A Spiritual Battle

     Pastor Gary Hamrick continues: "In Romans 11, Paul writes, 'I say then, has God cast away his people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away his people whom he foreknew.'" 

     "Christians have become the beneficiaries of the blessings of God, grafted into the vine. ...remember, you do not support the root, but the root supports you. Salvation is available to all," he writes. "For God does not show favoritism," Romans 2:11. "Israel has a unique place in world history." 

     'For you are a holy people to the Lord your God...chosen to be a people for himself, a special treasure above all the people on the face of the earth.' Deuteronomy 7:6.   

     "Make no mistake" - Hamrick writes - "This is a spiritual battle. Satan incites antisemitism, and antisemitism is satanic. And no one bears more responsibility in the fight against antisemitism than the church." 

     "God chose Israel for a sacred purpose. Because of this, we bless Israel, we honor the Jewish people, and we pray for the peace of Jerusalem" - Psalm 122:6. 

So, the U.S. military (some members Christian) and Israel have joined forces in conquering to some extent the satanic leadership of Iran. The Bible says that "there will be wars and rumors of wars." 

  

 Friends at Last! 

     Isn't it interesting that the U.S. (the great satan) and Israel (satan) are joined in war on Iran's leadership, a tool of the real Satan? 

     Today, there are Americans in colleges, workplaces, politics, even in some circles of the church, who fall under antisemitism. Around the world, there is hatred for tiny Israel for no reason, other than Satan.  

     God loves people, his creation, and yet he allows Satan - his creation turned against him - to incite people and nations. There will be an end to Satan, but we're not there yet. "People have hated Israel ever since the tiny nation became the conduit for God's redemptive plan for mankind." (Pastor Gary Hamrick) 

      The "chosen" people themselves haven't always pleased God, and the rest of us, likewise. Still, he loves us. 

     "God, through the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, introduced the Savior to the world. His name is Jesus, Yeshua - Jewish Messiah, on a rescue mission to save. This Savior was born in Israel, died in Israel, rose from the dead in Israel and is coming again to Israel!" 

     "God's covenant that he would establish a people and a place through whom Messiah would come for the sake of the whole world - is the basis for why we support and bless the Jewish people while we pray for their salvation." 

 Continued Saturday

     

Trump, China, Christians, Muslims

     Continuing Wednesday's blog, "President Trump has criticized America's military entanglements. A 'fellow' (woman) in Washington says that Trump's military action in Iran follows in the same vein as his Republican predecessors. "It was the dream of neoconservatives to get rid of the Iranian regime after getting rid of the Afghan and Iraqi regimes. 

     She added, "Years of American opposition to Iran in the form of economic sanctions bolstered the regime's position by weakening Iranian society, unintentionally stalling reform efforts and pushing the Islamic republic into the arms of China. China buys more than 80 percent of Iran's crude oil exports."

     She worries Chinese propaganda painting the U.S. as "reckless" and the People's Republic as the "true upholder of international law and stability." She also is concerned that the Trump administration's intervention could jeopardize internal Iranian resistance efforts. 

     Another expert agreed, but noted Operation Epic Fury may also strengthen the U.S. in the eyes of its Asian rival. Trump is willing to back up foreign policy objectives with force. 

     Christian ministries say growing numbers of Iranians are becoming disillusioned with Islam and are looking elsewhere for answers. Heart4Iran is a ministry that broadcasts Christian programming into Iran. Its satellite TV station operates a 24/7 call center. The CEO, who fled from Iran, said, "The Iranian people's perspective regarding Islam has changed a lot, long before this attack. 

     The doctoral student in Ohio (see yesterday's blog) is considering moving back home - but only if the regime fully changes. "I want the whole world to know the true nature of this government. How their ideology destroyed my beautiful country." 

           Jimmy  

Tuesday's Update

     Cancel 8 p.m. Eastern-time all-out bombing. President Trump: "If Iran opens the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend bombing for 2 weeks." Cease fire. Talk better than bombs. This morning looked unwinnable. Tonight, Trump wins again. If the Iranians keep their word. 

Wednesday Morning                                          WORLD magazine

     On the news that Iran's supreme leader was dead, an Iranian college student in Ohio, on his way to class, remembers, "For a moment, I couldn't breathe," he said. "I just started crying for all the years that they ruled us. We begged for that. This man killed his own people." 

     "U.S. and Israeli forces have destroyed much of Iran's military might. Thousands of Iranians flooded the streets of cities across the globe to celebrate. But not all Iranians share that view. 

     "They worry foreign interference could sabotage ongoing efforts to advance democracy...and lead to worse crackdowns or civil war. Other critics argue the war violates U.S. campaign promises. 

     "The student in Ohio says most students coming to the U.S. are 'just desperate for a life out from under the prying eyes of the government.' A study showed that on average a protest occurred in Tehran once every three days from 2009 to 2024. A U.S. organization verified the Iran government killed more than 6,000 protesters, and is investigating over 17,000 other deaths.   

