The Gaza War

I don't claim to subscribe to everything Joel Rosenberg says or stands for, honestly I don't know that much about him. However, I've been getting his updates for awhile and he's always been spot on. I thought I would share this. Please take not, in particular of the verses included.

New posts are coming soon! :-) It's part of my New Year's Resolution!

EARTH TO EUROPE, RUSSIA: HAMAS MUST BE CRUSHED, NOT CODDLED

By Joel C. Rosenberg

(Washington, D.C., December 31, 2008) -- The Gaza war rages on with no immediate end in sight. Indeed, Israeli sources tell me a ground operation into Gaza is not yet definite, but is likely.

Israel has rightfully rejected a French-proposed 48 hour cease-fire, saying the Gaza operation will continue until Israel's goal of shutting down the terrorist rocket threat is accomplished. The leaders of the European Union, Russia, and many governments around the world are putting enormous pressure on Israel to stop defending the Jewish people and stop attacking the terrorist strongholds in Gaza. This is crazy. Why do the Europeans and Russians have such a double-standard when it comes to Israeli national security?

More than 6,300 rockets and missiles have been fired at Israel by Hamas since Israeli withdrew its military forces from Gaza in 2005. Some 400 rockets have been fired at Israel just since December 19th. Would the French or Germans agree to a cease-fire if they were being hit by hundreds and thousands of rockets, missiles, and mortars by enemies sworn to annihilate them? Of course not. The Russians invaded Georgia for far, far less.

"We didn't initiate the Gaza operation in order to end it while Israeli towns are still under fire, as they were before the operation," Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told reporters. "Israel has shown restraint for years; she gave the truce a chance; we told ourselves 'let's try it,' but Hamas violated the truce."

I don't often say this, but Olmert is right. Hamas must be crushed, not coddled. Yet the world is trying to coddle these Palestinian Radical Islamic jihadists. It's an outrage. The onus is on the Hamas terrorists to lay down their arms and stop firing rockets into Israel. Until that happens, the IDF should continue fighting.

It pains me to see the suffering on both sides, but this is entirely Hamas' responsibility. They were urged by Egypt, by Mahmoud Abbas, and by the Israelis not to let the previous cease-fire lapse, but they chose war instead. They have never been hit this hard. Indeed, Gaza has not seen this level of fighting since 1967.

Israelis living within rocket range are truly safe and secure. Yet, the Islamic Radicals in Gaza don't appear ready to surrender. To the contrary, Hamas is using longer-range rockets than ever before - some of them made in Iran - putting hundreds of thousands of more Israeli at risk than in previous clashes. Hamas has already fired more than 50 rockets, mortars and missiles at Israel as of 4pm local time (9am eastern). Two hit the Israeli city of Beersheva last night, some 28 miles from Gaza. This is the first time Beersheva has ever been in range of Gaza-fired rockets. Haaretz reports that no one was injured but 40 people were treated for shock. The city is rattled, and theaters, cinemas and other shops and businesses are shutting down. Rockets also continue to hit the town of Sderot, and the Israeli coastal cities Ashkelon and Ashdod. I'm told that most of the children in Sderot have been evacuated from the town. Many are now temporarily relocated to northern Israeli cities and towns, such as Haifa.

Iran, in addition to providing Hamas longer-range rockets, is also now apparently recruiting some 10,000 volunteer suicide bombers to attack Israel.

To visit Joel's new weblog site and get the latest developments in Israel, Russia and the epicenter -- including links to stories mentioned in this Flash Traffic report -- please click here

To visit Joel's website -- www.joelrosenberg.com -- please click here

GAZA WAR: Prayer Update

The people of the Holy Land are going through great pain and suffering right now. But we should not be discouraged. Rather, we must turn to the Scriptures for the Lord's perspective, embrace His promises, and obey His commands.

The Bible is clear: God loves the people of Israel, as well as their neighbors. He has a wonderful plan for their lives, plans for good and not for evil, plans to give them a future and a hope. Jesus offers those who choose to follow Him true peace that cannot be found anywhere else. He promises to protect His people. He promises them an abundant life here, and in the hereafter. He promises to answer their prayers when they pray for His will to be done and pray in His Name. What's more, He commands His followers to love their neighbors and their enemies. He commands them to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, and care for the suffering. Should we not draw near to Him and follow Him wholeheartedly at this critical time?

"I have loved you with an everlasting love," the Lord says in Jeremiah 31:3. "Therefore, I have drawn you with lovingkindness."

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." (I John 4:8)

"For I know the plans that I have for you," says the Lord in Jeremiah 29:11-13, "plans for welfare and not calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart."

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, but I came that they might have life and have it abundantly," said Jesus in John 10:10.

"Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper....The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever." (Psalm 121:4,5,7,8)

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you," said Jesus in John 14:27. "I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Jesus said, "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also....I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me....Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." (John 14:1-3,12-14)

"If you love me," Jesus said in John 14:15, "you will obey what I command."

* Please continue praying for real peace -- not just the absence of conflict but the presence of true justice and true security on both sides of the fence.

* Please also continue praying for the scores of children on both sides who are being traumatized by all the rockets and bombs -- pray for the Lord to comfort and care for them in a supernatural way.

* Please pray for the followers of Jesus in Israel and Gaza, that they will have courage and hope from the Lord, that they will hear from the Holy Spirit how best to love their neighbors and their enemies, and that by their words and actions they can communicate the good news of God's great love and plan for Israel and her neighbors.

Christian Personal Finance - Christmas Give-A-Ways!

I've been following the Christian Personal Finance blog for about a year. I think technically I'm considered a 'lurker' because I don't usually comment on anything...and that I think is what 'lurkers' must do.

However I decided to break with tradition and post a link to CPF here:
http://www.christianpf.com/christmas-giveaways-two-ipods-and-more/
because the give a way contest is pretty awesome...and I have benefited a lot from the site. I follow several *secular* finance blogs too...but I like to compare and contrast the views and opinions.

Hope you enjoy the blog as much as I have.

says it's going to be a long, cold night

What To Do With Christmas?

Someday I need to write a real post. You know, the kind that actually is informative....
I actually do have some pretty decent thoughts and paragraphs tumbling around....perhaps soon I can make the time to put them on paper...or at least post them here. It just feels like I'm constantly two steps behind everyone and everything else. I feel perpetually behind, and seeing as I detest being late....it's rather annoying.

Everyone has been pretty stressed out of late, a lot is going on even though lawn and landscaping is slowing down. Work slowing down outside only seems to stress everyone else out. Just because things are slacking in that department doesn't mean I'm not busy...I'm just as busy now, and a little more so than I was in the summer. I have a ton to get done in preparation for next season. Of course though that doesn't exactly pay the bills for the next three months.

For a few days I was really getting into the whole Christmas thing. Listening to Christmas music, thinking about decorating. A couple weeks and countless 'holiday' commitments later and I'm over it. I'm really over the "Mary Did You Know" song, it's always been source of irritation. It's a pretty tune, a nice melody but I find it to be flawed theologically (yes, folks Mary did know) ...hence my irritation that it's pretty much "the" song of every Christian holiday event. I think downhere's "How Many Kings" would be a much better choice....it actually has the potential to make people think. Anyway what's with this present thing? I love giving gifts, I do it all year round. I especially enjoy when I find a gift that's perfect for someone and it's something they aren't expecting. I love giving things to people, it's awesome. I guess I'm just being stubborn, in the fact that I don't want to give someone something that I haven't put my heart into. I mean really, why do people seem to think that inviting someone to a party that they've fought with all year long, will suddenly erase all that? The "oh, it's Christmas" mentality as if that should make everything all right....I find it shocking. I'm not fighting with anyone, I just used that as a rather poor example.
I should say much though, I don't really have a social life so it's not like I have the delimma of choosing which things to go to. I don't go to anything, so at least I don't have to worry about hurting someone's feelings by not showing up.

I am making some headway in terms of hammering out a plan. Nope, still haven't sent those year overdue letters to my former supporters yet. Shocked by my Procrastination? I'm not...I procrastinate when I'm afraid of something....in this sense primarily I'm afraid to write them. I feel like I failed them, it's hard to wrap my mind around how to say what I'd like to say. I'd like to share what God is doing, I'm just too chicken to do it. And this is what I talk about with my counselor. Lot of good it seems to do if I still haven't written, eh?

Maybe if I made my own Christmas card and said "Please Don't Reject Me" on the outside and "I really do have a plan" on in the inside. That would help, right? I mean that's being totally honest. That's why I haven't written. It's like trying write a normal sounding letter, when all I really want to say is that. You try writing without saying what you really want to say....and let me know how it goes....I'll hire you to write my letter.

Why is this an issue? Oh, who knows. Why do people have "issues" anyway? Technically I think its all in my head, but that certainly doesn't make it seem any less real or valid.

So, in my broken little mind I'm viewing Christmas with a kind of perplexity.....ignore it or enjoy it?
In reality it isn't about all the stuff, the music, the socializing, commitments to fulfill etc. It's about Jesus. Thank God. Because that's a much more enjoyable prospect. Regardless of how much changes in my life or in the lives of those I love, He never changes.

When thinking about what to do with Christmas; I'm going to focus on spending time with Jesus. Celebrate His love and enjoy being loved unconditionally, because that is the rarest gift of all.

Holiday Season = Stress...?