The Bizarre Israel Political Situation

The Bizarre Israel Political Situation

On the night of the Israel elections, the exit polls and early counting gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party and the other parties that would join his coalition 60 Knesset (Parliament) members. It looked like he would be able to flip one vote somewhere to gain the 61 votes necessary to form a government. With these results, we went to sleep that night. The next morning Bibi had slipped to 59 and then the next day to 58. These are now the official results. The certainty that he would form the next government evaporated. Amazing!

Now another new and strange twist is taking place. With the Arab Joint List Party, the opposition has 62 votes. They will not form a government together since the centrist Blue and White Party will not join with the Arab Party in a government since they are not Zionists. However, they are now putting forth the idea that they might vote to pass legislation to preclude Benjamin Netanyahu from forming a government. Blue and White under General Benny Gantz has said they are willing to form a government with Bibi’s Likud Party but not with him as the leader because he has been indicted for bribery, fraud and breach of trust. They could pass a law stating that an indicted Prime Minister cannot form a government. If this happens, it could solve the dilemma for many Messianic Jews. I will explain.

Messianic Jews in Israel are ardent Zionists. They like the idea of annexing the towns in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). They think that Bibi can now do this because the Trump peace plan has been rejected by the Arabs and negotiations are rejected as well. This opens the door for unilateral annexation. The right parties are correct that the old two state solution making the ‘67 armistice lines the border is no longer possible. The Zionist left is not facing reality. Yes, their rational position of separation and two states is reasonable in that it seeks to keep a large Jewish majority though a separation of populations and the elimination of the many towns except for the larger cities. They hope that the Palestinian Arabs would accept such a plan but they have proven by the past peace offers that they would. The Trump plan does this separation but with Israel keeping the West Bank towns and cities. Some still oppose even the limited state that Trump proposes. Since the Arabs have rejected the plan some other solution for the West Bank Arabs needs to be found. Some still wait for them to have citizenship in Jordan and residency in Israel. This is unlikely in the near future.

Messianic Jews, however, are ambivalent about Bibi for other reasons. It is that he is fully in bed with the Ultra-Orthodox and especially the Sephardic Shas Party that controls the Interior Department and opposes Messianic Jews. The Ultra-Orthodox control conversion, weddings and Jewish status issues which makes life very hard for 400,000 Russian Jews who are not accepted as Jewish by Rabbinic law. They make their conversion too hard, and they cannot marry in Israel! Plus, the Ultra-Orthodox do not serve in the army. Most of their men do not work. They receive welfare so they can split hairs on Rabbinic discussions and arguments in the Yeshivas. This will someday lead to bankrupting the country, and it presently undercuts funds for services and salaries in Israel.

However, if Likud has a new leader who would apply the same policies on the Trump plan and could join with Blue and White, and Liberman’s Russian Jewish anti-Ultra Orthodox but conservative party, Yisrael Bateinu, then we could see policies that most Messianic Jews would support. This includes both the issue the Land in Judea and Sumaria, and on the issue of the control of the society by the Ultra-Orthodox. This is a possibility but not at all certain.

I for one was disappointed by Gantz saying that he supported the Trump plan but would want international support plus support from Jordan and Egypt to implement it. Well, that would be the end of the plan. But if Likud leads the next government without Bibi, it could solve the problem. Bibi’s indictment is not political as he claims. How do we know this? Because the indictment comes from his former supporter who did not want to do this, Attorney General Mendelblit. This Likud conservative did not want to do this, but the evidence forced him into it. Bibi has served his country well, and I believe he would get a pardon from the Knesset if he stepped down before such a law would pass. This is where things stand this evening. Amazing! What a saga!

THE THIRD ELECTION

This Monday, March 2st, we will go to the polls to vote for the Parliament (the Knesset) for the third time. Twice we had inconclusive elections, and no coalition could be formed.

Amazingly, after all this, and with his trial set to begin for bribery, it appears that Benjamin Netanyahu is gaining on Benny Gantz and the Blue and White party. It is still my contention that the best government for Israel would be a coalition with Likud and Blue and White. That seems more remote but not impossible. Recent events have been disappointing to me.

