Tag: #JESUS

Why Israel Exists: Excellent Article!

An excellent piece that per Amir Tsarfati’s research with the help of AI tools and written by Berel Salomon:

There’s something about Israel that makes people uncomfortable, and it’s not what they say it is.
They’ll point to politics, settlements, borders, and wars. But scratch beneath the outrage, and you’ll find something deeper. A discomfort not with what Israel does, but with what Israel is.
A nation this small should not be this strong. Period.
Israel has no oil. No special natural resources. A population barely the size of a mid-sized American city. They are surrounded by enemies. Hated in the United Nations. Targeted by terror. Condemned by celebrities. Boycotted, slandered, and attacked.
And still, they thrive like there’s no tomorrow.
In military. In medicine. In security. In technology. In agriculture. In intelligence. In morality. In sheer, unbreakable will.
They turn desert into farmland.
They make water from air.
They intercept rockets in mid-air.
They rescue hostages under the nose of the world’s worst regimes.
They survive wars that were supposed to wipe them out, and win.
The world watches this and can’t make sense of it.
So they do what people do when they witness strength they can’t understand.
They assume it must be cheating.
It must be American aid.
It must be foreign lobbying.
It must be oppression.
It must be theft.
It must be some dark trick that gave the Jews this kind of power.
It must be blackmail.
Because heaven forbid it’s something else.
Heaven forbid it’s real.
Heaven forbid it’s earned.
Or worse, destined.
The Jewish people were supposed to disappear a long, long time ago. That’s how the story of exiled, enslaved, hated minorities is supposed to end. But the Jews didn’t disappear. They actually came home, rebuilt their land, revived their language, and brought their dead back to life — in memory, in identity, and in strength.
That’s not normal.
It’s not political.
It’s biblical.
There’s no cheat code that explains how a group of people return to their homeland after 2,000 years.
There is no rational path from gas chambers to global influence.
And there is no historical precedent for surviving the Babylonians, the Romans, the Crusaders, the Inquisition, the pogroms, and the Holocaust, and still showing up to work on Monday in Tel Aviv.
Israel doesn’t make sense.
Unless you believe in something beyond the math.
This is what drives the world crazy. Because if Israel is real, if this improbable, ancient, hated nation is somehow still chosen, protected, and thriving, then maybe God isn’t a myth after all.
Maybe He’s still in the story.
Maybe history isn’t random.
Maybe evil doesn’t get the last word.
Maybe the Jews are not just a people… but a testimony.
That’s what they can’t stand.
Because once you admit that Israel’s survival isn’t just impressive, but divine, everything changes. Your moral compass has to reset. Your assumptions about history, power, and justice collapse. You realize you’re not watching the end of an empire. You’re witnessing the beginning of something eternal.
So they deny it.
They smear it.
And rage against it.
Because it’s easier to call a miracle “cheating” than to face the possibility that God keeps His promises.
And He’s keeping them still!

Never Too Far

I’ve said it before. Once you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, there is no place you can go that He is not there. You can’t run fast enough or far enough to out-distance Him. Turn around. Wherever you are, just turn around. He’s right there with you.

Genesis 28:15 NASB1995 “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Throughout scriptures, the LORD promises to never leave us or forsake us. I know His Word is true. I’ve done lots of running, and inserted myself into plenty of sketchy situations and truly ugly circumstances. I was never alone, despite doing everything I could to drown out that quiet voice in my head. He delivered me out of all the follies I chose for myself, but – and this is important to remember – He did not relieve me of the consequences of my actions.

Pastor Mark Hitchcock said “God destroys His enemies by making them His friends; but those who don’t become friends, will be destroyed by Him.”

Are you His friend? Have you made the ultimate decision? GOD through Christ has given us the opportunity to reconcile with Him. It is our sin that separates us from Him, and it is Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross that can reconcile us to Him – IF we choose it. Jesus is The Mediator, The Gospel. He came, He died, He rose from the dead. Simply the most complex and the most simple thing ever to happen.

