The King is Coming

Sometimes I use this space to talk about things not (or maybe indirectly) related to Israel. This is one of those weeks.

I was talking this week with a friend. Our conversation was the same one you’ve been having. The unrest in the country is very disturbing.

Many of us wonder what has happened to our country. Some of us have some opinions about that. For what it’s worth, this is mine:

Soon after the Russian Revolution, Lenin and Stalin knew that the U.S. was the world’s lone superpower. They also knew there were many ways to attack. A subtle-but-effective one required sending agents into every sphere of our society: academia, media, politics, religion.

I am convinced there has been an effort for almost 100 years to rot us from within. One could make a good argument that that long-range plan is now producing a harvest. I strongly believe this.

However.

I listened to a bit of Rush Limbaugh—who is fighting his own battle—and he suggested to a listener that she turn off cable news for one week.

What a great suggestion!

So that evening my friend and I were talking on the phone. I said that an idea had just jumped into my head: listen to the Statler Brothers’ version of “The King is Coming.”

Written originally by Bill and Gloria Gaither, the song has an eternal message. In the Statler version, the (what I call “other-worldly”) voice of Lew DeWitt is thrilling.

My friend and I decided to listen to that song that evening at precisely 8 o’clock.

I’ve felt better ever since.

Interestingly, national news got a bit better after that. A couple times a day I check in with Breitbart to see what’s going on.

I said I wasn’t going to really discuss Israel, but I will, briefly. It goes along with my feeling that the world is no longer logical or completely rational. People are doing things that are jarring. General Mattis rips the President (but read up on the General, who I believe is an Establishment/Deep State guy); Drew Brees stands up to the mob, then caves. Actual, elected local officials talk of literally dismantling their local police force(!).

The list goes on and on.

Then I read a piece in the Jerusalem Post, written by Joel Rosenberg, in which he advises Israel to drop annexation plans now. Rosenberg touts (as he often does) his contacts high in the political world. He makes what I think is a bizarre appeal to listen to his buddies in the Arab world, who assure him that no, they do not support annexation but instead are so looking forward to establishing formal agreements with Israel. He writes:

“Thus, while I would love to see the day that more of the biblical land of Judea and Samaria is peacefully incorporated into the State of Israel, count me as one who thinks our first priority should be establishing historic peace treaties, economic ties and strategic security alliances with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and even Morocco and Sudan.”

First of all, the only way a future “incorporated” Israel with Judea and Samaria will come about peacefully is when the King Comes. Rosenberg does know this, doesn’t he?

Secondly, does he seriously believe Israel can trust the Arab dictators? His entire piece in the Post sounds exactly like a paid press release.

My point in all this is, I’m going to listen less to men from now on and listen more to God. Spend more time in Scripture. Spend more time away from network news anchors who hate their country (including some on FOX).

I’ll feel better.

We are going to glory, and sooner rather than later. I love my country and will not go gently into that good night. But I’m mostly looking forward to seeing King Jesus. I’ve been to Jerusalem a good many times.

Can’t wait to see it with Him.

The King is Coming
Happy faces line the hallways
Those whose lives have been redeemed
Broken homes that He has mended
Those from prison He has freed
Little children and the aged
Hand in hand stand all aglow
Who were crippled, broken, ruined
Clad in garments white as snow
 O the King is coming
The King is coming
I just heard the trumpets sounding
And now His face I see
O the King is coming
The King is coming
Praise God, He’s coming for me
(Bill and Gloria Gaither)

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annexation Threats

The international community’s propaganda machines are working overtime, as growing criticism of Israel’s intention to annex parts of Judea and Samara looms.

Benjamin Netanyahu has announced plans for Israel to annex all the Israeli communities established there since the 1967 war.

According to a report in the Times of Israel:

“According to the U.S. administration, Israel would be annexing around 30 percent of the West Bank. However, based on the maps presented by Netanyahu and the administration, experts estimate it would actually be 20 percent. This is in addition to the ‘exchange of territories and populations’ that appear in the plan in the Negev and Galilee area known as The Triangle.”

In conjunction with the Trump Peace Plan, the annexation is supposed to take place in July. At some distant point in the future, a very limited Palestinian state would be established. People on both sides of this divide know it wouldn’t be viable, but there is something else at play here, too.

Although he is the weakest presidential candidate in my lifetime, Joe Biden announced this week that if he wins the White House, he will reverse all of Trump’s Israel policies. This is no surprise. In fact, when the day comes that the “anti-Trump” resides in the White House, we will see a backlash and hatred of Israel never before seen.

The usual suspects in Europe, including the much-weakened European Union, are threatening Israel over annexation. They vow to step-up boycott activities.

Writing this week for the Jewish News Service, Melanie Phillips addressed this: “The E.U. has been mulling over punitive measures against Israel if it goes ahead with what its Western critics call “annexation of the occupied territories of the West Bank.”

She then identified the individual countries:

“A number of member states, headed by France along with Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Belgium and Luxembourg, are calling for a hard line.

“This is a serious misreading of international law. Israel is not ‘occupying’ these territories. In law, occupation can only occur if the land belongs to a sovereign power, which was never the case here…”

Isn’t that interesting? There in black and white is the crux of the matter, yet when one uses this argument, it is rejected out-of-hand by leftists. In effect, they are denying reality.

And that’s what makes this era so difficult to live through. Israel is vilified by the likes of Iran and Turkey, who are also working to (even on social media!) actively undermine the U.S. by supporting the anarchists rioting across the country in the wake of the George Floyd killing. That’s what leftists do, they work together to undermine and destroy people they perceive to be their enemies.

Remember, you can never appease leftist enemies by concessions. They demand more. And if you do unilaterally support your own interests, as Israel is doing, they will become even more unhinged.

There is a reprieve of sorts going on now with regard to Israel and her support from the U.S. But post-Trump, whenever that is, will see the attempted rollbacks of all Israel’s gains.

If that means a war to roll-back annexation, that’s what our enemies will launch.

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com