First, the leader of the Arab Joint List has made statements that are so extreme that it now may preclude even their support to form a Blue and White government in a parliamentary vote even though they would not be in the government. He has made conditions that require Blue and White to abandon the Gaza defense operations and West Bank anti-terrorist operations. His demands for money for the Arab sector are beyond what Israel can accept (though they deserve much more funding). He has actually empowered Netanyahu.

Another thing that is disappointing is that Benny Gantz has said that he supports the Trump Peace plan but will only move forward on it with international support. If he means more than the U. S., Britain, Brazil, and a few others, then he won’t implement the plan. Bibi is already moving in accord with the United States to apply sovereignty to the areas outlined as being part of Israel in the Trump plan. I think this has lost votes for Gantz and am surprised that the strong conservative, Moshe Yaalon, Bibi’s former defense secretary, did not coach on a better position.

I still believe that we need to have a government where the ultra-Orthodox are less powerful. They are an existential threat to Israel since their population growth in is great, and most of the men do not work and have to be supported by the State. The Ultra-Orthodox Shas Party controls citizenship and precludes important ways forward for some 400,000 Russian Jews and Messianic Jews. The Ultra-Orthodox want to study hair-splitting Talmudic arguments all day and are not productive. This cannot go on, but Bibi’s right-wing government will give them what they want.

We need a lot of prayer. I would like to see a Likud government with Blue and White, may be led by another Likud leader like Gideon Saar. Despite Bibi’s reputation as Mr. Security, I think others in Likud are stronger. In this week’s weekend Jerusalem Post a recent head of the National Security Council in Israel, Uzi Arad, noted as I have said in the past, that Bibi talks strong but acts weak, allowing Hezbollah in Lebanon to re-arm with powerful missiles. He as well not acted strongly enough to deter Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza. I do have a sense that God is involved and his providence will eventually work this out.

Religiophobia

I recently wrote a post entitled Morality-phobia.

However, upon reflection, I think the better term is “relgiophobia.” In that post, I noted that the accusation against those who profess and seek to foster traditional morality in society is that they are homophobes, transgenderphobes. LGBTQphobes, and more. I noted that this was really wrong. Traditional morality proponents are not afraid of these groupings, but afraid for them and how their orientation will destroy their lives than the lives of others who they convince to join them in these lifestyles. But I now think that the term that I should use is “religiophobia.” Most civilizations from all eras were civilizations that promoted a moral vision for human sexual behavior and for the relationship between male and female. The societies forested clear sexual distinctions. Marriage, raising children, and sexual distinctions can be studied for Chinese Confusion, ancient Israel, Indian, classical Roman, African and Islamic societies. Yes, there are differences but there are important levels of agreement across civilizations (see C. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man.) The teaching of the New Covenant Scriptures brings correction and advance beyond all these cultures.

If there was a modicum of consistency in the movements attacking traditional Christians and Jews, the attackers would realize that their attacks are against most historic cultures and that all historic cultures are religious cultures. I think their fear is really toward all traditional religious cultures and their ethical teaching on sexual distinctions and sexual ethics in general. I think the real fear is in them. They have “relgiophobia.” I define it here. “Religiophobia is the fear of traditional religions and their moral teaching.” Now some believers do fear these new movements that are accusing us. They wimp out because they do not want to pay the price of standing for historic moral norms.

I would add one more point. It is that atheists and agnostics often have “relgiophobia” because they are committed to explaining all of reality in terms of scientific naturalism, which is not possible and is philosophically incoherent. These scientists and philosophers who hold to the view of scientific naturalism also have this phobia. It is also the case that some of these folks want to be free to define their own personal life direction without anyone reminding them of classical moral norms and accountability to God.

Two Populist Leaders: Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders

There is a possibility that two populists will be running against each other for President, one in his later 70s and one in his early seventies, Senator Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. Aside from the issues of abortion, religious freedom and Israel’s right to the West Bank towns, the issues dividing President Trump and Senator Sanders are mostly about economic policies.

