Israel – My Glory

 

Israel has always been an important player on the world stage. But in the last two weeks, Israel has moved front and center, and is the main character in an unfolding drama. Several momentous things that have happened:

1. President Obama upstaged Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was already on the plane traveling to the US to address Congress. Obama had agreed to the speech, but waited until Netanyahu was in transit to deliver a new US Mideast policy.

2. In his pre-emptive speech, President Obama reiterated the Bush policy for a two-state solution (something I think is a mistake, but then no one asked my opinion).

3. The President also called Israel’s presence a “permanent occupation,” which amounts to saying they are there illegally. This is exactly what the Arab states have claimed, and it is wholly untrue. The United Nations gave the territory to Israel in 1948, in agreement with her Arab neighbors. The land originally belonged to Israel anyhow, but it was restored to her as part of the Balfour Declaration of 1917. 

4. Going against the long-standing US policy and even a promise that President Bush had made to Israel, Obama said that Israel should revert to her pre-1967 borders.

5. He also proposed giving Fatah and Hamas (terrorist groups) a base in Jerusalem. This is utter idiocy, akin to the US setting up an office in Washington, DC, for Al Qaeda.

6. Despite the cowardly actions and betrayal by Obama, Netanyahu spoke in front of news cameras, face-to-face with the President IN THE WHITE HOUSE, and basically told him to go jump in lake. Netanyahu correctly said that these borders would make Israel indefensible and that Israel would not go back to those borders. It would make part of the nation of Syria only a few miles from Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.

7. Netanyahu delivered his courageous message to a joint session of Congress, “I stood before my people and said that I will accept a Palestinian state; it’s time for President Abbas to stand up before his people and say, ‘I will accept a Jewish state,’ " Mr. Netanyahu said to cheers from a hugely friendly crowd. “Those six words will change history.”

8. Although he got many standing ovations from the non-partisan Congress, Vice President Joe Biden was the only person not applauding. President Obama was not present, but on his way to Ireland when the address was given.

One advantage of being old is that I have experienced some of the history discussed in the news and have my own perspective. I remember the Six-Day War in Israel, when Syria had troops stationed on the top of the Golan Heights, firing rockets down into Israel, while Jordan and Egypt were violating her sovereignty, encroaching on Western Jerusalem, and disregarding her borders. They were effectively blocking Jewish access to their holy sites in East Jerusalem and blocking Israel’s access to commerce on the Suez Canal and the Red Sea.

Jim and I visited Israel about six years after the war, and saw Syrian tanks still sitting along the roadside. Israel had incapacitated them, and left them as a reminder to passersby of their victory. Since that war, Israel has granted access for their Arab citizens to their mosques, unlike the Arab countries who would not allow Jews access to the temple mount and the wailing wall. Israel has also conceded great portions of land to the Palestinian people for new Arab settlements in peace treaties negotiated by the US and agreed to as part of a peace effort. But no matter how much land they get, the Palestinians continue to attack Israel and many have spoken out calling for the destruction of Israel.  It is clear that land is not their objective, but the destruction of the nation of Israel.

The only way all religions’ holy sites will be open to the world is for Israel to control them. They have respected the rights of all people (Arabs included) to live in Israel and practice their faith. Unknown to most of the world, Arabs and Jews peacefully co-exist in Jerusalem. But the Palestinian leaders are not satisfied unless they are in control of the government. In a recent poll, 70% of Arabs living in Jerusalem said they would rather live under the government of Israel than under Palestinian rule. “In a region where women are stoned, gays are persecuted,” Netanyahu said, “Israel stands out.”

When the Jordanians occupied the Old City in 1948, Jewish synagogues and cemeteries were destroyed, and Torah scrolls were burned. Under Muslim rule, the Christian population decreased by half. “And this is why Israel, and only Israel, can be trusted to ensure the freedom for all faiths in our central capital, the united city of Jerusalem," Netanyahu said.

The destruction of Israel will never happen, and, as Prime Minister Netanyahu stated in his speech, “Jerusalem will never be divided.” God guarantees that Israel will return and remain in the land. It was His and He gave it to them. God predicted in the Bible that in the last days, Jews would return from the four corners of the earth and live once more in Jerusalem (Joel 3:17-20). In fact, God originally gave Israel ten times as much land as they now control. He will fight for them, and they will live in the land God has given them. What other nation has fought a war on three fronts and come out victorious in six days?

Because of President Obama’s rash statements, Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas has said that Netanyahu’s refusal to go back to the 1967 borders is a “declaration of war.”  A spokesman for Abbas said, “We will never accept an Israeli presence in the Palestinian state, especially along the Jordan River.”

The Palestinians say they want peace, but their actions prove otherwise. Many people expect a showdown this September. As Prime Minister Netanyahu says, “If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence. If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel.”

The Bible tells us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Now more than ever, we need to pray, when the world seems to cry out for the dividing of the city and for giving the Palestinians more land. Obadiah chapter 1 and Joel 3 both predict judgment for those who come against Jerusalem and Jacob (Israel).

“For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.”  Psalm 122:5-7

Politically, we must stand with Israel, the only true democracy in the Mideast. And even more importantly, spiritually, we must align ourselves with Israel. God called her “Israel my Glory,” (Isaiah 46:13) and warned other nations not to touch Israel, the “apple of his eye.”  Zechariah 2:8  He promises to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse her in Genesis 12:1-4. Jesus said in Matthew 15:40, “I say to you, Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren (kinsmen) you did it unto me.”

Tell me what you think by posting a comment below.

