited their right to be a holy nation! What they forget - or ignore! - is that God also promised that however disobedient Israel became, and no matter how cursed they were because of it, He would not forget the other covenant that He made - to Avraham, Yitzac, and Yacob.: "... in spite of all that, I will not reject them when they are in the lands of their enemies, nor will I loathe them to the point of utterly destroying them and thus break My covenant with them, because I am YHWH their God. Rather, for their sakes, I will remember the covenant of their ancestors whom I brought out of the land of Egypt - with the nations watching - so that I might be their God; I am YHWH." (Lev.26:44-45; emphasis added). 

Avram guarding his sacrifice. (Gen.15)
by James Tissot

The covenant with Avraham was unconditional. No "if ... then" aspects. In fact, Avram was asleep when God 'cut the covenant' (Gen.15:7 ff). Many other promises involve ownership of the land, and its heirs. Regardless of anything else, YHWH assured the Children of Israel that He will keep His covenant that He made with Avraham, and that continued through Yitzak and Yacov. Paul dealt with the same question in Romans 11 - a chapter well worth reading, and studying|!

Of course, if the Creator God has chosen a people to be His ambassadors and, ultimately, to bring forth the salvation of mankind, then we may be certain that the enemy of our souls is working overtime to make God appear to be a liar, and to make His people appear to be racists who want to conquer mankind, and rule the world. As we watch the demonising of the modern State of Israel (which is not synonymous with the Children of Israel!), and the open claims of a desire to annihilate the Jewish people, by the modern media, Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, the 'Palestinian' Authority, and organisations such as the United Nations, we need to realise that, whether or not they realise it, they are but pawns in the hand of the satan - the adversary.

If people would but open their hearts wide enough to see that YHWH, El Shaddai, used Israel to bring monotheism to the world, along with an enduring system of ethics and morals that influences many cultures worldwide, the sooner they would understand what a great debt of gratitude they owe the Jewish people. The world has clearly been impacted through God's choosing of Israel, and continues to do so through Yeshua, and the promise - the unconditional promise! - to bless those who bless His Chosen People. (Gen.12:3).

Well, that's all for now. Next month, D.V., we'll look at another character from the Tanakh. I wonder if you can guess who it might be?!

A word from heaven!

In my personal devotions, I am currently reading in the Old Testament book of Ezra. This morning I read the fifth chapter and, in the opening verses, read these words: "Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechari′ah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel Who was over them. Then Zerub′babel the son of She-al′ti-el and Jeshua the son of Jo′zadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them." (Ezra 5:1-2).

It was those simple words: "... in the name of the God of Israel Who was over them." that jumped out at me. To give a brief background note Cyrus, the founder of the Persian Empire, had conquered the Babylonians and, in fulfilment of the 200-year-old prophecy of Isaiah, he released the Jews who had been taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar; instructed them to rebuild the Temple that Nebuchadnezzar had had destroyed; and even returned the Temple vessels that had also been taken to Babylon. [On a side note, it is interesting that Persia is the country that, since the overthrow of the Shah (ruler) in 1979, and the installation of the Islamic Ayatollah Khomeini, has been known as the Islamic Republic of Iran - Israel's sworn enemy! One wonders how many Iranian Muslims are aware that it was the founder of their nation who ordered that the Temple in Jerusalem be rebuilt, and even gave a grant towards the cost of doing so!] However, any attempt to build and establish something for God will soon attract the attention of the enemy, and it didn't take long for a group of Gentiles to commence a campaign of harassment and opposition that, eventually, led to the abandonment of the work. A new king has ascended the Persian throne, and the opposition took this opportunity to write to him, in the most fawning of terminology, requesting that he demand that this work be terminated. This he did!

Some sixteen years later, the Lord sent two prophets - Haggai and Zechariah - to call the people to renewed commitment and faith. They quickly roused the Jews into action, inspiring their flagging spirits, and reinforcing them with renewed strength and dedication. That is what I was reading earlier. In spite of the fact that an official veto on the work remained in force, they recommence the building project, realising that, although an earthly king has forbidden them to do so, the heavenly King has now spoken - they have heard a word from heaven!