Few note the agreements between Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. While Bernie Sanders rails against Wall Street, the big bankers, and greedy corporations it should be known that the super-rich are more in the Democratic column than the column of Donald Trump. Why? Because the crony capitalism that favored these big corporations and the high-tech monopolies were as much connected to the Democratic politicians as the Republicans. Both parties were fostering some very negative policies for the people in general but very good policies for corporate greed. One of the biggest policy areas was trade. The argument that free trade would enable the nations to do what they do best and that new opportunities would come to Americans though we ship jobs overseas is counter-intuitive. Eventually, skilled workers in Hi-Tech would be found in India and would work for comparatively very low wages. Both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders agree on how terrible it is to ship jobs overseas. Both also agree that the monopolistic practices of big pharma, Insurance companies, and more have been very bad for America. However, though there is agreement on some of the issues, the ways to solve the problem differ vastly.

Yes, they part ways in their solutions. How does Bernie Sanders respond to the middle class and their need to see income growth? Also, how does he respond to the lower classes? It is by income redistribution programs though super high taxes, more government ownership of big corporations (he is not a total socialist but would have some private enterprise). It is by making rules for companies to preclude them from going overseas. The problem with these solutions is that they never work. They do not grow the economy and destroy the incentives for risk and investment that produces growth. For health care, it is for the government to take over. For wages, it is to set minimum wages. The solution is in big government. Big government wastes huge amounts of money and leads to more corruption.

President Trump sees the same issues. However, his solution is to break the crony capitalist bond with the government, the favoritism. It is to level the playing field for businesses that stay in the U. S. by requiring fair trade. It is by incentivizing corporations to invest in poor areas of the cities. It is by making tax shelters unattractive compared to investments that grow the economy. If the economy has very low unemployment, then wages rise without government requirements for wages. In health care, it is to have disclosure of prices, real competition, and multiple health plans. It is by tort reform that is a huge cost to doctors, and the patients pay this. It is to end the crony capitalism in health care.

I wonder if people really do understand the difference between the two populisms.

There’s A Wideness in God’s Mercy: Four Categories of People in Romans 2

I got into trouble with some of the leaders in Israel because of a paper I did some 12 years ago refuting the wider hope view of one of my Messianic Jewish leadership friends. My paper was called the Narrow Wider Hope. My paper was partly misunderstood because I used the word salvation for people who were in a pre-salvation state of grace because they were seeking the Truth and responding to the Truth though they did not know the Gospel. They had not refused the Gospel. However, I did not claim that they would be entering an eternal good destiny without accepting Yeshua or that they would be given a post-death opportunity. My conclusion, in my original paper, said that I believed that such people would be led on to accept Yeshua sometime in their life and before death, though I said I could not absolutely prove this. My point is that there are not two categories of people, the saved who have been born again through Yeshua and the lost who are on their way to Hell unless through the Gospel they repent and are born again. Certainly, these two categories exist and are primary. But the Bible clearly teaches that there are other categories by which to understand people. Romans 1, and 2 show four categories of people that have not yet accepted the Gospel.

Romans 2 is speaking of people who have not yet embraced the Gospel. There are two categories of Jews. In Romans 2:7 Paul describes Jews who “By perseverance in doing good are seeking glory, honor, and immortality,” these will receive according to 2:10, “Glory, honor and shalom, (eternal life), to everyone who does good—to the Jew first.

The second category of Jews are those who according to 2:9, “Are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness.” For them, “There will be trouble and hardship.” (2:9) Also, he says for them there will be, “wrath and fury.” (2:8) Of these Paul notes that though circumcision is of value, if one keeps the Torah, but “if one breaks the Torah, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.” (v. 2:25)

Then there are two categories of Gentiles who have not yet heard the Gospel. He uses the same verses to describe Gentiles, the first category are those who, “By perseverance in doing good are seeking glory, honor, and immortality—eternal life,” these will receive according to 2:10, “Glory, honor and shalom to everyone who does good… and also the Greek.”

Then there is the second category of Gentiles or the fourth overall. Those Gentiles who in 2:9, “Are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness.” For them, “ There will be trouble and hardship.” (2:9) Also, he says for them there will be, “wrath and fury.” (2:8) Of this one, Paul says that though he is not circumcised, “Keeps the righteous decrees of the Torah, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision.” (2:26)

Paul says that God’s judgment is according to the revelation given and that the Jews who “have sinned according to the Torah will be judged by the Torah.” Gentiles can also be judged by the revelation of God in nature and culture, by what the Reformers called common grace. He says in v. 14, 15, “For when Gentiles, who do not have the Torah, do by nature the things of the Torah, they are a law unto themselves, even though they do not have the Torah. They show that the work of the Torah is written in their hearts.”

