The Flesh of a Little Child

One of the most interesting stories in the First (Old) Testament is that of a man named Naaman, about whom we read in II Kings 5. He was, we read, the "commander of the army of the king of Syria, [and he] was a great man with his master and in high favour, because by him YHWH had given victory to Syria." (v.1) Just a side-note that didn't come to mind until I had copied those words! The inspired writer attributes the successes of this Gentile (i.e. not of the Children of Israel) to YHWH, the God of Israel. With the presidential election day this week, I wonder if the candidate for whom I personally would be voting - Donald J Trump - is an unbeliever whom the Lord will use for His own purposes! He is the Lord of all of mankind, even if not all fully acknowledge Him as such! Actually, either candidate will be the Lord's choice - to bless the USA, or to bring judgement upon that great country!

Anyway, this familiar story of Naaman, the Syrian, was cited by the Lord Jesus himself as an example of the concern of Almighty God for all nations. "And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." (Lk.4:27). It is also, we may conclude, a striking picture of salvation!

As we have noted, Naaman was a great and highly-acclaimed military commander. However, at the end of the verse at which we looked at the beginning of this post, we learn something else about him: "... but he was a leper." Yes, this "mighty man of valour"  was also stricken with an incurable, and loathsome, disease - the disease of leprosy. Similarly, any natural man, or woman, no matter how powerful, is afflicted with the lethal disease of sin. 

Then we may note that, before this important, and proud, official could be cured of his leprosy, he had to humble himself in several ways. First, he had to accept the advice of a slave girl from an enemy nation: "Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little maid from the land of Israel, and she waited on Naaman’s wife.  She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” (vs.2-3). 

Then Naaman had to journey to that nation and its prophet, whose God his own nation had repudiated: "So Na′aman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the maiden from the land of Israel.”  And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” (v.4).

Finally, he had to travel still farther at the word of the prophet (who would not even come out to meet him); and, finally, immerse himself seven times in the despised river Jordan. Though he resented being so humiliated, his condition was hopeless otherwise, so he finally did all these things, and God marvelously healed him! "So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman was angry, and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of YHWH his God, and wave his hand over the place, and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.  But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, if the prophet had commanded you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much rather, then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean." (vs.9-14)

 

Naaman's leprous flesh became, again, as the flesh of a little child. But first he had to manifest the obedient faith of a little child. The same principle is true for every lost sinner. 

"Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will exalt you." (James 4:10). Jesus said, "... unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3-4).

Innocent Israelis are under attack!

Many will be aware that this year has seen the 50th anniversary of the "Six Days' War" in which the State of Israel - some would say miraculously - defeated the combined forces of the surrounding nations of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. After just six days, Israel had taken possession of the Gaza Srip, the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank (of the Jordan), East Jerusalem ( making the city united, and under Jewish control for the first time since 70AD), and the Golan Heights. It was one of the most amazing military successes of modern times.

However, it has not all been plain sailing for the Children of Israel over the past fifty years. They have been subjected to continuing terrorist attacks on a daily basis - from rocket attacks to so-called 'lone wolf' attacks. There has also been the constant political terrorism of, e.g., the United Nations and its subsidiary bodies as they have sought to re-write history and claim that the land of Israel really belongs to the so-called "Palestinians". Of course, as any student of history is aware, there has never been a "Palestinian" nation. Those who go by that name are, largely, Jordanians - and all are Arabs. The name of "Palestine" was given to the area as a deliberate insult to the Jews as it is derived from the name of their ancient antagonists, the Philistines (Goliath being, probably, the best-known!). In the 2nd century CE, the Romans crushed the revolt of Shimon Bar Kokhba (132 CE), during which Jerusalem and Judea were regained and the area of Judea was renamed Palaestina in an attempt to minimize Jewish identification with the land of Israel. Originally, of course, the area was known as Canaan. I should add that the appointment of Nikki Haley as the US Ambassador to the UN has seen a new support for Israel that was clearly absent during the tenure of Obama as President of the USoA! She is an intelligent, and highly articulate, woman who has been standing up for Israel since her appointment.

