ISRAEL UPDATEOctober 2, 2005 – Luke 6:12-16, Matt. 10:1-4 – Jesus went to a mountain to prayerfully consider those that would follow closest to him and he named twelve specific men that did so, eleven faithfully, the other of course be Judas Iscariot. Verse 13 specifically states, “he called unto him his disciples and of them he chose twelve whom he named Apostles.”
There are many noted disciples accounted for in the Gospels, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, Simon the Leper, Mary Magdalene, Joseph of Arimathaea, Nicodemus, to name a few. The term disciple probably defined physically following Jesus.
Apostles actually were defined as those sent out bearing the message of Truth and being an eyewitness to the resurrected Jesus, chosen by the L-rd and ministry with miraculous signs and gifts.
Paul was emphatic about the beliefs of the church being based or founded upon “the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.” Eph. 2:20
So come what may the naysayers, those of “new revelation” and the cynics believing they have found contradictions – unless you can find valid proof of Lazarus being called, qualified, and living the life of the Apostolic calling, no amount of scholarly speculation can counter Paul’s statement under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. So the burden of proof lies on the cynic, skeptic or new revelation and once again G-d’s word interprets itself as the true and final authority.
October 2, 2005 – It was a little more than a month ago that the representatives of every media group were flocking to Israel renting living space and setting up shop. Why? Because they wanted to get on film the disruption, refusal to leave and the ensuing violence perpetrated by the settlers of the occupied area of Gaza.
Inappropriate but modern vernacular would call these people fundamentalist, extremists, hardliners and the root of the problem in the Middle East.
Of course the withdrawal went off basically without a hitch much to the dismay of the onlookers hoping for catastrophe.
Gone are people founded on a Biblical belief that G-d promised the land to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their seed.
Now Gaza is comprised of an overwhelming majority of true fundamentalist, extremists, and hardliners. The ones that burn the Israeli and American flags in unison, the ones that danced in the streets on 9-11 and extol the virtues of men like Saddam Hussein and consider Osama bin Laden a true hero.
Gone are all the greenhouses growing fruits and vegetables and in their place will be mortars and rocket launchers and a literal army assembling for Israel’s destruction but the media frenzy is over for not. Time will prove who the violent problem makers are in Israel; it is not the Jews.
To be continued…