Multiculturalism - Is it a Good Thing?

Ordinarily I write my own blog completely, using quotes and excerpts from things that I have read or heard. This one is different. I recently read the following piece (shown in red below), and it struck a chord with me about what is happening in our world, especially in America.  I include it and claim credit for only the words shown in white.

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a five-year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English."

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c." Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k." This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replased with "f." This will make words like fotograf  20 persent shorter.

In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reash the stage where more komplikated shanges are possible.

Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters whish have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.

Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful, and it should sertainly go away.

By the fourth yer people wil be reseptiv to steps sush as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v."

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ze fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensibl riten styl.

Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis, and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.

Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.

If zis has mad you smil, ples pas on zis vebsit tu oza Amerikans an evn tu pepl in oza plezes.

If, on the other hand, this made you a little angry as you realized how gradual changes over a period of time can turn one thing into something completely different, please take time to ponder what is happening in America.

Sadly, our great American culture is being replaced with something we don’t even recognize. As we accept the whims of multiculturalism along  with the heritage and religious beliefs of so many others, we are rejecting our own Judeo-Christian heritage, which is the basis for our laws and way of life.

If we continue to reject the morals and standards of behavior that the Bible gives us, we will open the door to a world where almost anything goes. We are moving from a solid foundation to shaky ground, and we cannot expect our way of life to exist for our children.

That’s what I think...tell me what you think!

Our Pouting President

On July 13, 2011, Barack Obama didn't get his way! He was so upset that he took his ball and went home. Oh wait, I forgot, he was already home.

So he shoved his chair back from the negotiations he himself had instigated, said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Then he stormed out of the room.

Later that week, he threatened some of the most vulnerable Americans, saying, “I cannot guarantee that (Social Security) checks will go out on August 3 if we haven’t resolved this issue.”

Sean Hannity says of Obama, “I’ve never seen such a crybaby executive in all my life!”

The list of Obama’s pouting and complaints could fill a book. He should write another one, and instead of “Dreams from My Father,” he could title it, “Depression from My Failures.”

If you’d like a list of his complaints, do a Google search on the phrase “Obama blames” and see how many hits you get. I did and got 127,000!

Pouting sometimes works miracles. This little boy pouted when the lucky guy in front of his Dad caught the foul ball. Seeing his pout on the big screen, management decided to deliver a special ball to keep him happy.

Pouting may be cute when you’re seven. But when you’re 57 and the POTUS?  Not so much!

Here are just a few of those Obama blames for his woes:

1. He blames President Bush for the record deficit (which Obama himself has tripled in two years). As late as July 7, 2011, Obama said: “We (Obama and Congress) agree that after a decade of racking up deficits and debt, we finally need to get our fiscal house in order.”

2. He also blames the Gulf oil spill on President Bush, even though it happened on his watch. He said that for a decade or more “…there has been a cozy relationship between the oil companies and the federal agency that permits them to drill.”

3. When he wanted the health care bill passed, he blamed the insurance companies and doctors for medical costs, and said the federal government should be the one deciding what medical procedure we should have instead of it being a personal decision between us and our doctors.

4. He blames technology, such as ATMs and airport kiosks for high unemployment numbers. Hello! These machines were around long before Obama was elected.

5. He blames “the rich” and millionaires for not paying “their fair share.” In reality, 47% of Americans pay NO INCOME TAXES. Americans who make up the top 10% in earnings actually pay 68% of federal taxes.

6. He blames America for the poverty in the rest of the world, and yet individual Americans give more per capita to charity than any other nation. That does not include the $25 billion in federal aid that our country gives each year to poverty-stricken third world nations and even some to countries who are not in poverty.
   
7. He blames the Republicans, the "other side," for not compromising and giving him a blank check on the backs of the taxpayers. Silly me, I thought we were all on the same side when it comes to our country.