Mike Spence, the Vice-President of the United States of America at this time, was recently criticised, and mocked, for claiming that the Lord speaks to him. Yet is not this what the Church today needs more than anything else? All of our fancy planning, and courses, are as nothing if we are not hearing from the Lord. The sounding forth of the true prophetic voice is, surely, one of the greatest needs of the hour. These words, written almost forty years ago, are increasingly relevant: "For too long we have listened solely to the voices of the politicians, the statesmen, the scientists, and others who shape and mould today's society. We need now, more than anything to hear again a word form heaven. We need to hear the voice of God."

Of course, if the Lord is to speak, we must take the time to listen. Yet how many, who would claim to be disciples of the Lord Jesus, spend little or no time reading the Word, and in prayer? One day, each one of us will stand before the judgement throne of Almighty God. Those of us who are "in Christ" and who are indwelt by God the Holy Spirit, are already acquitted at that throne. However, we then have to face the judgement seat of the Lord Jesus, and answer to Him for what we have done with our lives since we yielded them to Him. That's a sobering thought!

The old song has the refrain "By and by, when I look on His face; I'll wish I had given Him more." May we give Him more, now. It will be for our good, and to His glory. Listen for that word from heaven. It could be directed towards you"

Prayer works!

On one of my study wall, above a large map of the world, is a wooden plaque that I have had for so long I am unable to recall its origin! It has just three words burned on to it: "Prayer changes things"!

The news of the past few days would certainly give credence to that claim. As some are aware, I have a long-standing interest in the persecuted church, and pray on a daily basis for my brothers and sisters in Jesus who suffer for their faith in ways that I am unable to fully comprehend. One of two specific individuals for whom I have been praying, is 39-year-old Maryam Naghash Zargaran who, in spite of various physical health issues, has spent the last four years in prison in Iran. There were occasions when she was permitted to be taken to hospital - albeit, chained to her bed - but she was then brought back to prison even although doctors insisted that she was not fit for continued incarceration. I, along with many others, was thrilled to learn that Maryam was released from prison on August 1st. 

The second person is a South Korean pastor in his sixties, Hyeon Soo Lim, who holds Canadian citizenship. Although he had visited North Korea on more than one hundred occasions, to do humanitarian work, in 2015 he was arrested, tried, and sentenced to hard labour for life. As anyone with any knowledge of North Korea will be aware, hard labour in the hermit country is no "open prison" life - even for a much younger man. My prayer, for some time, has been that this dear brother would be released, and permitted to return to his family in Canada - in spite of the life sentence. That, I was fully aware, was asking for a miracle. You may imagine my delight to learn that, on August 9th, Pastor Lim had been released and was on his way back to Canada.

Two wonderful "answers to prayer". However, what about others who remain in prison - someone like Asia in Pakistan, arrested and incarcerated in 2009 for the heinous crime of having offered a co-worker in a field a cup of water. The problem was that Asia is a disciple of Jesus; her co-workers were all Muslims. They claimed that her act was insulting to Islam, and she was tried, and found guilty, of "blasphemy"! She continues to await a date - that would be kept - for her final appeal to the Pakistan Supreme Court. I pray for Asia on a daily basis - why has that prayer not been "answered"?

The difficulty, it seems to me, is that so many only consider a prayer to have been "answered" if they get what they want! This, of course, is just silly. When my daughters were young - and even now, as adults in their own right - they did not always have their request fulfilled. However, they always received an answer! Sometimes that answer was, indeed, positive, and the request was granted. However, there were times when they were told that they would have to wait until they were older; and times when they were told, quite plainly, "No!". Always, however, as a loving father, I answered their requests.