The MSM (Main-stream media) have also played their part in the constant attack upon Israel by either failing to report the atrocities that continue to be perpetrated against them on a daily basis or, perhaps worse, by making the perpetrators out to be the victims! 

In my own small way, I wish to redress the balance, and give the following brief reports of atrocities committed over the last week. Most of these have not been, and will not be, reported by the MSM.

On Friday night, Israelis suffered another shocking, horrific terror attack in which three family members were slaughtered at the Sabbath table in their home.

This follows the brutal Temple Mount attack which killed 2 Israeli policemen. Yesterday, rockets were being fired into Israel from Gaza. And just today, another stabbing in central Israel.

The Temple Mount war is still raging with violent riots in Jerusalem, as Muslims object to metal detectors installed to prevent more attacks. Although knife attacks, shootings and car-rammings have tragically become common in Jerusalem, attacks in the Temple Mount area are very rare.

Since the onset of the most recent wave of terror, there have been over 1000 terror attacks against Israelis although, as already stated, most don't make the news.

Every single Israeli man, woman and child is a target for a brutal stabbing, shooting or car-ramming attack.

So-called "Palestinian" incitement to terror - including that by senior members of the "Palestinian Liberation (!!) Organisation" has reached new heights, fueled by the outrageous, deadly use of social media.

Terror and fear are rampant throughout Israel as "Palestinian" terrorists dramatically increase their brutal attacks upon the citizens of Israel.

As a disciple of Jesus, I support the Jewish nation, remembering that Jesus was born - in His incarnation - into a Jewish family; was raised as a Jewish boy; was recognised by many as a Jewish Rabbi (teacher); and, at His death, was proclaimed to be "King of the Jews". I do not, necessarily, support every decision of the government of the modern State of Israel, but I do support the people who live there.

If you stand with me in this, please ensure that you keep yourself apprised of what is really happening, and helping to publicise the truth that, alone, will counteract the false propaganda of those who are opposed to Israel.

Yom Yerushalayim

As people continue to come to terms with the atrocity in Manchester on Monday evening, we remember that mourning the dead, and being concerned for the injured, does not mean that we have to forget the rest of life. One nation that has experienced what may well be said to be more than its fair share of violence, terrorism, mayhem, and murder, is the tiny State of Israel. However, regardless of what else is happening - within its own borders, or anywhere else - Israelis are about to commence the celebration of Yom Yerushalayim - Jerusalem Day.

So why is this day so important? What is its significance? It is simply the celebration of a very special day in the history of the modern State of Israel. It was fifty years ago tomorrow that the city of Jerusalem was, during the Six Days' War, united for the first time in some 2,000 years.

Nineteen years earlier, the Declaration of the Independence of the new State of Israel was responded to, by the surrounding Arab nations. The invading armies failed to destroy the fledgling State, but Jerusalem, the Holy City, the city that was (and is) central to the identity of the Jewish people, was divided, and control of the Old City and East Jerusalem where the First and Second Temples once stood, was handed over to Jordan - with residents of the Old City being either murdered or expelled. Many of the ancient Synagogues were destroyed; Jews were forbidden to pray at the Western Wall; and Jewish cemeteries were desecrated

However, after 1967's Six Day War, Jerusalem was transferred to Jewish sovereignty for the first time in 2,000 years! The days before the war were a time of intense Arab hostility, with Syria, Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) threatening to completely destroy Israel.  

While Syria, Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq amassed troops to attack Israel, Israel launched a pre-emptive strike and miraculously defeated the enemy in just six days. Once again, the Jewish People could freely live in Israel's capital, the city in which God chose to dwell.

The prophetic Word was fulfilled: "You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance - the place, YHWH, You made for Your dwelling, the sanctuary, O YHWH, Your hands established."  (Exodus 15:17). "Thus says YHWH: 'Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob, and have compassion on his dwellings; the city shall be rebuilt upon its mound, and the palace shall stand where it used to be.'" (Jer.30:18).