     "Operation Epic Fury is not a 'regime change' war, but our president urges Iranian people to 'take over your government.' That appears unlikely. The U.S. achieved its objectives: preventing the Islamic Republic from developing nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, naval power and terrorist armies. 

     "Without their dead leaders, other Iranians launched a series of attacks by drones. Israeli air defenses have intercepted hundreds of Iranian missiles, some fired by Hezbollah."

Tomorrow: NBC poll. 54% of Americans disapprove

 

New Identity, Based on Truth 

     Humans are born; we live our lives and die.  

     Oh, there are differences in how we live, but death wins. 

     God himself, in the person of Jesus, died on the cross to pay for our sins. Then he came back to life, offering new life to all of us. Death doesn't have to win. 

     Father, Son and Holy Spirit - with more love than we have - want us to be born again. (Ask Nicodemus.) If you...know how to give good gifts...how much more will our Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? - Luke 11:13. 

     On Resurrection Sunday we wrote about God's message through Peter, chapter 3:18-22. In the days of Noah, God flooded the disobedient world. Only Noah and his family survived. 

     God tells us through Peter that the flood symbolizes baptism...that now saves us also...a pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at God's right hand...with angels and power in submission to him. 

     Baptism is an obedient expression of our repentance, our faith in Christ and commitment. Once baptized, we belong to Christ and (spiritually) have died and risen with him. God wants more from us, but baptism opens the way.  

          Romans 6:3-5   Galatians 3:27   Colossians 2:11-12   Acts 2:38-39

     No one ever imagined a world flood. But Noah believed God and survived.  

     This blogger was baptized as a baby, like so many of us. At age 30, I was baptized, by my decision. Which one did God favor?  

             Jimmy   

Yes, we know this is a serious day for Iran

Easter Sunday is over.

But the resurrection daily calls on sinners to believe and repent.

Baseball History 

     In my last year of college, I was walking toward my appointment when I happened on a group of students listening to the seventh game of the 1960 world series, Pittsburgh Pirates vs. the vaunted New York Yankees. I think each of the Yanks' three wins were blow outs. 

     I moved on and returned to find...nobody. Was the game over?

     The Pirates' young Bill Mazeroski, known for his second base defense, came up to lead off the bottom of the 9th inning, score 9-9. 

     While I was posing for my photo, I missed seeing Mazeroski crush a fastball over Pittsburgh's left field fence to secure victory, and his place in baseball history. 

     Mazeroski died this February, at age 89. 

Football History 

     A football coach led six different football programs to bowl games. Lou Holtz died in March. He too was 89. 

     He took over William & Mary, and after a short time with the New York Jets, he was an assistant at Ohio State, coached Arkansas and Minnesota. Then he coached Notre Dame, winning 100 games in 11 seasons, including the Fighting Irish's last national championship, in 1988.  

     Holtz then broadcast football for CBS and ESPN. We remember him as very likeable, even when he brought Notre Dame (our lady) to Columbus for a tussle. 

                           Jimmy 

The Resurrection  

     Early Sunday morning, after the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene (for whom Jesus had driven out seven demons) went to the tomb. There was a violent earthquake. An angel rolled back the stone and sat on it. The frightened guards became like dead men. 

     Mary heard a voice, thinking it was the gardener. Jesus said, "Mary." She turned around and saw him. She cried out, "Teacher!" "Go to my brothers," he said. "I am returning to my God and your God." 

     Jesus' "brothers" didn't believe Mary. But Peter and John ran to the tomb and saw strips of linen and the burial cloth folded up. They still didn't understand from Scripture that Jesus would rise from the dead. 

     Two men who heard the news were walking from Jerusalem to their home in Emmaus, seven miles away. They wished that Jesus was the one who was going to redeem Israel. A stranger began walking with them, saying "How foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory. He explained Moses, all the prophets and about himself. Reaching home, they invited him in. He suddenly disappeared. 

     "Their eyes were opened and they hurried back to Jerusalem and the 11 disciples." Truth was breaking out. 

     Later, Jesus appeared to his disciples, not through their bolted door; he just appeared. He invited them to touch his damaged hands and feet. He was not a ghost, but flesh and bones. And he told them, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. Receive the Holy Spirit." 

The above a summary of reports. Some varied.

Note: As my relatives immediately changed facial expressions when they died, their minds, not brains, went somewhere. Jesus went somewhere after he cried out on the cross and gave up his spirit. Like other authors in the Bible, Peter wrote what God revealed. In 1 Peter chapter 3, that Saturday - between Friday's crucifixion and Sunday's resurrection - Jesus went to Hades, just short of hell. He gave Noah's disobedient generation a scolding, apparently. Peter also wrote, "The Spirit of Christ spoke in times past through the prophets." We will have more from Peter sometime this week.