Thunder Up!! Rest Assured

Jim and I are glad to be home after spending Mother’s Day weekend with his 92-year-old Mother in Arkansas. We had a great visit, but you know how it is, especially as we get older. After a few days away we look forward to sleeping in our own bed and getting back into a familiar routine.

While we were gone, we missed Monday’s epic NBA Playoff game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies. The game was the talk of ESPN on Tuesday because it went into triple overtime and racked up lots of statistical records that sportscasters tend to focus on.

Fortunately, Jim had anticipated our missing the game and had set our TV before we left home to record it. We were tired when we got back on Tuesday evening  and looked forward to relaxing. So we grabbed a bite to eat and settled in to watch the exciting game. But as we got near the end of the second overtime, our DVR reached the end of its recording time, and we missed the last overtime and missed seeing who won the game.

If this had happened without our already knowing the outcome, we’d have been pretty upset and scrambling to find out whether the Thunder won or lost this pivotal game in the seven-game series. Fortunately, our kids and several others had already shared the happy news with us early Tuesday morning. They reported that, after struggling through two overtimes each ending in a tie at almost 1:00 a.m., the Thunder won by the comfortable margin of 133-123 in triple overtime! We were elated since we’re BIG Thunder fans. So when we watched the replay of the game, even when it looked as though we might lose it, we could rest assured. We already knew the outcome and the final score.

This scenario reminds me of how we as Christians can rest assured and face what we see happening in the world around us. If we just listen to the news, it seems there is nothing but horrible climate change, chaos, terrorism, awful sicknesses, perversion, and uncertainty. But even when it looks like Satan and his forces are winning, we can rest assured. Because we’ve read the whole story in the Bible (particularly the story of the end times in Revelation), we already know the outcome and the final score…Jesus 1 and Satan 0. Our team is the winning team!

Here in OKC, we often use the term, “Thunder Up!”  It can mean many things, such as “Get ready for a good game,” or “We’re going to win,” or “We’ve got the best team!” It might do us good to use that same positive thinking and speaking in our Christian life. We ARE getting ready for a good time in Heaven, we ARE going to win in the end, and we ARE DEFINITELY on the best team. It’s already been settled in God’s mind, and He never changes.

Back in my home church in West Virginia there was a man who often shared this phrase at the end of his testimony, “Thank God, I’m on the winning side!”  There’s nothing better than knowing you have nothing to worry about because you're the winner and everything is under control. We don’t know exactly what the future holds, but we know the God Who holds the future. If you’re a child of God, rest assured that He will take care of you, and your future is bright!

That's what I think...tell me what you think by sharing your comments below.

Motherhood is Awesome!

Life is Awesome!

Well, at least some of the time it is. Let’s face it, daily life in the 21^st Century can be overwhelming. We only have to read the entries of our Facebook friends to see that we all experience highs and lows, joys and sorrows. We triumph in the small successes of our lives and endure the painful times. What a great way to journal some of our most poignant moments, recalling the bitter and sweet experiences of each day.

In an adaptation of his blog, author Neil Pasricha records the simple pleasures of everyday living called The Book of Awesome. Focusing on both tangible pleasures and simple experiences, some of his entries are:

• The smell and sound of a campfire
• Finding money in your pocket
• Bakery air
• Wearing underwear fresh out of the dryer
• Sliding a key perfectly into a lock in the dark, without fumbling or turning on the lights
• Sleeping in new bed sheets
• A vending machine that gives you two things instead of one
• Watching a squirrel figure out how to invade a rodent-proof bird feeder
• The smell of tea that wafts up when you unwrap a brand-new box
• High-fiving babies
• When cashiers open up new checkout lanes at the grocery store
• Fixing electronics by smacking them
• Pulling off your wet bathing suit and putting on dry clothes after a long swim
• That one really good pen that never gets lost

Once you get into this mode of simple appreciation, you begin to pay closer attention to these magical moments in your own life and enjoy the little things that make life worthwhile. Forgive my sentimentality as Mother’s Day approaches and I contemplate some magical moments I’ve had as a Mother:

• The sight of my three beautiful, healthy babies just minutes after birth
• Unwrapping the blankets to look over their whole bodies
• Counting their ten fingers and ten toes
• Watching my baby’s chest rise and fall as he/she peacefully sleeps
• Little hands grasping, then letting go of my fingers as they balance themselves and take that first step
• An icing-covered face as they crammed their first birthday cake into their mouths
• Singing and recording silly songs together
• Watching their faces on Christmas as they discover their gifts under the tree
• Hearing them sing a song or quote a Bible verse I have taught them
• Coloring Easter eggs and their delight in filling baskets with the eggs they’ve found
• Overhearing their conversations as they mimic my instruction to each other
• Enjoying Halloween costumes and candy
• The sweet smell as we cuddle up to read a bedtime story after all three have had a bath
• Hearing their sweet, sincere prayers as we tuck them in at night
• Vacations and uninterrupted time we spent enjoying nature and scenic sites
• Teaching them to swim and realizing they no longer need my arms underneath
• Watching them perform at school plays and soccer games
• First dates and driving off in the car alone for the first time
• Watching them walk across the stage to receive their high school diplomas, and then graduating from college
• Knowing my children as adults, living out the values we worked so hard to instill in them
• Seeing my children become parents and proudly sharing in their joy

The joy of motherhood is a gift that keeps on giving, because as a grandmother, I'm experiencing some of those same awesome moments. Seen from a different perspective, they only reinforce my sweet memories of their own childhood and the privilege God gave me of being a mother.

"May your father and mother be glad; may she who gave you birth rejoice!"

Proverbs 23:25 (NIV)