Paul even notes in this that the one who is not physically circumcised will “judge you who with the written code and circumcision—break the Torah.”

There are other texts that support this Pauline perspective. I will just name two. Acts 10:34 is very strong. Peter before preaching the Gospel to the household of Cornelius says, “I truly understand that God is not one to show favoritism, but in every nation, the one who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” Also, John 1:9 shows that truth is revealed to people who have not heard the Gospel. “He is the light that lights every man.” (KJV)

There are other comments that are important. First, we should not think that Romans 2 is teaching works righteousness either by keeping the written Torah or by keeping the Gentile understanding of the law for Gentiles. Much has been written on this and we agree with this perspective. Upholding and keeping the Torah does not mean that one by his own works is saved. Nor does it mean that one can live up to the detailed commands of the Torah. The emphasis on blood sacrifice shows that upholding the Torah did not mean that and was not expected. Rather it was a matter of faith/faithfulness or a heart of faithfulness to God and his covenant though one falls short. For the Gentile, it is the heart that is seeking the truth and willing to obey it when revealed. All comes down to the right heart.

Secondly, Romans 2 is part of an argument building to Romans 3 where Paul declares that the general condition of Jews and Gentiles is that they are lost. The category of those who are saved in Yeshua and those who are lost are the categories that most encompass human beings. The two categories of those who are lost in Romans 2, who do not seek glory and honor and immortality, are the largest categories of mankind. The Scriptures indicate that those who do seek the truth readily and easily embrace the Gospel, for Yeshua said if people had really known the Father they would have accepted him. (John 5:46, 8:42) Missionaries sometimes find tribes who are prepared and ready for the Gospel. It is an easy persuasion.

My point is that if anyone really is seeking the Truth and glory, honor and immortality, they will be led on to Yeshua. God will bring the missionary and in some cases, we have known, has given visions and dreams leading people to Yeshua.

In addition, Yeshua and Paul make it clear that there are two categories of those who profess to believe in Yeshua. Those who continue in sin will not enter the Kingdom of God (I Cor. 6:9,10). These are those that Yeshua warns in Matthew 7:21-23, and in Luke 6:46, that they will not enter the Kingdom of God but will be told to depart from Him in the judgment.

In conclusion, another way to speak of categories of people is to say that the Bible gives us three categories of people that include bothJew and Gentile, the saved, the lost and those who are seeking the Truth sincerely but have not yet come to Yeshua. They are seeking by the work of the Spirit (John 1:9). Again, this third category includes Jews and Gentiles. The lost are those who are not seeking the Truth and also includes those who profess to believe in Yeshua but are continuing in sin. They are still lost. Romans 3 makes it clear that outside of an explicit profession of Yeshua and walking faithfully with Him, the overwhelming state of people is that they are lost. But thank God, there is an opportunity for lost people to hear the Gospel and be saved!

A Great Read

Recently I finished a book by Dr. David Berlinski, Professor of Mathematics at Princeton University. Entitled The Devil’s Delusion, Berlinski shows how atheist scientists constantly go beyond science to claim things that science does not show and indeed sometimes shows the opposite of what is being claimed. Berlinski says he is not religious, but he shows himself fed up with the ridiculous and incoherent statements of scientists that are mere assertions of an atheistic faith that are based on nothing. The book is brilliant, and Berlinski shows himself adept at dealing with mathematics, physics, theoretical physics, and biology. The book is similar to recent books especially by one atheist and one former atheist. The first is by Thomas Nagel who in Mind and Cosmos, argues that the Darwinian theory of evolution in its classical and its revisionist forms (punctuated equilibrium-Gould, and the selfish gene-Dawkins) are incoherent. It is the preferred myth of atheists. For Nagel, mind in some way that we do not understand, must be inherent in the universe. He counsels us to look for a new theory, though he is trying to stay an atheist. The famous atheist philosopher of science, Antony Flew, went farther, and after being the dean of atheist thinking concluded on the basis of biological systems that God must exist.