The kid pouted and it got him a game ball. The Giants organization delivered a complimentary ball to him just moments later. Maybe that’s why our President pouts so much…he knows he’ll get his way eventually!

I predict that Congress WILL raise the debt ceiling and give Obama his way again. That's what I think, what do you think?

That's Weird!

"But everyone else is doing it!" a child whines to his parents when questioned about dress or behavior that isn't particularly a good choice. We laugh when we think of the question often repeated by the parents: "If all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you jump, too?"

This rhetorical question is meant to show the idiocy of blindly following another person's behavior without question. Even as adults, we are not immune to peer pressure. It's easy to get caught up in doing what seems to be all the rage. We see it everywhere -- in business, movies and TV, education, and in fashion. Let one idea become successful, and everyone jumps on the bandwagon doing the same thing, with maybe a slight variation.

Even churches and Christians get sucked into it, purporting to have the latest and greatest thing, whether it be a new book, a new seminar, or a new music style. Most of us are basically copycats, and sometimes we are just too lazy to use our imagination to come up with a new idea.

Call me crazy, but I have always had a desire to be different. I don't know if being one of fourteen children instilled this desire for uniqueness in me or not, but I never wanted to be the same as anyone else. I have always tended to be independent and take the less traveled path. It wasn't so much that I was seeking attention, because I was naturally shy. It was just that I saw everyone around me following the herd, conforming to the normal, and wondered why. It seemed quite natural for me to question the logic and test the normal. It wasn't always the easy way, and it sometimes isolated me, but it was my way, and the way I felt God wanted me to go.

If God wanted everyone to think alike, look alike, talk alike, and act alike, why did he make us so different? If He needed us to conform to a cookie-cutter life, why would He give us different ideas, different interests, and different talents? I think we have missed the plans He has for us by copying the plan He has for others.

It takes effort, and maybe even a little courage, to be different from those around us. We may have to work a little harder to forge our own path, but the result is well worth the effort.

 If a child is encouraged to follow his/her interests and talents in choosing an occupation, rather than settling for what the parents think is most practical, he/she may come up with ideas and plans that go far beyond the capacity of parents and find a new occupation that’s never been done before. For example, suppose Thomas Edison’s parents had insisted that he not waste his time trying to invent things that no one had ever heard of, such as a light bulb. We might all still be in the dark.

If we think like normal people and behave like normal people, we can expect to lead a normal life. But is that what you want? God wants us to be unique. First Peter 1:15 says, "...be ye holy for I am holy." We often define the word "holy" as "sinless," but there's a broader meaning. It also means to be set apart, different, or unique.

As much as anything, I believe that God wants us to be the unique person He made us and to fulfill the unique plan He has for our lives. If we try to follow His plan for someone else, we are missing the mark. In John 21:19, when Jesus told Peter to follow Him, Peter turns to John and asks Jesus, "What do you want him to do?"

Jesus answered, "If I want him to wait until I come, what is that to you?"  In other words, He was basically saying, "It's none of your business what I want someone else to do!"  


One of the most unique individuals in the Bible was John the Baptist. We accept his strange clothing (camel's hair), his strange diet (locusts and wild honey), and his lifestyle (living alone in the desert - a remote place) because in hindsight we see how effective he was despite his weirdness. He was so unique that crowds of people followed him asking if he were the Messiah. John rightly pointed them to Jesus, but he was so different, so weird, that people knew he was special. Jesus himself said of John, “Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist…”

If we want to reach our ultimate potential in life, we must be willing to be different, even to be weird in the eyes of the world, to go where others have not gone, or where angels fear to tread, to follow God’s unique plan for our lives.

Even the world recognizes giftedness when they see a truly unique person who is worthy of attention. These trend-setters are the ones who win acclaim. They are the ones who become the next great thing, not those who follow in their footsteps.

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”  He made us and set a plan in place for us to find and fulfill. Allow God to make and mold you into his unique creation, and search out the unique plan He has in mind for you. Don’t be afraid to be weird, if that’s what others think of you, as long as you are following God’s plan.