Prayer, I would contend, is (as far as requests are concerned - of course, true prayer is NOT a "shopping-list" to be presented to Almighty God!) like that. Sometimes, in His infinite wisdom, God denies me that for which I have asked. His answer is "No!". That means that, whatever I in my human frailty and ignorance, may think, this is not good for me. On other occasions, the answer is "Wait!". I am asking for the correct thing - but my timing is wrong. Praise God for those times when I am walking closely enough to Him that I am in tune with His will, and His timing, and the answer is "Yes!". However, there is no such thing as "unanswered" prayer!

I recall the story - which I believe to be true - of an Episcopal Bishop in, if memory serves me well, Dublin, in the 18th century. A sceptic challenged him about prayer. "What you consider an answer to prayer is just coincidence", he claimed. The bishop was a much wiser man than I am. Instead of entering into a debate on the subject (as I would undoubtedly have done!), he merely responded: "You may be right. All that I know is that when I pray, the coincidences happen; and when I don't, neither do they. So I'll just keep on praying, and thanking God for His coincidences"!

If you are a praying person, who believes in the power of prayer, then be encouraged that no prayer reaches the Heavenly Father that is not answered in accordance with His perfect will, knowledge, and purpose. Do pray for those in the persecuted church. When some of them are interviewed by "westerners" that is their constant request - not that their suffering should cease (they may not have a Bible, or even be fully literate, but they will know the words of James: "Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." [1:2-3]) but that we should remember them in prayer. 

Remember, too, those other words of James that: "The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects." (5:16). You and I have no righteousness of our own - but if we are truly "in Christ Jesus", then we are clothed with His righteousness - and that assures that we are accepted by the Father, and our prayers will rise to Him as incense.

Let us pray!

Apartheid Israel!

It was a Facebook post by a friend of one of my former pupils, who had been on my own "Friends" list for a number of years.  It was, basically, a 'tongue-in-cheek' comment on the late Fidel Castro, using a reported quote from this former President of Cuba.

However, some of the following comments that appeared to be praising this "great humanitarian" led me to give some of "the other side" of the story!  This, in turn, led to the former pupil informing me that I am a "pro-Zionist" who supports the bombing of innocent civilians, including children, by apartheid Israel!

That probably wasn't a wise move on his part!  My response was as follows - in case any of my blog readers think as he does!  I typed:

If that is directed at me (I was absolutely certain that it had been - but one must be careful!), you need to do some serious research on the State of Israel - and not be hoodwinked by the pro-'palestinian' propaganda that is spouted by the MSM (main stream media, in case you are unfamiliar with the abbreviation).

Just to get you started - If Palestinians were to lay down their guns tomorrow, there would be no war. If Israel were to lay down its arms, there would be no Israel.  It would be so very helpful if the 'Palestinians' were to stop firing rockets at Israel; stop digging tunnels that are intended to enable their 'soldiers' to infiltrate Israel; and stop teaching their children to "kill the Jews" (that, of course, is not confined to 'Palestinian' authorities).

There is NO apartheid in Israel!  Have you ever been there? Have you seen, for yourself, this apartheid to which you refer? Do you know how many Arabs are Members of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament)? By the way, do you know how many Jews are involved in the political leadership of any Arab state?! (The answer to that question is easy - less than 1!!) Do you know how many Arabs are members of the IDF (the Israeli Defence Force)?  Do you know how many Arabs hold top positions in the Police, the Military, in Institutes of Higher Education (and as teachers in primary and secondary education - teaching Jewish children!), in Medical Institutions and Hospitals?

Do you know how many 'Palestinians' work in Israel - because the wages and conditions are better than anything they can obtain in 'Palestine'?  Do you know how many 'Palestinians' bring their children, and other relatives, to Israeli hospitals for treatment - free of charge? Can you provide a figure for these "innocent men, women, and children being bombed and daily harrasses or being evicted out of their homes"? Do you know how many rockets, bombs, sidearms, etc were found in 'Palestinian' hospitals and other public buildings? Are you aware of the 'Palestinian' strategy of firing their rockets, indiscriminately, at Israel - from areas of civilian population?  Do you really understand the definition of "apartheid"?  Indeed, do you know the meaning of "Zionist"?  You really should go beyond the Daily Record (a Scottish tabloid newspaper that caters for the less educated in Scottish society!) for your information about the world!