The advantage of Berlinski’s book is that it shows in illustration after illustration how atheist scientists leave the realm of real science for pseudo-science philosophy which not only has no basis but is incoherent, and really is only faith assertions. He especially shows this on the implications of what is known as the anthropic principle. In 1974 Brandon Carter gave a famous lecture at Oxford that presented in detail the extraordinary precision of the nature of the universe as so precisely fine-tuned, that it appeared as if it was purposely arranged to support human life. Many others have written on this, atheists and believers in God. Paul Davies and Michael Denton are two of the best. Atheist scientists, therefore, sought to overcome the implications of the origin of the universe from the big bang (really the original singularity) and the existence of a fine-tuned universe that was impossibly improbable for fr that beginning. It looks as if it the universe is designed to produce human life. The idea of all this being by chance is no longer credible.

What can the atheists do to counter the overwhelming implication? They posit a multi-universe, which is multiple universes also called landscape theory. The totality of the universes, the landscape, is a chance system that is everlasting and throws up every possibility so that even the most impossible will exist. The theory is total mythology that shows that the atheists are running an alarm from the idea that God might exist. Of course, no one can show form any set of ideas on a material substratum for any universe how time, plus change, plus matter would produce human beings. The problem is no way solved by the landscape. Berlinski then shows that human life, the mind, values, and even the biology can in no way be explained by physical material concepts. And indeed, the cell itself cannot be explained by any evolutionary hypothesis. As I noted in my apologetics text, The Biblical World View, naturalistic evolution is a theory that puts words into an explanatory syntax but which do not really explain at all.

Berlinski’s book does have a fine quality of good quips and little statements that show the absurdity of the atheists and bring a smile to one’s face.

Moralityphobia

Recently the facilities in several British cities canceled evangelistic meetings with Franklin Graham because his statements against homosexual practice showed him to be a homophobe. I have written about this before, but one of the schemes of the left is to change the meaning of words and then to intimidate on the basis of these incendiary words and sentences. In this regard let us analyze the word homophobia or LBBTQ phobia. The meaning of phobia is often an irrational fear. So aquaphobia is a fear of water, or there is claustrophobia, a fear of closed small spaces, or fear of spiders, heights and even crossing bridges over water. So how might believers in the Bible be homophobes?

Do they fear that homosexuals will convince them to become homosexuals?
Do they fear that homosexuals will attack and rape them?
Do they fear that homosexuals will sexually abuse their children? Some do fear this. There are both heterosexual and homosexual pedofiles.
Do they fear homosexuals will come after them and kill them?
Do they fear that the agenda will hurt the institutions of marriage and family and damage many people? Yes, I think some fear that.

The term is really an incoherent misnomer. Those who use cannot claim that believers want to take away their civil rights for work, services, and accommodations. That time is long past. Maybe the real issue is not that we fear homosexuals but that believes fear for homosexuals and the LGBTQ community, including fearing for them on the dangers of God’s judgment, the tragic results of sex-change surgery and hormonal therapy (well documented). We especially fear for children who are being raised with hormones and sex change encouragement.

Isn’t it really that the homosexuals and LGBTQ community fear traditional morality and communities that promote it and any idea of the judgment of God for sexual aberrations? But we have so far lost the language battle becasue the word homophobia has been given great social power. I propose that believers fight back and use the term morality-phobia for those in our society who fear and hate those who promote traditional morality and warn about God’s judgment.

Let’s start using this term. When accused, say, “No I am not” or “No we are not?” You are the one with a phobia, morality-phobia. Maybe in the back of their mind, they know it is wrong and they fear the judgment of God. They don’t want to be reminded.

The Superbowl, the Sexual Culture and the #MeToo movement

A contingent of men and one woman gathered in Jerusalem to watch the Superbowl on Monday Morning Israel time. We make a pledge that all who come to watch with us, do not look at the score and be with us for the suspense. As the time difference in Miami is 7 hours later, we would have to be up most of the night to see it live. We had a lovely large screen to see it together. We had a wonderful time and saw a wonderful game. We keep a home in Kansas City so I was pleased with the results.

We also saw some of the advertisements for the half time show and decided that we would completely skip it. So the game resumed. Then we saw the responses on the internet that parents were upset with the sexual display, pole dancing, and scant dress. But what did we expect? This has been going on for years. Then Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson and the wardrobe malfunction. Some think it was intentional. There has been much sexuality and sexuality attracts an audience. It was so sad that our children are being taught sexuality in this way.

