Undoubtedly, Israel is a very special corner of the world. How do I know that it is special? Because God has chosen it to be so. That’s why so many over the centuries, at the behest of the Enemy who hates all that which God loves, have tried so hard to take it away from the Jewish people or to make the land less than what it actually is.
Tuesday marked the 75th anniversary of the United Nations’ acceptance of the partition plan of the land that was at that time called Palestine – a name given to it by the Romans after they decimated it in the second century. The plan was for the land to be divided between two groups of people. For the Jews, there would be a Jewish state, and for the Arabs, there would be an Arab state.
Notice the words that were used. There was no mention of Palestinians because there was no such thing as Palestinians. There were simply Jews and Arabs who lived in Palestine. The idea of a Palestinian came later, creating an artificial grouping of people for the purpose of being a political weapon against a Jewish State.
The Palestinian plan worked, and today this group of people are determined that the land of Israel not be a Jewish state or an Arab state but a Palestinian state. This is not at all in keeping with the UN decision seventy-five years ago. But more importantly, it is not in keeping with the judgment of the San Remo conference of 1920. At this seminal conference, the decision was made to adopt the Balfour declaration that promised the Jews a Jewish homeland in what was then Palestine. The conference also adopted the Balfour declaration’s intended borders which included both Israel and Jordan of today. It was only in 1922 that the British sliced off Transjordan and gave it to the Hashemite family. Later, the League of Nations resolved to adopt the decision of the San Remo conference with the amended borders. Thus, it is still valid today, since the UN, born in October 1945, agreed that all resolutions of its predecessor are effective and valid.
So, despite what you hear, the land of Israel is not stolen. The Israelis are not occupiers or squatters on someone else’s land. We are here legally based on international resolutions. But even more importantly, we are here because this is the land God promised to Abraham and his descendants thousands of years ago. And because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, His promises still stand true today.
Genesis 13:14-17 KJV – “And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.”
A World in Chaos
As I looked through the news a couple days ago, it struck me that we are truly a world in chaos. There were riots in Belgium, riots in the Netherlands, riots in Germany, and riots in Kazakhstan. In China, Iran, and Brazil, major protests were taking place as people voiced their anger and disgust at their governments. Then, in northern Syria, the war continues. In northern Iraq, the war continues. And in Ukraine, the war continues. Evil is alive and well in this world. In some places it resides in the government, in others it is among the people, and in many it is in both. More than ever before, we as the church must fulfill our calling to not only pray for the soon return of our Messiah, but also to reach out to those around us with the truth of the Word of God so that they can begin to find peace in the midst of all this chaos.
Israel Preparing to Remove Iran’s Nuclear Threat
Israel will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. The threat of that kind of firepower in the arsenal of so radical a regime is simply too dangerous. However, the cost of stopping Iran could be steep. If Israel acts decisively, the international outrage will be great. Despite many nations breathing a sigh of relief behind closed doors, their public reaction will be one of outrage and, quite possibly, punitive sanctions. According to senior officials in Israel’s defense department, the Israeli citizenry may need a wake-up call. “Public opinion is focused on the cost of living and looking for deals for Hanukkah. We must prepare citizens for a war economy.” Some good news is that it seems that the US has finally come to the understanding that Iran cannot be allowed to “go nuclear”. In preparation for a possible attack against Iran’s nuclear sites, the US Air Force (USAF) and the Israeli Air Force (IAF) began three days of military exercises that will include simulating a strike on a remote target.
Iran’s Islamic Regime Facing Battles on Numerous Fronts
When you set yourself up as the bully on the block as Iran has, you’ll never run out of fights. Iraqi Kurdistan has been under attack from Iranian missiles and drones for several weeks now. Tehran accuses the Kurds of supporting the anti-government protests that have swept through the country. They also say that many of the weapons that reach Iranian insurgents flow through that area. On another front, the Azerbaijani army has been ordered to full alert for possible war with Iran. Two weeks ago, five individuals were arrested by the Azeris for espionage on behalf of Iran. Then, this week the head of Azerbaijan’s intelligence service claimed that Iran is preparing more subversive actions on Azeri soil. Another front is more of a mystery. On Monday, Reza Dastani, a member of the IRGC’s Basij militia, was killed in Isfahan on his way to work. This came just days after Col. Davoud Jafari, an adviser of the IRGC Aerospace Force in Syria, was killed by a roadside bomb near Damascus. Iran blames the US and its allies for these assassinations. The final front from which the radical Islamic regime is being attacked is the home front. The protests resulting from the killing of Mahsa Amini by the Iranian morality police show no sign of abating, despite the violent attempts to quash them.
Terrorist Blast at a Madrassa in Afghanistan
A bomb explosion tore through the Al Jihad Madrassa in Aybak, Samangan, Afghanistan yesterday killing at least 10 students and injuring 24 more. The religious school teaches mostly young boys. No one has claimed responsibility for the blast yet, but the Islamic State has been perpetrating acts of terror of this type ever since the Taliban took power.
Leader of ISIS Killed
Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, number one man in the Islamic State, was killed in battle recently, ISIS confirmed in an audio recording yesterday. Al-Qurayshi had taken over leadership after his predecessor was killed by US forces in February. The newly named ISIS leader is Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurayshi. Let’s hope that his tenure is as short as his predecessor’s.
Ukrainian Deaths Reach 120,000 – Maybe
In a speech tweeted out by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, she condemned Russia for its aggression against Ukraine. To emphasize the horror of what has taken place, she stated that 20,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and 100,000 Ukrainian military have lost their lives. However, a short time later, the tweet was removed. It was then replaced with a tweet showing the same speech, but with the casualty figures edited out leaving a noticeable jump in the video. No explanation has been given for the removal of the figures.
Saudi Arabia Makes Arms Deal with China
At the recent Zuhai air show held in China, Saudi Arabia purchased $4 billion worth of drones, missiles, and laser-based weapons systems from Beijing. This is one more example of China stepping into leadership roles that the US used to fill.
Growing COVID Protests in China
China’s draconian COVID restrictions have finally tipped the scales amongst many in the nation leading to protests and clashes with police. Barriers were torn down in numerous cities and projectiles were hurled at authorities. Unfortunately, in a nation not known for its human rights concerns, it is likely that a very harsh crackdown is on its way.
“Religion of Peace” Makes Converts at World Cup while Moroccans Riot over Belgian Victory
While Islam, the “religion of peace”, is given free rein to proselytize during the World Cup, peace was not on the minds of many Moroccans living in Belgium and the Netherlands. The 2-0 victory of the the Moroccan team over Belgium at the World Cup led to rioting in Brussels, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague. Meanwhile, at the tournament in Qatar, any form of protest has been very effectively shut down. Prior to the match between Iran and the US on Tuesday, the families of Iran’s players were threatened with imprisonment and torture if the players failed to behave ahead of the match.