That’s what I think…what do you think?

The Pursuit of Happiness

Happiness means something a little different for each of us, and yet it is something we all desire and expect. A famous line from one of the most popular comic strips of all time was the statement Charles Schultz attributed to Charlie Brown: “Happiness is a warm puppy.”   If you’re not a dog-lover, you’d probably prefer a human relationship. Socrates said, "By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher." 

Some of us think happiness comes as a result of education, a good job, a husband/wife, enough money to buy all the things we want, constant entertainment, physical beauty, a perfect body, fame, prestige, position, power, or any number of things. But if we think these things will bring happiness, we need to think again.

If you don’t agree, don’t take my word for it. Read for yourself about King Solomon, the richest, most powerful, wisest, and most coddled man who ever lived. With his choice of women, he chose 700 wives and 300 concubines. Crazy man!

Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 2 that he had more money than he could spend and bought himself anything he desired. He had beautiful homes and grounds with gardens, cattle, horses and stables, pools, and luxurious furnishings. He had oodles of servants, including some who played music and entertained him. He had great wisdom more than any man. As king, he had absolute power and control over his life and the lives of others. He also had health and youth, yet none of these things satisfied him.

Solomon’s conclusion in 2:17 was that nothing satisfied him and he “hated life,” because everything was “vanity” (emptiness) and “vexation of spirit” (troublesome). In verse 18, he admits that he actually hated all the things he had worked to achieve, because he didn’t want to leave them for someone else to enjoy after he died. What selfishness!   

The very things that Solomon (and many others have) sought after only bring emptiness and depression. It’s a fact of life that things simply do not satisfy. Part of the human condition is that, no matter how much we have, there is still an insatiable desire for more. Why? Because we are spiritual beings, and only God can fill the emptiness of our hearts and satisfy our souls.

What we are really seeking is fulfillment. To be fulfilled, our lives must have purpose. Some people never determine what their life's purpose is, or even consider that they should have one. They simply drift through life waiting for the next thrill, with no real goals or achievements. Others may find a purpose, but when they come to the end of life, they realize they've lived for the wrong purpose. They only regret having spent their lifetime on things that brought no satisfaction and had no real value. The happiest people on earth are those who know why they are here, and they are determined to live out that purpose.

A worthwhile life is the one spent doing things that have meaning and eternal value: For instance cultivating friendships, building character, helping those in need, meaningful work, sharing knowledge and wisdom gained over time, and establishing a personal relationship with God.

Happiness can be an elusive dream or a reality. It’s something we cannot find by struggling and grasping for it. Rather, it comes as a result of applying our time and effort toward achieving worthwhile goals. Having a sense of accomplishment is what gives life meaning and fulfillment. If we pursue happiness, it will continue to evade us. But when we set out to make others happy and fulfill God’s purpose for our lives, happiness comes automatically, without a struggle.

You see, happiness a gift, rather than a feat. It is the by-product of a living a balanced life—the balance of accomplishment, good relationships, a spiritual connection, and emotional stability.

The best things in life really are free: Salvation, love, family, friendship, truth, work, character, the beauty of the natural world, health, etc. But we must be willing to accept these things as God’s gifts and appreciate them rather than casting them aside as though they are not valuable enough for us.

What makes you happy? If you think about it, you may realize that your happiness is connected to your spiritual health. That's the conclusion Solomon eventually reached after a life time of struggling to find happiness. 

After discussing everything that he had achieved, Solomon’s conclusion of the whole matter was: “Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”  Ecclesiastes 11:13 

I think we should learn the easy way...from King Solomon's experience.  Remember, he WAS the wisest person who ever lived!

What do you think?

One Father’s Impact

William Jackson Smart and his wife Ellen Victoria lived a simple life in Arkansas in the late 1800’s. Smart was a member of the First Arkansas Light Artillery unit which fought in the Battle of Pea Ridge during the Civil War. As new land began opening up in the west, the Smart family moved to Spokane, Washington, where William worked as a farmer.