One puzzlement is how this fits the #MeToo movement. This movement stands against the sexual harassment of women. While the sensual culture is not an excuse for men, the sexual messages do create a culture where men are more likely to be abusive. Studies on the influence of pornography show this to be the case as well. Why don’t women stand against their being portrayed as sexual objects? The culture is now self-contradictory. It is so sad to see sexuality debased, demeaning women, and robbing us of the great gift of love and sexual fidelity in marriage. We maintain a high view and value for human sexuality.

We ask the question of how we can ever see a reversal in the culture, leftist in political orientation for the young and hedonistic as a right for everyone. I recommend the great book on this by the late jurist Robert Bork, Slouching Toward Gomorrah. I believe in our responsibility to influence society. However, it is difficult to see how this will happen in the long haul without a massive revival and an evangelistic explosion followed by a discipleship that does teach the importance of our culture formation roles. We pray for that revival. The destruction and suffering in our culture is a terrible thing.

The Trump, Kushner, Gold, Greenblatt, Deal of the Century

So much ink has already been used by commentators on the recent Deal of the Century proposed by Donald Trump that I hesitate to write about it. Despite that, I am doing so because I think I have some things to say that I have not been reading in the press.

I have included Dore Gold and Jason Greenblatt (Trump’s Middle East Coordinator) as playing a major role in the creation of this deal because it is now reported in the press that they were major players and by their own profession. Dore Gold is an esteemed Israeli diplomat with years of experience and with roots in the conservative Likud Party. In Israel, the great majority of Israeli leaders and the Israeli public is in favor of the Trump plan. The important thing is that it explodes the 23 year plus consensus on the parameters of what would bring peace in a two-state solution.

The old two-state proposal assumed that Israel would withdraw to the ‘67 armistice lines and that these lines would become the border. It assumed that Israel would keep the major settlement blocks and give land swaps for them. These Jewish towns would have been totally within Palestine. East Jerusalem would have been given to the Palestinians for their capital. Finally, there would have been a limited right of return to Israel proper for descendants of the 48 war refugees. Ehud Barak gave almost this much, and Ehud Olmert gave all of this. The Palestinians rejected this offer.

The Trump administration is the first to reject these parameters as unrealistic and dangerous to Israel’s security. Israel today would no longer accept the Barak/Olmert proposals. They are not realistic today. Trump’s plan breaks the received paradigm and offers a new one. It is a limited demilitarized Palestinian state on 70% of the West Bank plus Gaza. Israel keeps control of all the settlements and the Jordan valley for its needed security. It can eventually annex 30% and keep security control overall. It is a more limited two-state solution plan. The key now is that the onus is on the Palestinians since Israel will accept the Trump plan. The Palestinians can only claim they are occupied if they do not choose independence with disarmament. It totally changes the narrative on the situation. This is Trumpian, and a new and out-of-the-box proposal!

I want to speak to one thing that is not usually noted. This is the issue of Israel being in violation of international law in its occupation of the territories. This is made up law from some interpreting Israel’s control of the West Bank as if there was a Palestinian State. But international law as written gives no basis for claiming an occupation against land that is not part of a recognized state. International law is also wrong in one regard. It requires all land to be returned to the aggressor after there is peace. This is contrary to all historic laws of war. The loss of territory and expansion for defense was always considered legitimate if the defender could somehow win. The change from this principle now brings loss of deterrence. A nation can be aggressive again and again and lose nothing. This is exactly the situation we face here in the Middle East. In each situation of the refusal of peace, the Arabs lost more opportunities. The U. N. partition plan was rejected, and the Arabs went to war. Therefore 700,000 refugees fled. The armistice lines with slight changes are what we call the ‘67 lines. The aggression in ‘67 and ‘73 however, led to Israel taking and keeping the Golan territory (now annexed). It also led to settlements. Only one time did the Palestinians get a better offer after rejecting a peace proposal, and that was when P. M. Olmert offered more than P. M. Barack. They rejected that offer and today are offered less again but with much money for business development. The Oslo parameters are finished. If they reject this offer, and from both history and their initial response it seems certain that they will, they will be offered less the next time. My own view is that the Palestinians should have residency in Israel and Jordanian citizenship. The Jordanian government does not want this because it could be the end of their monarchy since they are not Palestinians and the majority in Jordan are Palestinian. The elephant in the room that no political leaders will assert is that Jordan is the Palestinian State. They want to preserve a more moderate regime led by King Abdullah and prevent a violent Palestinian state in Jordan. It seems to me that the Palestinian resistance is like God hardening Pharaoh’s heart. It is as if Israel is not able to cede the land to the Palestinians. They block it!

