The Birth of Moshiach

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old,
From everlasting.”
                                   —Micah 5:2

Of the countless remarkable things about the birth of Christ, the prophecy in the tiny book of Micah is one of the most compelling.

The prophet Micah recorded fully 700 years before Christ’s birth that the Messiah (“Moshiach” in Hebrew) would be born in…Bethlehem.

Perhaps it’s a lame comparison, but let’s say they were in Oklahoma then. One would think the Messiah would be born in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, or some other city. Instead, he would be born in…Bugtussle.

Being born in Bethlehem, rather than in, say, Jerusalem, was a signal that the Creator did things His way, and not our way.

And that has made all the difference.

I want here to briefly describe what I’ve seen in Jerusalem and Bethlehem during my visits there over the years. The main thing is, the more you drive south from Jerusalem, the more you see how things really were 2,000 years ago. The scene has little changed. People still tend sheep and the ancient hills are still there. The sleepy hamlet of Bethlehem is still there. It’s ironic now that it is under the control of the Palestinian Authority, but that’s a topic for another time.

In the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, one enters through a low door, then stands in a large church, where traces of ancient cultures are still seen. Being ushered downstairs to the places where tradition tells us Jesus was born is a bit disconcerting. The small grotto under the church is supposedly the “stable” and “manger” where the Lord entered this world. The heavily Catholic flavor of the place—with its ornate furnishings—leaves one a bit disoriented, if one expects a scene like the rough wooden stables set out each year at Christmas in so many homes, then the real place is disappointing!

But one can easily imagine the Lord coming to us here. Beyond the turmoil of the centuries, the place is still soaked in peace. It was here the shepherds saw the Star. It was here the wise men came from the east. And it is where, as the great prophet Isaiah tells us, the animals knew their Master.

We learn who Christ is through Scripture. That is where we begin to know Him. These historical occurrences are recorded and we can have confidence they happened.

I want to say too that one of the greatest evidences He came to us then, and is coming back to us again, is that He lives within believers. This cannot be explained through evolutionary philosophy or self-help teachings, or the New Age.

Christmas—the holidays—is often a tough time for many. I know many are desperate financially. I know a man who is well into retirement age, but he and his wife are forced to work for the duration. Without going into details, he has made his considerable financial concerns public, and it is painful to think of them at this time of year.

Others have tremendous physical challenges. Or they are grandparents raising their grandchildren. Young couples overwhelmed with the busyness of life.

Tonight, as I write this, I am particularly burdened for an old friend.

I’ve had my own challenges this year, with big transitions for more than two years.

But I am happy.

I empathize with those of you struggling, for whatever reason. I genuinely mean that. I feel a true kinship with my readers here at “Israel Watch.” Many of you communicate with me, and we have shared issues in our lives.

So please let me ask you at Christmas to do something. Go to a place where you can be quiet. A room, a park, a walking path, maybe even a coffee shop. Maybe you can only find quiet in your mind.

But think of the fact that 2,000 years ago, God became man and dwelled among us. He came to share our struggles and better yet, provide a way out of misery that sin causes. He became the sacrifice for our sins and here I don’t mean that in an esoteric way. Rather I mean, He came for you in a tangible way.

Then settle your mind and heart on Matthew 11:28:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

At Christmas, and you will probably read this Christmas night at the earliest, please try and find peace in your heart by thinking on the fact that Christ came, died, rose, and is coming again. I love thinking about all of it at Christmastime.

I hope and pray for you that your Christmas season has been relaxing and fun. If it has not, though, it’s not too late to enjoy it and make it even memorable, as the year peace came to your heart.

Sleep in heavenly peace.

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com

 

Without Merritt

One of the examples of infiltration of the American Evangelical community by the Left can be seen in the rise of Millennial “journalists” who are in fact change-agents determined to remake America along socialist/Marxist principles.

It almost goes without saying that a big target of this group is the Jewish state. From the time of Israel’s founding until now, the Left has hated the commitment to freedom and Zionism that defines the state of Israel.