Their oldest child Sonora was sixteen when her mother died in childbirth. She helped her father raise her five younger brothers, including the newborn baby. She saw what a heavy load her widowed father carried, and held him in great esteem. While listening to a sermon in 1910 about the newly recognized Mother’s Day, Sonora felt very strongly that fatherhood should also be recognized and celebrated. She approached the Ministerial Alliance of Spokane with her idea and suggested June 5, her father’s birthday, as the day to celebrate.

The Alliance elected to use the third Sunday in June instead, and on June 19, 1910, Sonora Smart Dodd’s idea became a reality. The first Father’s Day was celebrated, with the mayor of Spokane and the governor of Washington officially supporting the event. But Father’s Day didn’t begin as a national holiday.  It began in ONE town, with ONE father. You could even say it began in the heart and mind of ONE daughter whose father’s impact in her life was overwhelming.

Back when women stayed home and did all the cooking and housework, there was an old saying, “Man may work from sun to sun, but a woman’s work is never done.”  I can imagine that Farmer Smart’s work was truly never done, because he was both father and mother to his children.  

Imagine being a “stay-at-home” dad in 1898. Anyone who knows anything about farming knows it is a sun-up to sun-down, seven days a week, 365 days a year job. And as if farming wasn’t enough, Smart had six young children to provide for and look after in addition to his farm.

To measure the impact of fatherhood, we only have to consider the negative side, the children raised in fatherless homes. According to the Center for Disease Control*:

·         85%  of children with behavioral problems are in fatherless homes.

·         71%  of high school dropouts are in fatherless homes.

·         85%  of all youth in prison were in fatherless homes.

·         75%  of all youth in chemical abuse centers were in fatherless homes.

·         63%  of all youth suicides are children from fatherless homes.

Fathering a child may be easy, but being a real father is something quite different. With marriage on the decline, so many men live elsewhere and are absentees in the lives of their children, creating a void that seemingly nothing else fills. Living without a father breeds insecurity and rebellion in the lives of kids.

The spiritual impact of fatherlessness is also a problem. A father should give us an example and a perception of what our Heavenly Father is like. But so many children are deserted by their fathers. They have no concept of a Heavenly Father because they don’t have a loving, nurturing father who is present to provide for them, guide them, and help them deal with the issues of life.

I am proud of my husband Jim, who is a wonderful father, grandfather, and role model. I am in awe of all the things he has done over his lifetime and still does. He was a great pastor for 40 years; served on local, state, and denominational boards; built church buildings; and more importantly, has built lives. He has been a faithful provider, guide, and positive influence on our three children and seven grandchildren, all of whom think he hung the moon!

I want to honor my son Randy and my son-in-law Scott Berglan, both great fathers, pastors, and spiritual leaders of their families. They each serve as a wonderful example to their own three children. I also applaud Steve Keiffer, my grandson Adam’s dad, who is a Christian and a positive role model. Of course, I can’t let Father’s Day pass without celebrating the life of my Dad, Cecil Combs whose influential life story is detailed in my book, Living by Faith.

Fourteen years after the first Father’s Day celebration in Spokane, President Calvin Coolidge publicly supported plans for a national Father’s Day. It would be another 32 years before it was recognized by a joint resolution of Congress in 1956, and President Lyndon Johnson made it official proclaiming an official national holiday in 1966. More than sixty years after Sonora Smart Dodd’s idea was presented, President Richard Nixon established the first Sunday in June as Father’s Day by law in 1972.

Today, Father’s Day ranks as the fifth most popular card-sending holiday. Before the days of cell phones and free long-distance calling, it was the holiday with the most collect phone calls – kids calling their Dad’s and letting them pick up the tab. I doubt there was a dad out there who ever refused a call, or a kid who doubted that they would do so.