I then pointed out that, so far, 37 Arab Muslims (at least some of whom, and probably all of whom, are 'Palestinian' Arabs) have been arrested over the arson attacks that have destroyed hectares of forest in Israel.  I suggested, from another perspective, that he check out the Arab countries that do practice apartheid towards Jews!  For example, Jews are not even allowed to permanently reside in Saudi Arabia, Libya, or Jordan - and I suspect that any Jew would be refused entry to Iran!

If there ever was to be a "State of Palestine" (for the first time in the history of the world!), it has already been made clear that it would be "ethnically cleansed" of any Jews!

Well, I could have gone on - and could go on.  However, I do hope that anyone who has bought into this hype about Israel being a modern South Africa will begin to realise that nothing could be further from the truth.  There are no "Jews only" forms of transport. There are no "Jews only" beaches. There are no "Jews only" cafés or restaurants.  There are no "Jews only" washrooms.  Indeed, according to Kenneth Meshoe, a South African politician, any attempt to compare Palestinians’ experience in Israel with the former racist regime is offensive to individuals who suffered under the system of racial separation.  He said that, on a trip to Israel, "I deliberately looked for anything that looked like apartheid. I took a bus to the center of Jerusalem, but blacks, Jews, Arabs and everybody else all sat together. Swimming at the Dead Sea was mixed. I looked for the ‘black only’ beaches, but there were none. Arab school teachers stood in front of Jewish classes! That would never have happened under apartheid."

Apartheid Israel? - it simply doesn't exist!

Can you say it?!

Thank you; Merci; Vielen danks; Dank je wel; Obrigado; Gracias; Grazie.

Well, I don't quite qualify for the title of "Polyglot of the Year" - but I can express my gratitude in, now, seven languages.  It's a useful expression to know, wherever in the world one might be ('Please' is also helpful!).  I recall, a long time ago, hearing someone talk about developing "an attitude of gratitude".

The late Rev George B.Duncan would sometimes share an experience from his early days in pastoral ministry.  He had taken a group of boys to the beautiful Isle of Arran on the west coast of Scotland.  One evening on Goat Fell, he would recount, they were all seated around the camp-fire.  He suggested that, as the evening drew to a close, each one say, quite simply, "Thank you,Lord".  He always commented that it was one of his most moving experiences as, one by one, those young teenagers uttered the words.

A couple of years after my "retirement", I received a Facebook message from a former pupil who, I have to confess, I was perfectly happy to have forgotten!  He had been one of the most difficult pupils with whom I had ever had to deal.  However, I was impressed by what he had achieved in the ten years since I had last dealt with him.  We 'chatted' for a while and then he typed: "Any way, I'd better tell you the reason for me getting in touch".  He went on to explain that he knew that he had been an extremely difficult pupil (his actual wording was somewhat more colourful!) - and that he wanted to apologise!  I assured him that such an apology was totally unnecessary - but so very much appreciated!  

As a disciple of Jesus, I have particular reasons to be thankful.  I am thankful for my salvation - gained, for me, at the cost of the blood of Jesus.  I am grateful for the measure of health and strength that I continue to enjoy.  I am grateful for a loving wife and family.  I am grateful for every opportunity I am given to share the Word of God.  And I am grateful that, as the psalmist put it, "The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;" (Ps 16:6).  

My contact with what we refer to as "the persecuted church" merely heightens that gratitude.  I think of Asia Bibi, a young woman in Pakistan who has been in prison since 2009 for no other reason than having offered a cup of water to Muslim women in the field in which they all worked.  I think of Gao Zhisheng, a pastor in China who has suffered great privation and torture and who, although now released from prison, is still unable to leave China to be reunited with his wife and children in the USoA.  I think of Farshid Fathi, an Iranian pastor who has also, finally, been released from prison but who, to the best of my current knowledge, is unable to go to Canada to be reunited with his wife and children. 