Jerusalem is, of course, central to the prophecies of the end-times! The Bible says that in the last days, the nations will come against Jerusalem (see Zechariah 12:3; Ezekiel 38–39). Indeed, the stage seems to be set for this very thing to happen, as much of the world community would like to re-divide Jerusalem, giving the part that Jordan briefly controlled to the so-called "Palestinians".

As this 50th anniversary of the reunification of the city is celebrated, let all of us who love the Jewish nation, be faithful, and fervent, in praying for the peace of the city (Ps.122:6). And let those of us who are disciples of Yeshua, accepting Him as HaMashiach, remember that it is to Zion that He will return: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns.'

8 

Hark, your watchmen lift up their voice, together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of YHWH to Zion. 

Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem; for YHWH has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem." (Is.52:7-9).

L'chaim Yisrael!

Concert carnage.

It is rare for me to comment in the immediate aftermath of an incident, but I am making this post one of those exceptions.

The latest reports that I have read have stated that 22 people - including children - died as a result of the "suicide bombing" at the end of a concert in Manchester. Accounts of the injuries sustained by many more would suggest that that number may well rise in the next few days.

How does one react to such an atrocity - apparently planned over a number of weeks? One can bring pious platitudes - but they seldom have any positive effect. One may rant and rave - but anger seldom has any positive effect either. One may turn away, simply relieved that one was not personally involved - but that, to me, would be a display of callousness.

It would appear, from reports, that the first problem was inadequate security precautions at the venue. many have complained - sadly, too late - that they were not properly searched; that bags were not even checked. This is, most assuredly, a major factor in such a situation. These large venues need to ensure that their patrons are as safe as is humanly possible - especially when groups such as Daesh (aka ISIS) have made no secret of their intention to inflict mayhem in "western" countries.

Of course, the situation is made easier for the terrorists when we permit a claimed 3,900 who were involved in the conflict in Syria, to return to the UK with no more than "a watchful eye" being kept on them! With numbers like that, it is no surprise that many "slip through the net"!

Another problem is that of the so-called "moderate Muslim". It is reported that "The Muslim Council of Britain said the Manchester attack was “horrific” and “criminal”. Secretary general Harun Khan said: “May the perpetrators face the full weight of justice both in this life and the next." However, what many decide to ignore is that the terrorists are the true Muslims! Since its founding by the false, paedophile "prophet", Muhammad, the aim of Islam has been the world-wide Caliphate - the whole world under the control of Islam, and under the restrictions of shariah (Islamic Law), by military force where that is deemed to be necessary. So how do the so-called "moderate" Muslims fit in with this, in the light of their pious-sounding comments? They are simply following the example of their founder. It is called "taqiyya" and is the deliberate deception of the infidels (that's all of us who do not profess to be Muslims) in order to further the expansion of Islam and the attainment of that final goal - that world-wide Caliphate.

How then should we infidels - and especially Jews and Biblical Christians - react? We should certainly not shun any Muslims we know. Rather, we should seek to win them over from what is, I firmly believe, a satanic cult. That is not easy - yet there are reports, from many parts of the world, of hundreds, even thousands, of Muslims turning to the Lord Jesus for salvation. We who believe in the power of prayer must engage in that particular activity, faithfully and fervently. However, we must also remember the words of Jesus that His followers be "wise as serpents [whilst being ] harmless as doves." (Mt.10:16). The first is every bit as important as the second.

The government, also, has a major part to play. One of the first responsibilities of any government is the safety and welfare of the people it governs. Under the Terrorism Act 2000, the police have extensive powers. Using these powers, people can be detained for up to nine hours, with DNA samples and fingerprints taken, without the need for any reasonable suspicion. If it is considered to be necessary, police may also detain and search an individual, with the aim of determining whether, or not, that person appears to be someone who is or has been concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

However, the latest quarterly Home Office report on the use of police powers under the Terrorism Act, which was released in March, shows that there has been a decrease in the use of these powers. This, it has been claimed, is due to pressure from groups like Stop Watch, which argues that they infringe the human rights of Muslims and other communities.

It is my personal opinion, that enough has been done to pander to the alleged "rights" of, particularly, the Muslim community. Those 22 young people and children who were so callously murdered last night, surely had some right to life! However, that right was over-ridden by one man's desire to kill and maim in the name of Islam!