Be aware though, and don’t fall for an imposter:

2 Corinthians 11:14-15 NASB1995 “No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.“

Remember, you can’t run away from the LORD. No matter what you do, no matter where you go, once you are adopted into His family you will never be alone again.

Romans 8:38-39 NASB1995 “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

TO AN UNKNOWN GOD

Acts 17:23-31 NASB1995
[23] For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. [24] The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; [25] nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; [26] and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, [27] that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; [28] for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’ [29] Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. [30] Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, [31] because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” [https://bible.com/bible/100/act.17.23-31.NASB1995]

People say they don’t believe in GOD. They might try to fool themselves into believing that, but we all believe. They will elevate something, or someone, into the place that belongs to the Creator. Just as the Romans had a shrine to the “Unknown God” in their city, we each have a place in our hearts for Him. The question is, who or what replaces the LORD in your heart, or is your heart filled by the Holy Spirit of GOD?

Hebrews 11:1 NASB1995
[1] Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. [https://bible.com/bible/100/heb.11.1.NASB1995]

I Have Been Renewed

Psalms 40:2-17 NASB1995
[2] He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. [3] He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the Lord. [4] How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust, And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood. [5] Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count. [6] Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears You have opened; Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required. [7] Then I said, “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. [8] I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.” [9] I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation; Behold, I will not restrain my lips, O Lord, You know. [10] I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation. [11] You, O Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me. [12] For evils beyond number have surrounded me; My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see; They are more numerous than the hairs of my head, And my heart has failed me. [13] Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; Make haste, O Lord, to help me. [14] Let those be ashamed and humiliated together Who seek my life to destroy it; Let those be turned back and dishonored Who delight in my hurt. [15] Let those be appalled because of their shame Who say to me, “Aha, aha!” [16] Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually, “The Lord be magnified!” [17] Since I am afflicted and needy, Let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God. [https://bible.com/bible/100/psa.40.2-17.NASB1995]

My life has been hard. As a child, we didn’t have many material things, and there wasn’t excess food. I wore hand-me-down or homemade clothes, but we were loved. As an adult, I experienced abuse, was trafficked, abandoned. But there are many who have endured much worse! Psalm 40 was written by King David. He was a shepherd as a boy, a menial, labor intensive job. He went on to become the king, but his life was full of danger, from both those on his ‘side’ and the enemy. He loved the LORD, and still made terrible decisions, among them having an affair with the wife of his general and having that general murdered. Yet he loved the LORD. He broke every commandment. Yet he loved the LORD.

I haven’t murdered anyone, although I have wished them dead. Jesus said that if we thnk it, it’s the same as doing it. The rest of the commandments? All broken. The beautiful thing about our Creator is that He love me, warts and all. No matter how badly we mess up, He still loves us and wants to be in fellowship with us. Thank GOD for His Mercy and Forgiveness! I’m still a sinner, and a mess. So what’s the difference between me and anyone else? I’m forgiven. Are you? He’s just a heartbeat away, waiting patiently for you to ask for His Forgiveness. It is freely given.

ASK.

Ms. Fix-It

That’s me. My identity for years. It’s where I found my worth. It was an unusual vocation 30+ years ago for a woman, and that’s probably at least part of the reason I did it. At one point, I purchased an old home and replaced all 22 windows on my own (I had “help” for one and promptly fired him!). I replaced and added cabinets, added electrical, and replaced porch columns. There were countless little things to fix, including repairing plaster walls (yes, plaster, NOT sheetrock). Painting the interior. Replacing sinks and fixtures.

I was proud of the work I did.

I’m in another old house now. A 1915 farmhouse that was remodeled out of all it’s charm before I bought it. I’m frustrated with myself because my 72 yo body won’t cooperate with my mind and do the things I want done.

What does any of this have to do with anything?

