I cannot tell you how many times in my life I have heard the expression "the pen is mightier than the sword". But that was yesterday. It was when people actually read books, newspapers and editorials. Yes I know, perhaps YOU still do that but most folks these days get their worldwide news from social media snippets. I am appalled when I see so many people interviewed on T.V. and cannot recognize the picture of George Washington, even though they use one dollar bills every day of their lives. When so many people want to rip down a statue of General Robert E. Lee and have no clue that the gentleman was preeminent in trying to rid the southern states of slavery. I am appalled when people pay other people to show up at political rallies and many of the people paid have zero knowledge of what exactly they are paid to protest.
Republicans have become the frozen chosen (at least until the next election cycle), Democrats are screaming racial prejudice and yet the history books paint an entirely different picture in that nearly all slave holders coming into the Civil War were---ah let me think for a moment, oh yes now I remember, they were Democrats. Black civil rights leaders are doing nothing for their people but stirring up racial hatred and raking in millions for speeches and book deals. But guess what? "Whitey" gets the blame but no one seems to recall that it was African kings and large tribes raiding smaller kingdoms and tribes, taking slaves by the thousands who actually sold those very slaves to the Portuguese slave masters (and yes many slavers from other nations as well). No one seems to recall that the British "whitey" passed the slave trade act in 1807 and spent millions trying to stamp it out. No one seems to remember that Abraham Lincoln was a Republican who took an entire nation to war to stamp out slavery and hold southern Democratic slave holders accountable.
No one seems to care that athletes making MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS of dollars while enjoying the American dream, refuse to honor our flag or stand for a national anthem that is the standard of freedom for most of the known world. I don't know about you but that smacks of political agenda and rings hollow in my ears. I don't normally write anything about politics and in my mind this article is not political either. What it is, is an outcry against power hungry political hacks who do everything possible to keep great nations on the verge of anarchy so they can line their pockets and vi for elected positions that they can then use to milk the system until retirement while in the meanwhile padding fat bank accounts.
Slavery is wrong in no uncertain terms but rewriting the history books does not make the problem go away. And why are not more voices raised from every ethnicity in the world because slavery still exists today and is thriving? Including sex slaves among children, Christian women and young girls raped in the thousands and sold off as prostitutes? Not to mention an untold number of other cultures who's women are suffering the same life ruining indignity. How is it that we have active partnerships with nations who give zero rights to women and force their daughters to have genital mutilation? Estimates are that 21 MILLION people are enslaved today worldwide and produces 150 BILLION dollars in elicit profits annually. Where are the outraged voices? Why are todays civil rights leaders harping on events of 150 years ago instead of using their collective power, money and influence to stomp out slavery today?
On another front, I am absolutely irate because so many people hate Israel and have swallowed political speak based on zero substantial evidence. When the evidence that does exist in massive mountains of books, papers and journals, evidence that supports Israel's right to exist and it's Biblical right to posses the land given to them by God, is flatly ignored as though it does not exist at all. I am insulted beyond words when I see social misfits ripping, tearing and urinating on both the United Stated flag and that of Israel. Then stomping Police cars, breaking windows and stealing from middle class shop owners who can barely make ends meet on a good day. Sorry folks but those animals should be thrown behind bars and defacing any countries flag should be legally exempted from the right of free speech!
Worldwide things are terrible. We now have to look closely for snippets of good news. We should not be surprised I suppose because the premier authority in the world (the Holy Bible) says all these things will happen. But then only committed Christians and Jews believe in the Bible anymore and speaking of our Jewish brethren; Where are the voices condemning antisemitism, a large portion of which is being practiced by some Christian denominations who adhere to the absolutely unbiblical doctrine of replacement theology?
Why are radical Muslims allowed to rape women in public in some European countries? Why are there "no go zones" in which even the police are afraid to tread? Why are there not more raised voices among decent peace loving Muslims who will not condemn those who are hell bent of portraying their religion as violent and hateful?
The world is racing toward Armageddon at an unprecedented, accelerated rate and many humans on this planet are like ostriches with their heads stuck in the sand (although to be honest some people say ostriches do not participate in that practice) but for my purposes it demonstrates a truth that is difficult to ignore.
No, the pen is no longer mightier than the sword, in fact people like myself who would like to write edifying articles now have a difficult time keeping up with all the daily bad news in nearly every corner of the world. No pen is mightier than Kim Jung Un's nuclear arsenal. Do I sound frustrated?