I pray for those who have been bereaved; I pray for those who have been injured; I pray for those who have been traumatised; I pray for the members of the Emergency Services who responded so quickly and so competently. I pray, too, for the perpetrators of all such deeds, in the UK, in France, in other parts of the world; that they may yet be saved by the only blood that was ever shed that has a lasting, and positive, affect - the blood of Jesus the Christ, on the cross at Calvary. In Him, and in Him alone, is found salvation, and the forgiveness of sin. And one doesn't have to be an Islamic terrorist to need all of that!

Every picture tells a story!

Every picture tells a story - but is every story told by a picture honest and dependable?

A few days ago, a photograph appeared on most, if not all, of the MSM. It was the body of a small child, named as Aylan Kurdi, lying on a beach at the edge of the water. The child was, we were informed, drowned - the tragic result of a rubber dinghy, full of refugees, having 'flipped over' in the sea. The apparently distraught father claimed that his wife and other son had also drowned. They were, he claimed, escaping from the war in Syria. The picture was likened to that of the young girl, running naked along a road in Vietnam, having been (if I recall correctly), the victim of a napalm bombing. That picture has often been credited with having brought about the end of the involvement of the USoA in Vietnam.

I was one of those who was criticised, by dear fellow-disciples of Jesus, for not responding with the demand that the UK take in more refugees.  I was, effectively, accused of lacking compassion.  It appeared that I am a poor advert for Jesus.  My basic response was that compassion sometimes needs to be tempered with discernment.

Later reports would seem to suggest that I was correct!   People have looked again at the picture - and come to the reasonable conclusion that it was all carefully staged (not that I am suggesting that the Vietnamese picture was likewise!).  It has been pointed out that, if that little body had been washed ashore by the waves, it would not have been lying as it is in the picture - almost as if the child had lain down for a sleep.   The father's own story has been found to be filled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies.   The latest claim, from a survivor of the capsizing, is that he was actually the 'captain' of the ill-fated little vessel.   It has also been noted that he was able to return to Syria in order to bury the bodies of his family - returning to the very 'war zone' from which he claimed to have fled!  

His own sister claimed, on Canadian television, that he had been in Turkey (it would appear that he had been there for about three years!) and that she had been paying the rent for the family's apartment.   It was she, also, who stated that his desire to get to Europe was motivated by his need for false teeth!   An anonymous blogger has apparently stated that Mr Kurdi had his teeth pulled out when being tortured by the Assad régime in his home country.  It could be asked why he didn't make this 'fact' known, himself, when he first came to the attention of the world's media.

Much more has apparently been unearthed, and it seems to me that there are more questions than answers in this sorry saga.  Of course the death of any child - or any adult - is sad.  Of course one has compassion for those who are genuinely fleeing persecution and violence.  However, there are sound reasons for believing that the majority of those who are currently seeking to enter a number of European countries are not fleeing adverse situations and circumstances, but merely seeking to benefit from what they see as some kind of 'El Dorado'!

I am not one to be taken in by every conspiracy theory - even those put about after the tragic event of fourteen years ago.  However, in addition to the above, the alleged comment by an official of the Saudi Arabian government, that his country (and other Arab, Muslim, countries) do not take in Muslim refugees because they want Europe to be filled with Muslims, is really quite believable!  The dream of many Muslims is the realisation of the world-wide Islamic Caliphate, and they will do all in their power, including lying and deceit, to achieve it.

Praise God, therefore, that He is the One Who is ultimately in control!   His Kingdom is within His people and will, many of us believe, be consummated soon.   Then will come to pass the vision granted to John: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her Husband; and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them; He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.'   And He Who sat upon the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.'" (Rev 21:1-5).  Hallelujah!

The first casualty.

"In war, truth is the first casualty", is a well-known saying - attributed to a number of people, with the earliest record apparently being from a Greek tragic dramatist named Aeschylus (525-546 BC).  However, regardless of its author, the concept described is demonstratively true!

