Hitting Iran

As Israel transitions from the Yair Lapid regime to the new reign of Benjamin Netanyahu, the country has maintained its steadfast vigilance against Iran.

A couple weeks ago, airstrikes attributed to Israel were carried out against Iranian air defense bases in Syria. Near Damascus and the Qsair Military Airport west of Homs also took out Hezbollah’s aeronautics unit, engaged in the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Lebanon.

At the same time, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps increased salaries for fighters serving pro-Iranian militias in eastern Syria.

Additionally, Esmail Qa-ani, a commander with the Qods Force, has declared that Israel is under tremendous pressure and will soon collapse, with the Palestinians claiming the land!

Typical terrorist rhetoric. Sounds like Baghdad Bob, if you remember that clown from the First Gulf War.

On the evening of December 19, a very interesting development occurred: the Syrian army claimed that Israeli Air Force missiles hit positions near Damascus. Now, the attack came right after an Iranian cargo plane landed at the airport. We know from prophecy that Damascus plays a key role in the last days, and this strike also shows clearly that Israel’s intelligence capabilities are far ahead of their enemies’. It’s almost as if Israel knows what the terrorists are going to do before they do.

This is but one evidence that God is fighting for His people, right now. This is very exciting.

If we are looking at Isaiah 17, the burden of Damascus will, I believe, involve the nefarious plans drawn-up by Iran and her proxies in the region. We are told that the regime in Syria will cease to exist overnight! Before dawn, the enemy will no longer exist.

The Lebanese news website al-Nashra published a report based on a senior Iranian source, alleging that Iran is willing to provide fuel to Lebanon, and even prepared a contract awaiting the approval of the Lebanese government, but the government has avoided signing onto it due to fear of American sanctions. According to this report, Iran is prepared to send 600,000 tons of fuel to the Lebanese government, and that the issue was handled by the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon. The source also claimed that Iran is not intervening in the election process of the next Lebanese president because it has allies in the country, including Hezbollah and Amal, which know the situation in the country better than Tehran, and make decisions on their own regarding this matter.

We know of course that Lebanon has been a key player in terrorist activity going back generations. As an aside, the Lebanese people have suffered greatly for years, starting with Arafat and his PLO gang of killers in the 60s and 70s, and in recent years by Iran. With Lebanon on Israel’s northern doorstep, the energy sources provided by Iran come with significant strings. Like with most other end-time plots involving military activity, Lebanon belongs in the gaggle of neighboring nations that come against Israel. Think of the intricate plans devised by Israel’s enemies; they will be thwarted in the blink of an eye by the Lord. How much better it would have been to use all these resources and manpower for good purposes!

Finally, Iran is also meddling in Iraq, working to bolster tourism and pilgrimages. It’s almost hard to believe the two countries were locked into a protracted war all through the 1980s; untold numbers were slaughtered in that savage war brought by the mullahs and Iraq’s psychopath, Saddam Hussein.

While Iran ramps-up its mischief in the region, let us maintain our prayer vigil for the people in this region, and not only Israelis. We pray for their physical safety, even as we watch their spiritual transformation underway.

The Lord also loves the millions of suffering Arabs, gripped by regimes that hate and use them. Let us pray for them as well.

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unto Us Is Born

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2)

There are years when I feel compelled to write about Christmas…at Christmas. So unusual, right?

As enjoyable as writing these pieces every week is the interaction I get from readers. I like getting to know some of you and realizing that we are all very similar in many ways. I am thinking this week very, very much about the bittersweet nature of this holiday. The original story, from the New Testament, has ups and downs.

Just like our individual lives.

Just today, the day before Christmas Eve, I found out that a friend’s husband died yesterday, as they were sitting on the couch looking at photos from last Christmas, on his phone. They were talking about how much they were looking forward to this weekend. His phone fell out of his hand and he died instantly.

As if we needed reminding that we live in a fallen world. A world wracked by death, sadness, torture, hopelessness, and a thousand other spiritual and physical maladies.

But everything in our world is always swirling around together, all the time. With death there is also birth. Sadness gives way to joy, or vice versa.

Hopelessness, though, has only one antidote: the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 9:6 speaks to this, and has relevance for this season:

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

In Isaiah 7 of course, we read the famous Virgin Birth passage. It’s amusing (in a way) to hear critics of the Bible and the Christian faith say things like, “Christians claim that Micah 5:2 refers to the birth of the Messiah, specifically, Jesus Christ.” They don’t believe that, and don’t want you to, either.

But this remarkable prophecy, so appropriate for us to meditate on at Christmas, clearly refers to the birth of the Savior, but in a tiny, obscure hamlet. Not Jerusalem. Not in a mansion. The God-Man, Emmanuel, did not “make a splash” when He was born.

In Bethlehem!

I’ve been there and if one can set aside the sometimes-schlocky tourist merchandise and the fact that the malevolent PLO controls the town, spiritual truths emerge and wrap us in the knowledge that God came here 2,000 years ago.

The famous Church of the Nativity sits atop the traditional birthplace of Jesus, a small grotto now full of Catholic symbols and icons. Still, you can make out enough to see in your mind’s eye a very modest shelter for a family from Nazareth.

I’ve written before a couple times about seeing modern shepherds, riding camels, making their way along the highway from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. This is one of the most fascinating aspects of Israel today. Everything in the country, the past, present, and future—all swirl together. A trip to Bethlehem in 2022 would also include shepherds living much as they did 2,000 years ago.

And the knowledge of the birth of our precious, merciful Savior pointing to His soon-return. His first coming is simply a precursor to His Second Coming, which will launch the Final Phase of History. I can’t wait, frankly. I know you feel the same way.

The prophecy from Micah, a prophet contemporary with Isaiah and Jeremiah, is just a wisp of a story; a small line in a small book (the “Minor Prophets”, Ha!). Yet it is extraordinary in its implications. About 700 years before Jesus is born in Bethlehem, it is predicted He will be born in that afterthought of a town.

What are the odds of that? Astronomical is the answer.

But that’s how our Word of God is; astonishing in its predictive prophecy. Relevant, always.

Because we are all basically alike, with the same general problems, I know some of you are suffering mightily this Christmas season. Maybe a relative has just passed suddenly. You might be fearful of your financial situation. A relationship with your kids, or a friend might be weighing heavy on you.

Whatever it is, take a few minutes and find a quiet place where your mind and heart can rest. Then open your Bible and read Micah 5:2 and think long and hard about God calling that event long before it happened.

He’s got your problems covered!

Knowing that, give yourself a gift this Christmas. For 24 hours, put away your fear and anxiety. Put your anger about a situation on a shelf. Read Micah 5:2 and thank God for the gift of salvation, peace of mind, and an eternity that will know nothing about pain of any kind.

Merry Christmas!

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com