If you are a successful, or even a semi-average, functioning adult, your success is greatly due to the impact and  influence of ONE father. So tell him that on June 19.

“Hello, Dad? Just wanted to wish you a Happy Father’s Day, and tell you that I love you and appreciate all you’ve done for me!” Say it now, while you still have your father with you.

* Article Source - statistics: http://EzineArticles.com/2441660

Life Without Limits

As you can see in the space above left, I have a link to the website Blogging for Books. The book I'm reviewing here was sent to me in exchange for sharing my review on their website. I found it to be such a blessing that I wanted to share it on my blog as well as sharing the review on their site. Here is my review:

“Nicholas, you need to play with normal children, because you are normal. You just have a few bits and pieces missing, that’s all.” That’s what Nick Vujicic’s mother insisted when he was very young, instilling in him “…the belief that I had every right to life free of labels and restrictions.”

“My parents held onto the conviction that my life would have no limits,” Nick writes in his autobiography Life Without Limits, subtitled: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life. To say his story is inspirational is a huge understatement, and he seems to love and appreciate his ridiculously good life more than the average person.

The thing that makes Nick’s mother’s comment so incredible is that Nick was born without either arms or legs. And despite the almost impossible odds against it, he has gone on to live a relatively normal life. He sees himself not as handicapped, but rather as a person who has to figure out a way to do things that other people can do easily. In keeping with this attitude, he produced a DVD entitled, “No Arms, No Legs, No Worries.”

Nick is a motivational speaker and the director of a nonprofit organization he founded called Life Without Limbs. He has traveled the world and spoken to hundreds of thousands of people, inspiring them to focus on what they have, not what they are missing.

Some of his accomplishments are astounding when you consider his missing limbs. Using a tiny foot that is attached to his lower body, he navigates his world via a motorized wheelchair, and even uses a computer. He swims and has been SCUBA diving. He even learned to surf in Hawaii with Bethany Hamilton, the famous surfer and subject of the movie Soul Surfer.



Surfing on Waikiki Beach with Bethany Hamilton



One of my favorite parts of the book is the story of a bully who kept threatening him in grade school. Amazingly, they agreed to settle their argument by fighting it out. Even more amazing, was the fact that Nick beat “Chuckie” and left him crying on the ground, with a bloodied nose. He was worried about going home and facing his parents, expecting to be punished for fighting. He had no need to be worried, as he recalls, “They simply did not think it possible that I’d beaten up a bigger, older, and fully-equipped bloke.”

After navigating the tumultuous years of early adolescence and wanting to commit suicide, Nick accepted Christ at age fifteen. He asked God to forgive him, direct his life, and give him purpose.  He quotes Helen Keller, who said true happiness comes through “…fidelity to a worthy purpose.” After seeing the reaction of his classmates when he shared his testimony, he knew he wanted to be a speaker. God answered Nick’s prayer and gave him a speaking ministry that fulfils his purpose and inspires people of all classes, races, and religions.



Baby Nick with his first wheels

In a chapter called Attitude is Altitude, Nick says that attitude is like a remote control for your life. If the program you’re watching doesn’t uplift you and help you, then change it. He says we can “pick a ‘tude,” and suggests that some of the most powerful and positive ones are: gratitude, action, empathy,  and forgiveness.

Reading the wise words this handsome young man his written is so empowering. It helps the reader to see how truly amazing God’s grace is, even though we sometimes feel we have nothing to offer Him. He can use whatever we have when we make it available to Him. Nick Vujicic is a wonderful example of someone who lives life to the limit and makes the most of his talents and abilities. His story will leave you with wonder, tears of joy, gratitude for all you have, and an amazing resolve to live up to the best you can be.

If you'd like to read this book or another and write a review, you can do so by signing up for the program at http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/

Nick Vujicic's website http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/ offers DVDs and other products that tell more of his story. I think this man is simply amazing...tell me what you think!

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.