The modern State of Israel is fighting battles on a number of fronts - not least of which is the media machine. Thankfully, there are those with eyes that are sharp enough to point out the deceit that is being practised. The picture above is just one example. The child on the left is a victim of the ongoing civil war in Syria, from two years ago. The child on the right is quite obviously - even to the untrained eye - the same little girl but, this time portrayed as a victim of Israeli 'aggression' against Palestinians.

One wonder just how long it will be until pictures of victims of the Holocaust will be portrayed as victims of Israeli rockets!

Let us remember that, even a cease-fire recently offered by Israel, was breached by the terrorist organisation, Hamas, with 47 rockets being fired, indiscriminately, at Israeli targets, within a couple of hours!

When will the media begin to understand that they are the unwitting (but gullible?!) tools of Hamas, and start reporting "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth"?

The first casualty!

It was, as far as records can show, Aeschylus, a Greek tragic dramatist (c. 525-456 B.C.) who first used the words: "In war, truth is the first casualty".  Certainly, propaganda (the art of persuasion - persuading others that your 'side of the story' is correct) can be as effective a weapon as any other - a fact well used by, for example, Joseph Goebbels, Minister of Propaganda and National Enlightenment in Hitler's Nazi Germany.

Donatella Rovera, an Amnesty International field investigator, wrote an interesting article about the challenges of fact finding in war situations.  One of her main points is that eyewitnesses are often unreliable. For example:

In Gaza, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, and other places I interviewed civilians who described what they thought were artillery or bomb strikes being launched by far away government forces and striking near their homes – whereas in reality the loud bangs and tremors were caused by mortars or rockets being launched by opposition fighters from their positions nearby. For the untrained ear it is virtually impossible to distinguish between incoming and outgoing fire, and all the more so for those who find themselves close to the front lines.

She also states:

Even if they disregard it, investigators must be alert to the fact that disinformation and misinformation can contribute to shaping the perception of events, the narrative surrounding the events, and the behaviour of people who take it in good faith and internalize it, including victims, witnesses, and others potential sources.

Here, Ms Rovera is referring to lies that spread quickly, and then become widely believed – including by “unbiased” NGOs (non-governmental organisations) – before anyone has a chance to investigate.  She gives a specific example from Gaza:

Fear can lead victims and witnesses to withhold evidence or give deliberately erroneous accounts of incidents. In Gaza, I received partial or inaccurate information by relatives of civilians accidentally killed in accidental explosions or by rockets launched by Palestinian armed groups towards Israel that had malfunctioned and of civilians killed by Israeli strikes on nearby Palestinian armed groups’ positions. When confronted with other evidence obtained separately, some said they feared reprisals by the armed groups.

What this means is that “eyewitnesses” will often claim that there was no terrorist activity in the area of an airs-trike and Israel wantonly and indiscriminately killed people for no reason.  Regretfully, this version tends to be swallowed, hook, line, and sinker, and is then parroted by the UN and other NGOs. 

This is why we ought always to be careful about western media reports concerning the modern State of Israel, and its alleged illegal occupation of certain parts of the Holy Land.  I would not wish to be the one who maintained that Israel is totally blameless in every situation.  However, much of what we read and hear is nothing more or less than propaganda - propaganda against a people who are still "... the apple of His eye" (Zech.2:8)!

Who really is the villain?!

According to a report in The Telegraph newspaper, Amnesty International have accused Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar Assad of having committed war crimes by deliberately starving civilian inhabitants of a Palestinian refugee camp during the bloody three-year civil war.   The human rights group also accuses security forces of targeting doctors and medics while, at the same, it charges rebel groups of looting vital medical equipment in the sprawling Yarmouk camp, in the south-side of Damascus, the Syrian capital.

At the same time, BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) is an almost ten-years-old global campaign which uses economic and political pressure on Israel to comply with the stated goals of the movement: The end of Israeli 'occupation' and colonization of Arab land; full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel; and respect for the right of return of Palestinian refugees.

So, what is the connection?  The BDS movement came to the attention of many only recently when the actress, Scarlett Johansson broke ties with Oxfam because of “fundamental differences” between her and the NGO (non-governmental organisation) on the issue of Israel boycotts.  The full story is too long for a blog post, but the gist of it is that the actress supported SodaStream - whose factory is built on 'disputed' land; while Oxfam supports the aims of the BDS. 

