ISRAEL UPDATENovember 2, 2003 - Can a nation or a majority of a populace be evaluated by its leadership? Looking at the Palestinian/Israeli peace process, the answer would have to be yes on both sides, as the past 10 years have born the proof.
Thousands of Palestinians danced in the streets, firing assault rifles into the air, and cheering as the horrific events of 9-11 unfolded before our eyes.
This same group burns the flag of Israel, or stomps on it showing contempt - also does the same thing to the Stars and Stripes - many times simultaneously. These people, bent on the destruction of Israel, have come from other Arab countries to join the battle against coalition forces in Iraq.
Is it not confusing to see efforts being made to establish a democratic policy for people that have high regard for dictators and terror leaders only?
It is not disconcerting to see millions of U.S. tax dollars going to provide airtime to Palestinian children's programs that glorify martyrdom against the Great and Little Satan - America and Israel respectively?
Why is one of the most popular retail items in the Palestinian controlled areas a key chain figure of Osama bin Laden, hands raised in triumph over Imperial aggression?
President John F. Kennedy said it best, "But peace does not rest in the charters and covenants alone. It lies in the hearts and minds of all people. So let us not rest all our hopes on parchment…”
Apparently Western ideals have been unable to win over the hearts and minds of the majority of the Palestinian people.
November 2, 2003 - Throughout this series we will see that even though the Apostle Paul found Jesus as his Messiah, he never abandoned his Jewish structure and belief system; it only became clearer to him.
One of Paul's most easily identified Scripture passages is found in Galatians 5:22, 23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
These adjectives describe to us the attributes of G-d manifested through people's lives - as they give over their lives wholly to the Spirit of G-d.
Yet the reality is these attributes cannot be made known to people without the word of G-d… of which Paul was a master scholar.
Further, these attributes of G-d are clearly defined in the word of G-d, and are defined as G-d's expectation for men's lives. In Micah 6:8 we are told, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the L-RD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy G-d?”
Micah 6:8 is a mirror of Galatians 5:22, 23. When the Epistle to the Galatians was written there was no New Testament.
The Torah was in fact the blue print to the believers in the first century, and by definition the believers in Jesus were as whole, Jewish - until the 10th chapter of Acts, then salvation’s flood gate was opened to the Gentiles.
Paul's affirmation of G-dly attributes manifested in New Testament believer’s lives came straight from the Law of G-d - to all those who call upon the name of the L-rd.
To be continued. . .