I think that God is involved in all this at very significant levels!

Save Your Children from the Internet

Large studies have been done showing the terrible damage done to our children from the Internet. I will not reference them here. Anyone can find them from a search engine. Some of the leaders in Hi-Tech are now forbidding their children and teens from unsupervised internet use and strictly limiting the time. There are two primary concerns.

The first is that the use of the Internet is addicting. This addiction actually alters the brain and limits the ability for normal human interactions. In this, it undercuts the ability for human intimacy. It also hinders the attention span for normal reading instead of quick snippets. As such it undercuts the development of the ability to weigh evidence and come to the truth on many subjects. The evidence of destructive brain alteration is now quite strong. The children become merely conditioned organisms.

The second reason is pornography. This also alters the brain and eventually makes true sexual intimacy impossible. Pornography works like heroin in this alteration. Since pornography is only a click away, most teens have or will access it; and many pre-teen children have accessed it as well. This is a far distance from my days in high school. A rare classmate would bring a black and white pornographic story with black and white pictures of intercourse. The cost was $10, a lot in those days. You could hardly see the black and white pictures but strained to see what they contained. Playboy pictures were bad, but not nearly so graphic.

How does this affect the children of disciples of Yeshua? There are several alarming effects. One is that it terribly dulls spiritual sensitivity. There is a loss of a desire for the truth or an ability to worship. The world is the internet and truth beyond it becomes irrelevant. Secondly, in some, there is a loss of interest in life. Gaining greater depth and appreciation of life through reading, art, great music, sports is abandoned. There is a decline in interest in general. In addition, the internet teaches our children to accept every bizarre approach to life, every kind of sexual orientation. The young person becomes disinterested so much of what gives joy to life. Sadly, the children of Yeshua/disciples are accessing pornography as well.

I plea for parents to take these radical steps.

Either preclude all use of the internet or strictly limit it to times when you are there with the child. Make these times very limited if at all. Be especially careful that your children do not sneak and use your devices.
If you buy your child a phone, buy one that has no internet access.
If your children go to friends’ homes, only allow it if the parents will enforce your internet standards.
Require your children to read books and continue this into teen years until they are drawn to reading. This will replace internet entertainment. Require them to report on them. Great stories, including biographies of great people including spiritual leaders, is key. Make a goal that your children will be readers.
Do not let them play video games beyond strict limits.
Take your children to hear great music, great musicals and more. Explain these art forms so they grow in appreciation.
Have your children take music lessons and learn to play one or more instruments.
Have your children participate in team sports. Relationships and comradery are great teachers. Learning the joy of victory and graciousness in defeat are great lessons. We call this sportsmanship.
Take them to see sporting events and explain why sports are a great thing.
Read the Bible together regularly. Have the children read. Read spiritual books together.
Play old fashioned board games as a family where you interact together.
Take hikes, camping trips and more to enjoy nature. Teach your children the wonders of nature, plants, animals, mountains, lakes, and seashores. Learn to use plant classification guides and bird guides.
Of course, I assume that you are limiting your internet use to fruitful purposes.

If you have already lost your children to the internet, there is hope through prayer and the breaking through of the Holy Spirit. Take your children to meetings where there are miracles and the manifest presence of the Spirit so they can break the habit. This is the key. Seeing them born again and baptized in the Spirit can bring deliverance. It is never too late. Don’t give up. Pray, pray and pray some more. Fast and pray. You are fasting and praying for their deliverance.

If you have younger children, you can begin the disciplines above, some of which are greatly enjoyable when they acquire the taste. Actually the internet robs children from the joys of living. If you have seen the negative evidence in your older children, do not go down the same route that you allowed to your older children. Don’t allow the excuse that there is nothing to do. There is much to do in all the things I listed above.