Such stories could be multiplied a thousand times over - and another thousand times after that!  I haven't even mentioned those who, every passing day, are murdered because of their faithful allegiance to the Lord Jesus.  Yes, I can be so grateful that "The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;"

And what about you?!  Oh, your situation may be difficult; you may have problems that I do not understand; you may sometimes even feel as if you are alone in the world!  Permit me to add one further account.

  

In the book The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom tells of an experience in the WWII Prisoner of War (Extermination) camp at Ravensbruck, where Corrie managed to conceal a Bible and some vitamin drops for her sister, Betsie.  After having spent more than a week in the quarantine compound, she and Betsie were among those moved to permanent quarters, in Barracks 28.  They were directed to their “bunks” – straw-covered platforms.  Corrie records: “Suddenly I sat up, striking my head on the cross-slats above.  Something had pinched my leg.

‘Fleas!’ I cried.  ‘Betsie, the place is swarming with them!’

We scrambled across the intervening platforms, heads low to avoid another bump, dropped down to the aisle, and edged our way to a patch of light.

‘Here! And here another one!’ I wailed.  ‘Betsie, how can we live in such a place?!’

‘Show us.  Show us how.’  It was said so matter of factly it took me a second to realise she was praying.  More and more the distinction between prayer and the rest of life seemed to be vanishing for Betsie.

‘Corrie!’ she said excitedly.  ‘He’s given us the answer!  Before we asked, as He always does!  In the Bible this morning. Where was it?  Read that part again!’

I glanced down the long dim aisle to make sure no guard was in sight, then drew the Bible from its pouch.” (Hodder and Stoughton & CLC, 1971, pps.184-185). 

The passage to which Betsie referred was I Thessalonians 5:14ff.  Betsie was particularly interested in v.18 “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 

“‘That’s it, Corrie!  That’s His answer. ‘Give thanks in all circumstances!’  That’s what we can do.  We can start right now to thank God for every single thing about this new barracks!’”

And so Betsie started – thanking God that she and Corrie were still together; that there had not been an inspection on their arrival, and that they still had their Bible; for the many women who would be sharing the barracks with them who would have the opportunity to hear about the Lord Jesus.  Then she continued:

“‘Thank You, ‘Betsie went on serenely, ‘for the fleas and for – ’

The fleas! This was too much. ‘Betsie, there’s no way even God can make me grateful for a flea.’

‘Give thanks in all circumstances,’ she quoted.  ‘It doesn’t say, ‘in pleasant circumstances’.  Fleas are part of this place where God has put us.’

And so we stood between tiers of bunks and gave thanks for fleas.  But this time I was sure Betsie was wrong.” (op cit, p.185).

Later, the two sisters found themselves able to conduct worship services for the women in the barracks.  What surprised them was that no guard ever came near them.  Everywhere else, they were always present – but not in Barracks 28!  The guards didn’t want fleas!!

Why don't you give thanks, right now.  It doesn't matter which language you use - Father God understands them all!  If you haven't done so already, why don't you develop that "attitude of gratitude"?  It's not a 'magic pill' - but I truly believe that you will be better for it!

The point of tension!

Yesterday, my wife and I drove down, via Manchester, to Maidstone, Kent, where we spent the night with dear friends prior to crossing the Channel (La Manche!) in the very early hours of tomorrow (Saturday), leaving at 0030!.

As we drove down through Scotland, and northern England, I was struck by the number of wind turbines that were standing there, in the calm, almost totally still, weather conditions, with not even a hint of movement from their massive, propellor-like, vanes.  I have always thought of these monstrosities as a blot on so much of the landscape, but now they were showing themselves to be absolutely useless.  They were not generating a single watt of electricity.  They were merely taking up space!

