Tag: David Ben-Gurion

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America Living It Out In Real Time The Bible The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God Through The Looking Glass

In Remembrance

KS77759As we take this day to honor our veterans and their service to our nation, we are once again reminded of the bravery, dedication, and sacrifice of our brave service men and women. Our country is safe and free, in large part, because of the admirable service of those that have made the decision to dedicate their lives to military service. To all who have served in our armed forces, past and present, we honor you today.

But while this day is marked by much fanfare and excitement, this past weekend, another anniversary passed without the pomp and ceremony surrounding Veterans Day.

On November 9-10, 1938, the event known as Kristallnacht occurred throughout Germany and Austria. On the night of November 9, riots began that targeted Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues. Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass) was called such because of the broken glass shards that littered the streets from all of the broken windows from Jewish-owned establishments. The rioters included non-Jewish civilians, SA paramilitary personnel, and non-uniformed SS agents. While not an “official” government operation, authorities looked on at the death and destruction, and did nothing. By the morning of November 11, over 1,000 synagogues were burned, over 7,000 Jewish-owned businesses were destroyed or damaged, around 30,000 Jews were incarcerated in concentration camps, and at least 91 Jews were killed. The events of Kristallnacht were the dawn of, and ushered in, the Holocaust – resulting in the murder of approximately 6 millon Jews.

Dachau 2So why am I discussing the events of Kristallnacht on Veteran’s Day?

Because it was our servicemen who were responsible for liberating some of the Nazi concentration camps such as Buchenwald, Mauthausen, and Dachau at the end of World War II. It was our brave soldiers who witnessed first-hand the atrocities, and exhibited compassion to the thousands of Jewish prisoners who had suffered under the cruelty and barbarism of the Nazi regime.

And it was our President (Harry Truman) who recognized the State of Israel on May 14, 1948 — eleven minutes after David Ben-Gurion declared the establishment of the Jewish State of Israel.

As an American, I am proud of the support our nation has given Israel these many decades. As a Christian, I understand the necessity of supporting the Jewish people. The promise that God made to Abraham was a covenant promise that is alive, well, and still in effect today…

I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you. ~ Genesis 12:3

In a time in history when we are again seeing the rise of anti-Israel sabre-rattling from rogue nations, as well as radical Muslim organizations, it is important for America to let the world know that we stand squarely and unshakingly behind our Israeli friends. We must reject any idea or ideology that weakens Israeli security, and lock arms with our best friend in the Middle East. In doing this, we are not just fulfilling our duty as believers in Christ, but we are honoring our own heritage.

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America Living It Out In Real Time Miracles Out of Nowhere The Bible The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God

In Search of… The Blessing

bat-creekAs believers in Jesus, and joint-heirs with Him, we have the rights of sons and daughters of the King. The same blessings that applied to the nation of Israel in Scripture apply to us as believers as well…

I was almost a year old when David Ben-Gurion declared the establishment of the State of Israel. Almost a year to the day later, the UN voted by majority vote to admit Israel as a member. Here are some interesting facts about Israel that you may not know:

  • For all of the terrorist attacks we hear about, Israel has one of the highest life-expectancy rates in the world. At #4, it is far ahead of our own United States (a distant #33).
  • The only three U.S. states geographically smaller than Israel are Rhode Island, Delaware, and Connecticut. However, in 2012, Israel had the 43rd largest economy in the world (based on gross domestic product).
  • Israel has the highest standard of living of any country in the Middle East, and has the third highest in all of Asia.

So how can this be? Consider the words of Mark Twain. In 1898, Mr. Twain was living in Austria, where he witnessed vicious anti-Semitic attacks, and subsequently penned an article entitled “Stirring Times In Austria” (Harper’s Magazine, March 1898). One of the responses he received was from an American Jewish lawyer who asked, “Will you kindly tell me why, in your judgment, the Jews have thus ever been, and are even now, in these days of supposed intelligence, the butt of baseless, vicious animosities?” Twain’s response was in the form of an essay titled “Concerning the Jews”. He stated:

“If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of star dust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way. Properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of; but he is heard of, and has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallest of his bulk. His contributions to the world’s list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and abstruse learning are also way out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers.
He has made a marvelous fight in the world, in all the ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it. The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished.
The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?”

Right now in our world, the Middle East is as unsettled as it has been in decades. Between uncertainty in Egypt and Libya, violence and revolution in Syria, protracted war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and incessant saber-rattling in Iran, the survival of Israel seems to be nothing short of a miracle.

“So, what does this have to do with me?” you may ask.

The mystery of Israel’s survival is not just that they have survived, but that their survival is a living picture that, in Christ, you will live and not die. Your life is meaningful and full of purpose. God made you, chose you, and loved you from the foundation of the world, and no amount of persecution, tribulation, or trial will snatch you from His hand. In Christ, you are a child of the King— princes and princesses, royal priests, and heirs to all that God has to give you.