With good reason. Of course for me (a committed supporter of Israel) the outrage I feel daily because of the lies told by and through various media outlets regarding Israel is simply beyond the pale. In fact I have realized that the various problems we are seeing in the world are not really THE problem but merely a symptom of mankind's depravity. And yes there are still good people in this world but because of P.C. (political correctness) they are in most part afraid to speak up.
Case in point. My wife and I have been blessed to travel to Israel 9 times. No big deal considering I met a woman one time who had been there over 300 times. I could only wish! But do you know what? I realized some truths during my various trips. Truth # 1. A Jew born in Israel is called a Sabra. A rough definition of that term is "a prickly pear". Initially I asked myself why so many Jews were so curt and unfriendly. Over time I realized that it is because seemingly everyone in the world hates them. Generation after generation of Jews have been persecuted, often to death (an example is the holocaust of WWII). In many cases trust for Christians is the number 1 most difficult thing for them to achieve. Why? After all many of us love Israel and want to stand with her no matter what. But did you know that Adolf Hitler claimed to be a Christian and was named as head of the church during his reign of terror? Of course he had purged nearly all true pastors by that time and had for the sake of P.R. appointed his own church officials. But that is what many Jewish people remember as Christianity. Over the centuries the Jewish people have had great reason not to trust people wearing crosses, some of them 2 feet tall, crimson red and stenciled onto the fronts of their shields and armor.
But, when those Sabra's got to know us, really know us and knew that we really did love Israel, those prickly pears became the sweetest people and truest friends we have ever known. #2 Now for a shocker! During our times in both Israel and Jordan, we were able to have long conversations with several Muslim and Arab people plus some Bedouins. My opinion only, but leaving out political leaders, journalists in general, and people who want to write books for the sake of fame, money and personal prejudice, very many Jews and Arabs have no problem getting along and with some exceptions did so for centuries. In fact, privately (VERY VERY PRIVATELY) I have been told on several occasions by some very nice Arab and Muslim folks that they much prefer to live under Israeli sovereignty than anywhere that either Fatah or Hamas rules. The reason stated was that they are respected in Israel, can educate their children without political intrigue and brain washing, enjoy an occupation or become a business owner, have good health care, walk the beaches as any other person and are proud to be an Israeli citizen. I'm sure there are exceptions to that but these people simply cannot speak out publicly because if they do, their relatives and friends in the East Bank or Gaza will be persecuted or killed.
The problem as I see it is not a difference in religious belief although as you know I am a committed Christian and hope eventually everyone else will be as well. No, the problem is politics, money, greed and power struggles on the part of social and national leadership at the expense of people on both sides of this issue who would simply like to put all that hatred aside and live out their lives in peace and security regardless of who their neighbors might be. But then the same could be said for America as well. Left to their own devices, apart from political agenda, people of differing colors and cultural background generally get along pretty well. An example of that can be seen in the military. With few exceptions when men of different color are in the same uniform in the same foxhole, no one cares about political agendas. They care about staying alive and in order to do so they must care for each other. Bonds and friendships develop in those kinds of situations that transcend whatever may have happened 152 years ago in the American Civil War. By the way did you know that by the end of that dreaded war, 10% of the entire Union army was black? The 54th Regiment of Massachusetts was entirely black and an awesome fighting machine. There were 179,000 black Union Army soldiers with 80 commissioned officers and 16 black soldiers earned the Medal of Honor. So, here we are 152 years later and still fighting that war today? POLITICS! MONEY and GREED. Pure and simple.
But back to Israel, the apple of God's eye. How is it that so many in the church seemingly do not believe what the Bible says about Israel? I have been a pastor for many years and simply cannot explain it. But the good news is that the winds of change are beginning to blow. More and more believers are "getting hot" about Israel and supporting her if in no other way than prayer. More and more are taking trips to the Holy Land. More and more eyes are being opened to the false narrative puked out by so many anti Israel news agencies.
As the old saying goes "You can fool all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all of the time"! The time for fooling anyone about the divine destiny of Israel is thankfully beginning to come to a close. That door will never ever close completely but my friends it is time for the church to rise up with one united voice and say to the world; NEVER AGAIN! Israel belongs to God and we are Christians and we belong to Him also.
We have heard all about the Obama train and now the Trump train. Leaving politics and presidential personalities out of the equation, it is high time for the church worldwide to get on the God train and that means saying NO to prejudice and to P.C. and standing solidly in support of Israel.
God bless,
Pastor Rance.
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