Of course, I am aware that, as the wind strength increases, then the vanes begin to turn, increasingly quickly (although, if the wind is too strong, then the turbines must be turned off, lest the vanes spin off and cause much damage!) and that they would, then, be generating power at a substantial rate.  However, with no force coming against them, they just stood there - achieving nothing!

I suddenly found myself thinking of so many "church members"in the affluent western church.  Looking important, as they make their way to their particular meeting-place each Sunday (or less often!), they are achieving nothing!  Their idea of the Christian faith is built upon social requirements, rather than upon a living relationship with the Creator, through the Son, in the strength of the Spirit.

Then I thought of those in what we refer to, simply, as "the persecuted church".  They know what it is to face up to challenge, to hardship, to adversity.  They have experienced, and continue to experience, the harsh wind of secular humanism blowing hard against them.  And the result?  They grow!  It is in such difficult circumstances that their trust in the Lord Jesus is purified - as gold in the refiner's furnace.

The last thing that I want, for myself or for those who are nearest and dearest to me, is the same kind of physical persecution that is suffered by my brothers and sisters, in Christ Jesus, in North Korea; in northern Nigeria; in Iraq; in Iran; in a total of more than fifty countries around the world.  However, such persecution could well come!  If it does, I predict two things - (a) there will be droves of people who will leave the church (whatever the denomination) as quickly as they possibly can.  They will be those who like to look good, and who are content to stand up in the calm, but who have no personal relationship with the Lord, and no true allegiance to Him; (b) the church will grow!  This is the experience in countries in which disciples of Jesus are persecuted.  As someone has said: "A faith worth dying for is a faith worth living"!

A minister with whom I worked, a long time ago, had a background in engineering.  He was constantly reminding me that "the point of tension is the point of growth."  I have never been absolutely sure what that means in engineering terms, but I do know that is has been shown to be true in terms of church growth.   If, and when, real persecution comes to "the west", I trust that those who follow this blog (and its writer!) will be found among those who are, if necessary, "faithful unto death". (Rev.2:10).

Is the EU anti-Semitic?

Rabbi Ari Enkin, rabbinic director at United with Israel (UWI), received anti-Israel hate [e]mail on Sunday from an employee at the European Commission, which, according to its website, “is the EU’s [European Union’s] executive body and represents the interests of Europe as a whole.”

Rabbi Enkin, on behalf of UWI, sends out regular emails with newsletters to subscribers only. UWI does not send unsolicited email. The crude hate mail from the EU employee, which contained foul language, was sent to Rabbi Enkin’s personal email address in response to a UWI newsletter.

Signed by Mattia Zilli, project officer, European Commission, Research Executive Agency, the email said, “STOP f…ing writing me about your Zionist bulls..t.”
(The foul language was spelled out in full in the original email.)

Surprised that an EU employee would openly display such vitriol against the State of Israel, UWI emailed Dennis Abbott, press spokesperson for the Marie Curie Actions Programme, apprising him of the situation and asking whether any action would be taken, to which he simply responded, with no salutation: “I’ve asked Mattia to reply to you. Best, Dennis.”

UWI received no further correspondence from Zilli. After investigating further, the organisation noted that Zilli had subscribed to the UWI newsletter back in 2011, and in 2012 he signed a UWI petition against Iran’s nuclear program. Although it is possible that another individual had signed up with Zilli’s name and email address, Zilli had ample time to unsubscribe in a civilised fashion.

The question that one would ask is this: If such an e-mail had been sent to an Islamic Imam, rather than a Jewish Rabbi,what would the result have been?  I suspect that it would have been much stronger than some e-mail correspondence, and the expectation (as far as I can make out, unfulfilled) of an apology!  There would, more likely, have been riots, and the burning of effigies and EU flags.

I am one of those who, if given the opportunity, will vote in favour of the UK leaving the discredited EU.  There are many reasons for doing so (including some 52 million each day!), and they have just been added to!