It’s a strong reminder that this world is not permanent. We humans grow old and die. The earth and the heavens are not permanent, either. “Climate change” is a scam the enemy of mankind, Satan, is perpetuating to pull people’s attention away from the reason earth will cease to exist. It’s not because of humans or animals or even manufacturing. It all goes down to sin and the evil unleashed by the enemy. God tells us in His Word that the earthwill cease to exist.

Hebrews 1:10-12 NASB1995
[10] And, “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the works of Your hands; [11] They will perish, but You remain; And they all will become old like a garment, [12] And like a mantle You will roll them up; Like a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.” (https://bible.com/bible/100/heb.1.10-12.NASB1995)

I might have the ability through the gifts GOD gave me to envision and fix things, but it is only in Jesus Christ that my spirit can be “fixed,” changed through His Blood. My work here is temporary. No matter how good of a job I do, it will perish along with this world. Nothing I can possibly do is good enough to last forever.

Ephesians 2:8-9 NASB1995
[8] For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; [9] not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (https://bible.com/bible/100/eph.2.8-9.NASB1995)

For years I tried to convince myself that what I did defined me. I still struggle with that. The majority of humanity is the same. Our work and our appearance is the most important thing ….. But it’s not. Almost everyone has heard of John 3:16, but read the following verses.

John 3:14-21 NASB1995
[14] As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; [15] so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. [16] “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. [18] He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [19] This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. [20] For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. [21] But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” (https://bible.com/bible/100/jhn.3.14-21.NASB1995)

I’m not religious. My job in life doesn’t matter. What I AM does matter. The only identity we need is that of Believer. Christ follower. It doesn’t matter how good, ethical, decent, righteous, honest, moral, or just we are. If you/I haven’t accepted Jesus Christ, the Son of God Who died on a cross and was resurrected on the third day, and ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of GOD AMIGHTY, as your personal Savior, acknowledging your sinful being …. you and I are lost, looking at an eternity in hell.

It’s that simple. I believe it. Do you?

1 Peter 1:3 NASB1995
[3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (https://bible.com/bible/100/1pe.1.3.NASB1995)

Oh, Love again?

‭Luke 6:27-31 NLT‬
[27] “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. [28] Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. [29] If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. [30] Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. [31] Do to others as you would like them to do to you. https://bible.com/bible/116/luk.6.27-31.NLT

I don’t like these verses. I don’t want to listen to them! “Love your enemies.” “Bless those who hate you.” “Give, and don’t try to get things back.”

“Be nice. Play nice. Share. Treat others the way you want to be treated.”

We are taught these things when we are little – and if we aren’t teaching it to our children, well, shame on us! If you watch any news, on whatever media you use, we aren’t doing a very good job of teaching tolerance and kindness. The American Democratic Party of love and tolerance is leading the way with violence and hate. The religion of love, Islam, produces the most vitriolic hate and horrific acts I’ve ever seen or heard of. Christians, who should be leading the way in promoting Christ and being the example of the greatest love ever experienced by man, are among the most vocal liars and cheaters (just look in Washington DC and the White House).

What to do, what to do.

Well, what would Jesus do?

Don’t ask me! I am a horrible example to follow. Love my enemies? Pray for those who have hurt me? Don’t try to get back the money I was scammed out of, or the things that were taken from me? Turn my other cheek to the boss who lied to get me fired? What about the husband who cheated? Am I just supposed to forgive them all?

FORGIVE. That’s not a suggestion, it’s a command. I rely on Matthew 6, the Lord’s Prayer, especially this:

‭Matthew 6:14-15 NLT‬
[14] “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. [15] But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.6.14-15.NLT

Forgive. It’s not an emotion or a feeling, it’s a conscious act that will probably have to be repeated multiple times. When those familiar feelings of betrayal and anger and hurt start to rise up within me, it’s up to me to make that decision – again! – to forgive that person or persons. Don’t think it’s going to be easy, because it isn’t. The only way it is possible for me to do it, is to pray and rely on the strength that can only come from the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Try it. It’s amazingly freeing. Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice that makes it possible. Left up to me, I’d just be a ball of seething frustration and hate.