Of course, the truth of the matter is that the Palestinian  employees of SodaStream have equal rights with the Israeli employees, and are better paid, and have better working conditions, than their fellow-Palestinians who work within Palestine.

It is also an incontrovertible fact that Israeli Defence Force soldiers are treating wounded Syrians, and provide emergency treatment to injured, and ill, Palestinians; and that Israeli hospitals are open to Palestinians who require some of the finest medical treatment in the world.

As one person has tweeted: "Syrians starve Palestinians but Israelis save Syrian and Palestinians lives. Who do we boycott?"

Where have all the flowers gone?

That old song from the 60s came to mind when I read one of my e-mails a few minutes ago.  However, I changed the words, ever so slightly, to "Where have all the Christians gone?"

The catalyst for that thought was this message from Open Doors - one of the organisations that supports persecuted Christians in many countries around the world.  You may find out more about them by following the link further down on this page.  The start of the message was:

"Tomorrow, thanks to the incredible 309,195 people who signed the Save Syria petition, the voice of Christians in Syria will be heard at the UN and in capital cities around the world.

We stand amazed and humbled. A wonderful 309,195 people in 99 countries around the world - including 74,002 from the UK & [the Republic of] Ireland - have signed the Save Syria petition. Each one has said that they want to stand alongside the church in Syria, ensuring that Christians there have a voice and are not forgotten.

Please join us in praising God for this wonderful response! Thank you so much to all of you who signed and encouraged friends, family, church and even people on the local high street to sign too!"

It was those numbers that hit me!   74,002 from the whole of the British Isles!  That is out of a total population of approximately 65 million!  Now, of course, that includes children, as well as people who would not sign anything unless their own life literally depended on it.  However, if we deduct even 50% that still leaves more than 32 million - which would mean that only one person in approximately 440 cared enough to add their name in support of those who are suffering so much in Syria, even as I type.  

I thought a little more.  If even less than a quarter of that 50% were Christian, we have a scenario in which, if my calculations are correct, only 1 in 100 (1%) of people who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ signed.  Let's be very generous, and assume that half of them didn't know about the petition (in which case I would encourage them to forget East Enders, Corrie, and the X Factor, and check up on what is happening in the world beyond their own living rooms!).  However, that would still mean that only 1 in 50 (2%) could be bothered.

So forgive me if I am not as "amazed and humbled" as are the good folk at Open Doors.  Personally, I feel rather ashamed that so few in the British Isles were willing to support Syria in a time of great need.  I won't even start on the rest of the world!

If you didn't sign, then I urge you to pray - with passion, with persistence, with pertinacity. 

Oh, and do look out for further opportunities to support those who suffer privations such as most of us can barely imagine.  You know that you should!

Our "brave new world"!

I have long considered rape to be the worst of all crimes against an individual - worse than even murder, because the victim has to then live with the memory, and the resultant psychological scarring, until she (or, in some cases, he) does die.

The past week saw a report of a group of young boys - 11 and 12 years old - 'gang-raping' an even younger girl.  Earlier in the year there was the horrific report from India of the young student who was targeted on a bus, while her male companion was beaten up.  There have been many reports of rape evn in Cairo's Tahrir Square during the frequent demonstrations held there in recent times.  And the list could go on, and on, and on. 

A Christian teenager in Syria was seized by Islamist rebels, was forcibly married and raped by 15 different men before being killed.
The tragic sufferings of Mariam (15), from al-Qusair, have only just come to light, but happened during the rebel occupation of the town, which was recaptured by the Syrian army at the beginning of June. 
Mariam was seized by militants linked to the al-Nusra Front (aka Jabhat al-Nusra), which has become one of the leading rebel groups fighting against President Bashar al-Assad. Her family managed to escape the town.

One of the Islamists “married” and raped the 15-year-old before ' repudiating' her. The following day, she was forced to marry another militant who also raped her and then 'repudiated' her. Mariam was repeatedly subjected to this terrifying ordeal by different men for 15 days, leaving her psychologically disturbed.  The militants eventually and, one might say, almost mercifully, killed the Christian teenager.