Jewish & Arab Patients Save Each Other’s Lives

All too regularly, I read in a newspaper, or hear on a news programme, that the real problem in the Middle East is not the civil war in Syria; or the belligerence of Iran; or the tragic lack of human rights in Saudi-Arabia - but Israel!  Rarely do I come across a western-media report that does anything but cast Israel as the villain in the piece.  I do wish that the mainstream media would pick up on stories like this one!

Two patients at the Rambam Medical Centre in Haifa, one Arab and one Jewish, both in need of kidney transplants, received the life saving donations they needed from each others families.  Each patient, one Arab and the other Jewish, managed to save the other's life by having one of their relatives donate their kidney to help the other patient survive! 32-year-old Mohammad Eckert’s wife, Rasha, aged 30, donated her kidney to 57-year-old David Ben-Yair, while David’s son Shmuel, aged 34, gave his kidney to Mohammed. The rare procedure was performed at Rambam Hospital’s Medical Transplantation Unit by Dr. Rawi Ramadan, an Arab physician who is the director of Rambam’s Transplantation Unit. Two men, who didn’t know each other prior to this, are now connected to one another through a bond of gratitude.

The procedure which was performed, known as a crossover transplantation, is not common in Israel and is performed whenever there is no match between a patient and his family members. “We test every patient that has a living donor in order to evaluate if such a transplant can be done within the family,” Dr. Ramadan told the Jewish Press. “But sometimes one of the patients has a blood type or antibodies that don’t match with the other family member. In this particular case, the Jewish father had antibodies in his blood that weren’t an exact match with his son.”  He continued, “With today’s medical technologies, we could have actually performed the transplant within the same family but we would have had to give them a lot of pre-operative medications, which come with both short-term and long-term side effects. Thus, it was better to do the exchange between the Jewish and Arab families, as both patients received the same quality of kidney and we were able to treat them with a minimal amount of anti-rejection medications.” Dr. Ramadan said that when the idea for crossover transplantation was discussed, the four Haifa residents didn’t hesitate: “To them, it didn’t matter who donated to whom. As far as they are concerned, they donated a kidney to a family member, and their donation saved a life.”

STORIES OF JEWS AND ARABS SAVING EACH OTHER
There are many cases of Jewish people and Arab people saving each others lives. An Arab paramedic saved the life of a three-year-old Jewish child who had been injured by a Palestinian rock thrower, while an Israeli couple donated a kidney from their son to save the life of a Palestinian boy. As a matter of policy, Israel has routinely put the conflict aside, in order to save Palestinian lives, as demonstrated by Rambam Hospital saving the life of a two-year-old Palestinian child, and Tel Hashomer Hospital saving the life of a disabled Palestinian child who had been abandoned by his family.

ARAB DOCTORS CONTRIBUTE TO THE ISRAELI MEDICAL PROFESSION
Dr. Rawi Ramadan is also not the only Arab to thrive in the medical profession in Israel. The head of emergency medicine at Hadassah Hospital, Dr. Aziz Darawshe, is also Arab, as is Dr. Rifat Safedi, who is the head of the Liver Unit at Hadassah Hospital and has uncovered the gene linked to liver disease.

Freedom, and democracy.

It is reported that the Scottish Government is likely to make a final decision with regard to the redefinition of marriage on July 10th.  Official figures indicate that some 70,000 responses to the consultation were received (as against 21,000 on the issue of Scottish independence!) with those in favour of retaining marriage in its traditional form outnumbering those who wish to have the relationship (which is much more than a word!) redefined, by approximately 2:1.

We will have to wait to see what the Scottish Government does, but one would hope that they will act in a truly democratic manner and accept the clearly stated will of the people.  This is, after all, part of what freedom is about.

Of course, as The Gaither Vocal Band remind us in this clip, there is an even greater freedom that is available - even to those who may be incarcerated because of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  I think of those in North Korea; in Pakistan; in China; in Eritrea; in Burma; in Iran; and in many other countries around the world.  To them, I would dedicate this song.