ISRAEL UPDATE

 December 31, 2006 – The nations of Israel and Iraq are running a parallel course for several years and the upcoming year sadly promises to be the same.

 Israel is trying desperately to salvage her democratic state while fighting a war of sectarian violence against terrorism.  In Iraq coalition forces desperately cling to a fragile democratic beginning and it also fights against terrorist insurgents.

 Israel’s bitter struggle for survival includes the dynamic of the Golan front and Southern Lebanon erupting at any moment, plus the Fattah, Hamas civil war in Gaza and the constant terror build up in Judea and Samaria, in essence, the possibility of war on three different fronts  

 Iraq continually feels the sting of Iran and Syria filtering fighters in from all sides and it seems that the Shia of Iran are very supportive of the newly installed Iraqi leadership, a strange paradox. 

 Ultimately in both cases these two nations, one established the other a fledgling democracy have their whole essence of survival threatened by Islamic terrorism, and each of these nation’s woes have come due to outside influence attempting to help the process of establishing peace and stability.

 Unfortunately for both nations the outside interaction has done more to destabilize the region, empower terrorists and place all the nations of the world much closer to Armageddon than the Middle East experts care to acknowledge.

 

 December 31, 2006 – Every so often one of the cable stations I watch carries a series about natural disasters or what some people call “acts of G-d.”  Fires, floods tornadoes, hurricanes, droughts, famine and a plethora of hideous viruses and infections plaguing the human body, destroying life, not to mention the financial distress caused by all of these events. 

One of he questions always raised are, is this just spontaneous phenomenon or are they severe manifestations of wrath from a vengeful, unpredictable G-d? 

 Obviously, the true nature and attributes of G-d are neither understood nor are presented accurately.  From G-d warning Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor G-d has outlined three simple principles.

 First, G-d promises blessing to those that adhere to his commandments, second consequences to those who chose not to and either restoration after repentance or judgment for continual disobedience.

 The apostle encapsulated this in II Peter 3:9, “The L-rd is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (NKJ)

 In essence G-d deals with men fairly but desires all to find the way, he is faithful, true, and steadfast and the only one we can trust in times such as these

 

To be continued…