The rebels in Syria have been encouraged to rape non-Sunni women as part of their campaign. Earlier this year, sheikh Yasir al-Ajlawni issued a fatwa saying it was “legitimate” for Muslim fighters who are trying to put in place an Islamist government to “capture and have sex with” Alawites, the sect to which President Assad belongs, and other non-Sunni, non-Muslim women. 

It followed a similar edict by Saudi cleric Muhammad al-Arifi in which he told jihadi fighters that they had the right to have sexual intercourse with captured Syrian women.  Girls, and young women, from Christian families are particularly prone to such sexual abuse.  Indeed, thousands of Christians were forced to flee al-Qusair during its takeover by the rebels last year. They started to return after government troops recaptured the town, finding a scene of almost total devastation.

Church leaders have been gathering accounts from Christian families such as Mariam’s about their sufferings at rebel hands.  While it may well be true that the Syrian government is not as pure as light in the civil war that has had such a negative effect on the country, such abuse of the vulnerable has no part in any conflict.  Let those of us who believe in the power of prayer be faithful in upholding Syria - and womankind everywhere - before the throne of grace.

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.

Truth will out!

There are few days in which some reference is not made, in the British media, to the situation in the Middle East.  This does not simply mean reports from the ongoing civil war in Syria; or to the continuing unrest in Egypt; or to the latest visit to one of the Middle eastern countries by some 'high-flying' diplomat/politician.  It invariably means that those nasty Israelis are, yet again, bullying the poor Palestinians.  At least that is what much of the media would have us believe! 

At the centre of the situation is the city of Jerusalem.  It is claimed to be holy (i.e. separated from, and different to, anything else) by both Judaism and Islam.  However, the way in which it is treated by both gives the lie to one of those claims!  Here's a clue - the "Holy City" of Islam is Makkah (Mecca) in Saudi Arabia!

This video gives some interesting information - as does the "Show More" button, just under the screen if you go to the YouTube page to view.   The sound doesn't commence until about 1m20s into the video - so don't adjust your volume!



sh’alu shalom yerushalayim.   (Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.)  Ps.122:6

A Tale of Two (and more) Children

In yesterday's copy of the free newspaper, The Metro, was an article advising readers that the four-year-old daughter of "Hollywood superstars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie" has landed her first film role - with a pay-packet of £2,000 per week!  I suppose that it's yet another case of "It's not what you know, but who you know, that counts"!  Oh, and there is also a mere £40 per day for "expenses".  That buys a lot of sweeties, even in these days of austerity!

Perhaps it's just me, but I found it almost obscene that any child should be considered worthy of such a financial package.  However, what makes the situation worse, in my opinion, is the knowledge of what that amount of money could do for some of the thousands of children in Syria who, as I type, are facing freezing temperatures without winter clothing, or shelter, or food.  I imagine what £2,000 per week could do for some of the millions of children, worldwide, whose life chances will be permanently damaged by the impact of childhood hunger.  I wonder how many children from Niger, and Ethiopia, and Armenia; from Bangladesh, and Zambia, and Uganda; could be sponsored with £2,000 per week.

I was, however, heartened by a brief letter to the newspaper.  It referred to the reports that a number of "celebrities" have been encouraged to pay the bill for the Rehab Clinic being attended by former football (soccer) 'whizz-kid', Paul Gascoigne, in an attempt to deal with his alcoholism.  It read: "Celebs are paying for Gazza's rehab bill.  I wish they'd do the same for people in Malawi who don't even have clean water, let alone booze."  Well said, Elfontheshelf, Helensburg.  I couldn't agree more!

I suppose it all goes to show what a crazy, upside-down, world we live in, where one already pampered child is paid a ridiculous amount, while millions of others die from starvation and malnutrition; and where there is more concern over the self-inflicted condition of one man, than over the condition in which millions find themselves, through no fault of their own!

Watch this space!