In all this mix is a key change-agent: Jonathan Merritt. He is what I call “evangelical royalty,” as the son of former Southern Baptist Convention President James Merritt. A graduate of Liberty University, young Merritt now lives in New York City, where he writes for Religion News Service, the Atlantic, and the Week.  From these perches, Merritt writes from a left-wing perspective even as he pontificates about evangelical issues.

A few years ago, he spoke at an event hosted by the Telos Project, a pro Palestinian group. Merritt addressed “storytelling,” a foundational issue for Millennials. In essence, “storytelling” helps a person shape his or her perspective, for the consumption of a particular audience.

An example of storytelling is the claim by Palestinians that the Israelis oppress them. They do this by claiming, as a specific example, that Israel steals “Palestinian land.”

It is very difficult for a person in the United States reading one of these sad stories to verify its truth. Just as past generations actually believed that evening news anchors were unbiased readers of the news (they were anything but), many readers and viewers believe the negative stories about Israel.

Merritt helps the Palestinians and their advocates peddle the narrative that Israel and her supporters oppress the Palestinians.

Last week, Merritt tweeted the conventional wisdom in Washington and New York that Trump’s pledge to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is a provocative act, and one that could lead to violence:

“This move could ignite conflict across the region. Scary.”

His comment was in response to a Politico tweet, quoting Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway as saying that moving the embassy is a “big priority” for Trump.

According to Caroline Glick in the Jerusalem Post:

“Since 1948 the US has refused to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital – or even as part of Israel. This policy of non-recognition – embodied by the US refusal to transfer the US Embassy to Jerusalem – has been maintained by a bipartisan consensus despite the fact that for the past 20 years, US law has required the State Department to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the embassy to Jerusalem.

“When Trump promised to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, his words were greeted with cynicism.

“In one fell swoop, moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem will correct a great deal of the damage that eight years of President Barack Obama’s foreign policies have caused to US credibility worldwide.

“There is no single step the US can take that will do more to rebuild US credibility as an ally than moving the embassy to Jerusalem. By taking the step that none of his predecessors would take to stand in support of the US’s most embattled ally worldwide, Trump will show that America can again be trusted. And moving the embassy will accomplish this goal without placing one US soldier at risk, and will cost US taxpayers no more than a few million dollars for construction and moving fees.”

Now, Merritt’s tweet reveals what I believe to be both his left-wing bias about the Arab-Israeli conflict, and his lack of broad-based understanding of the conflict.

Why do I say that?

Because one can rightly wonder where Merritt has been the last 20 years, as the Arabs and specifically Muslim terrorists have burned the whole of the Middle East, accounting for untold casualties.

Ignite conflict? The Palestinians ignited conflict 50 years ago and have never let up, not for a day. Over 20,000 acts of terrorism have been aimed at Israeli Jews.

Really, Jonathan Merritt? An American embassy in Jerusalem—which would be our nation’s first-ever acknowledgement of Israeli sovereignty in its chose capitol—would be the catalyst for conflict in the region?

I call for accountability for his statement. Is Jonathan Merritt so ignorant of geopolitics and Middle East history that he actually believes his tweet? Or is he merely using a left-wing tactic by dispensing false information?

Further, has a 20-year pattern by American presidents to refuse to move the embassy (in violation of the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act) to Jerusalem resulted in peace and calm?

In fact, it has led to the opposite, for whenever the Palestinian leadership squeezes a concession from the West, 30 more demands surface immediately. This display of American weakness and not standing with a key ally gives the PA/PLO energy and strength.

Americans of a certain age, who stay abreast of the news and history, understand that Merritt’s tweet crosses over into useful idiot status that would have pleased the Soviet leadership. However, to Merritt’s intended audience—next-generation students and leaders—the tweet is akin to any typical Black Lives Matter propaganda: it sounds reasonable.

So long as “journalists” like Jonathan Merritt get away with their propaganda, we can be assured that conflict will continue to be ignited across the Middle East.

Scary.

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com