ISRAEL UPDATE
June 18, 2006 - It is Friday, June 9, 2006 and I have just received the news of Abu al – Zarqawi, mastermind terrorist, being killed by U.S. bombs. Supporters of the war in Iraq and even some opponents of the war are rejoicing as well as the military/Intelligence community of the western world. However, if the pattern of eliminating terror leaders holds true, it will not ebb the flow of blood, reduce the body count nor bring a quick end to the war.
When Israel expelled the P.L.O. from Lebanon, many of its leaders went to Tunisia, their war on terror continued even on Tunisian soil.
In the past two years plus, Israel has on more than one occasion eliminated leaders of the Hamas terror group, yet the war didn’t just continue but now Hamas controls the majority of seats in the Palestinian Parliament and poses a greater threat than ever!
The al-Qaeda tentacles strangling the lifeblood out of coalition forces in Iraq are also cementing their presence in Judea-Samaria threatening Israel’s existence.
What an ironic paradox that the area now burgeoning with Islamic radicals was one of the first to receive the good news of the Gospel and power of the Holy Spirit, Acts 1:8.
No, this author will not be distressed to the point of not eating or sleeping when a demonic butcher is removed from the earth, but neither will I be exceedingly optimistic that the death of one will make a major dent in terror activities; they have far too many disciples!
June 18, 2006 – Ashteroth, goddess of fertility, Molek, god of fire, where infants were cast into his effigy and consumed, Dagon, the fish god, Gaia, mother goddess of the earth, the list goes on and on.
Since the beginning of time, man has always tried to create “G_d” in his image, what his concept is, accommodating his lifestyle. Some cultures have even conceived a half fish half man deity denoting the idea of men being able to survive a catastrophic flood.
The Apostle Paul saw this trend in his day much as we see in our current era and his words are still relevant today. “Professing themselves to be wise they became fools. And changed the glory of G_d into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things.” Romans 1:21,22
In essence, the truth revealed to many becomes conceptually irrelevant to them as their hearts become darkened after rejecting the truth. Yet, the truth and reality of the living G_d is immutable regardless of how you or I attempt to define G_d. Paganism has and always will try to define a god or gods to their concept, but the reality of Yahweh our G_d is that He is defined in multiple attributes all of which are relevant to the needs of man and this sin-sick world.
To be continued…