And there we have it, the reason our world is in such bad shape. To use a well-known phrase, “No Jesus, No peace.” Do you have Jesus? If not, He’s just waiting for you to ask Him. He loves you. He doesn’t turn anyone away.

It’s good to be back.

Trust

Trust into myself? I don’t think so….

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.”
Proverbs 3:7 NASB1995

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6 NASB1995

Trust in God. We hear that from the pulpit, from Christian leaders, and in Bible studies. Be vulnerable, humble, helpless. The Scriptures are full of instructions on trusting God rather than man – or yourself. Society says trust your gut. Who – or what – do you believe?

“He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered.”
Proverbs 28:26 NASB1995

“He only is my Rock and my Salvation, My Stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my Salvation and my Glory rest; The Rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.”
Psalms 62:6‭-‬8 NASB1995

In ALL ways trust God. Not just the big things, but the little things, too. God says in ALL things. He will not let us down. The Hebrew word for heart means our mind, our body, our soul, our life. We owe God our full trust, no matter what is happening in our lives. Solomon uses the most personal form of the word for ‘LORD’. He emphasizes “Don’t lean on your own understanding!” Our desire for self sufficiency came into being when Adam believed the serpent’s lie. He became convinced that he could discern truth without God’s guidance. It is deception of the deepest kind, and it is the enemy’s goal that we believe it. We are infatuated with relying on ourselves. Sin leads us to believe that we can believe ourselves and lead ourselves and rely on ourselves.

“…. being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; ….”
Ephesians 4:18 NASB1995

“There is no one holy like the LORD, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. …. Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered; Against them He will thunder in the heavens, The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; ….”
1 Samuel 2:2‭, ‬10 NASB1995

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
Isaiah 55:8 NASB1995

Ralph Wardlaw, Scottish preacher, said that “leaning on our own understanding is essentially practical atheism… we are not relying on God, we are denying Him.” That grabs my heart! The thought that I have been denying God, and practicing atheism in my life, stops my breath. Claiming to be a Christian, yet practicing atheism, because I think I can determine my own life.

“In ALL our ways acknowledge Him.” To “acknowledge” is “to know, learn, experience, pursue.” Am I doing that? Am I studying, learning, and pursuing God? The more I invest in God, the more I know Him. He never takes a break from leading me (us) and caring for me (us). We are to submit in every area of our lives. Focused on the LORD.

“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.”
1 Chronicles 28:9 NASB1995

Remeber what Joseph went through? It would be my worst nightmare to have to experience what he did, yet hear what he says about it. For myself, I struggle with forgiveness for those who have wronged me, but Joseph forgives his brothers. “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”
Genesis 50:20 NASB1995

“God writes straight with crooked lines.” – Portuguese proverb. Are we fully trusting in the LORD? Ask yourself these questions:

1. Do you let the Scriptures overrule your own thinking?

2. Do you believe that Jesus the only path to heaven? (i.e. Do good people go to heaven?)

3. When was the last time you took a risk to follow Jesus, placing everything in His hands?

LORD, I pray that I can overrule my thoughts with Your help. I know that Your Son, Jesus Christ, is the only way to eternal life with You in heaven. Help me as I daily struggle to to place my entire life in Your hands. In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

He Is RISEN, Indeed!

“And the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.”
Matthew 28:5‭-‬6 NASB2020

https://bible.com/bible/2692/mat.28.5-6.NASB2020

All Things…

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.”
1 Corinthians 6:9‭-‬12 NASB1995

https://bible.com/bible/100/1co.6.9-12.NASB1995

“And so the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a SAVIOUR, who is CHRIST the LORD.”
Luke 2:10‭-‬11 NASB2020

https://bible.com/bible/2692/luk.2.10-11.NASB2020

Thank GOD that JESUS was born! Merry Christmas, everyone!