As has often been pointed out, one of the wonderful things about the written Word of God - the Bible - is that however often one reads it, there is always something new to notice or discover.  This was, once more, my personal experience during my private devotions this morning.  One of the passages that I was reading was Joshua 1:1-9.  As I read those familiar words - words that I have read countless times before - I was suddenly struck by v.4.  "From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphra'tes, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory." (RSV)

In those words, YHWH is stating the boundaries of the land which He had promised to His chosen people to be their possession for ever!  The southern boundary was to be the Negev; the northern boundary was to be Lebanon; the western boundary was to be the Mediterranean Sea.  So far, so good.  However, it was that eastern boundary that had me reaching for my Bible Atlas.  Then I reached for a modern atlas.  I compared the two.  There could be no doubt about it.  The eastern boundary -  the River Euphrates - was a long way from the border of the modern State of Israel!  Indeed, if one were to draw those Biblical boundaries on to a modern map, then the land promised to the Children of Israel encompasses a large swathe of modern Syria, and a large swathe of modern Iraq!  This is an area that has not been possessed by the Israelites since the time of King Solomon - and I will have to do some further research to discover if, even during his reign, all of it was under Israel's control!

Of course, given the situation in both Syria and Iraq today, it is unthinkable that Israel, under such conditions, should ever control such a vast area!  However, it was unthinkable that the Berlin Wall would be torn down; it was unthinkable that Saddam Hussein would be toppled; it was unthinkable that Hosni Mubarak would be overthrown!

There is an old adage that reminds us that "Man proposes, but God disposes".  What that is saying is that men (and women, of course) may make their plans - but it is God's will that prevails.  As the hymn-writer states; "God is working His purpose out, as year succeedeth year"! (Basil Harwood).

Will Israel again control the whole of the promised land?  Watch this space?!

Pot; Kettle; Black!

Those were the words that immediately came to mind when I heard the news, earlier today, that China's Middle East envoy had called on the Syrian government to speed up the reforms it has promised in response to popular demands, saying the situation was dangerous and the bloodshed - well reported by the international media - could not continue.

Now, like any sane person, I am happy that additional pressure is being put on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government to end the bloody, seven-month crackdown on protesters demanding political reforms.  It is encouraging that China has made its position clear.  It is to be hoped that Russia will add its voice to the condemnation of the activities of this despot and his supporters.

However, I would also hope that China would "take the log out of its own eye, before attempting to take the speck out of Syria's eye"! (see Matt.7:5).     It is in China that Pastor Shi Enhao, deputy chairman of the Chinese House Church Alliance, was recently sentenced to two years "re-education through labour" for organizing illegal meetings, trial observers said. It is in China that Gao Zhisheng a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and Christian human rights lawyer who has published several reports and open letters detailing the human rights restrictions in China, including on religious freedom, has not been seen since April, 2010, in spite of repeated requests from his family (now in the U.S.of A.) and others , for news of his whereabouts, and his physical condition. Fan Yafeng, a house church leader and expert in constitutional law, has been held under house arrest at his home in Beijing since December last year.

Organisations such as Release International, Open Doors, and Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), for which links are available further down this page, have a catalogue of instances in which individual disciples of Jesus are being persecuted, in China, for their faith.  The Chinese government constantly denies human rights abuses, saying Christians are free to worship within the official denominations!  However, many of China's up to 130 million Christians prefer to worship in house churches, outside the control of the country's Communist government.

Leaders of the independent Shouwang Church in Beijing remain under house arrest. This congregation has tried to meet outdoors every Sunday since April 11, after government officials repeatedly denied them access to a permanent worship place which, according to all reports, is the legal property of the congregation!  Over 600 Shouwang Church Christians have reportedly been detained since April, including 15 on August 28 and 12 arrests on September 4. Police often detain believers, some of whom have travelled for hours, before the service starts  - and typically free them within 24 hours!

As many of us pray about the ongoing situation in Syria, and other parts of the Middle East, let us not forget those who, in China (and some fifty other countries in the modern world), are bearing in their bodies the marks of the Lord Jesus (see Gal.6:17).  They are paying a price that many in the "west", who bear the Name, might be unwilling to pay!