The Truth About the “Ownership” of Palestine

Palestinians claim that Israel stole their land. No they didn’t!

After the Romans cleared out and decimated the mighty cities built by Jews like King Herod, Palestine was an arid, sparsely populated backwater that was eventually claimed (for land bridge reasons) by the Ottoman Empire, then by the British Empire. Jews have lived in the region continuously for well over 2,000 years. The British found themselves overseeing an indigenous population made up of Jews and Arabs-and sometimes Arab Jews. All were referred to as "Palestinians."

Ownership of the land was a patch work. Much of the land was owned by absentee landlords who lived in places like Egypt, and farmed by local Arab Palestinians. This may have made many Palestinians believe it was "their land," but sorry, that just wasn't the case. As the Zionist movement gained traction in the early 1900s, Jews around the world contributed to a fund to buy up tranches of land, and much of the land for the future Jewish state envisioned by the early Zionists was acquired this way.

Once again, the poor Arabs living on and farming the land may not have been happy to give up the land they lived on, but it was not "stolen from them," because they didn't own it to begin with. --Copied from Human Events

Journal Response to Ps 31

5:40 AM

Psalm 31

v2 "Save me by Your righteousness." That's the only way it can work, Lord, for I have no righteousness of my own…no merit that I can point to. Jesus is the only righteousness I have; the only merit in my life. The thing good about me, is You. I give You praise today, Father, for Your goodness. It's Your kindness, Lord, that draws me to You. The world is hostile even on a "good" day. But in Your presence is protection and peace -- because that's the way You are.

On the other hand, my own sinfulness threatens to drain me of physical and spiritual strength….v10 "My strength has failed because of my sinfulness." Thank You for what Christ has done to effect my forgiveness and salvation.

v20 You hide me "in the protection of Your presence." I remember as a child running to my parent's bedroom during a storm, or when I thought something scary was lurking in the night. Just being in their room, their presence, was peace enough for me. You are my Father now. I want to come into Your room and be in Your presence. The storm may still rage, but I'm not afraid when I'm with You.

v15 "The course of my life is in Your power." Lord, I turn my decisions over to You. Help me understand the course You have set for me. Not just in the big decisions -- although today I really need Your direction on some big stuff -- but also in the small decisions. You don't have to wait for me to ask, please. Just be in control; take over.

From my Journal, March 30

5:43: AM

Mark 5; Psalm 30

Thank You, Father, that I woke up! I have another day to serve You. Help me, through Your Spirit to make the best of it. This is a "study" day, Lord and I'll need Your Spirit to illuminate Your Word to me. Give me the thoughts and words to understand and then communicate Your truth.

v5 Your anger lasts only for a moment, but Your favor lasts a lifetime. Your favor is far more than I ever deserve. And I can attest to the truth that, no matter what things may happen, You have favored me. Thank You for my salvation -- only through Your genius was a way made for me to be redeemed from an eternity without You. You have favored me with my wife; my children; my parents who led me to You in the first place; a ministry and the ability to teach Your truth to others; my health and disposition. Thank You, Lord.

Part of my Journal, March 29, 2011

5:37 AM

Mark 5, Psalm 29

29:2 "Give the Lord the glory due His Name; worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness." You cannot be separated, Lord, from the splendor of Your glory. Heaven is far too magnificent for me to grasp, but it is filled with You and Your splendor, Your glory. If I am to worship You, then I must be able to approach You somehow.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for relinquishing Your glory long enough to come into my fallen world in order to save me. In the process, You have given me access to the Father. When I talk to Him in Your Name I am somehow in the presence of my God and Father.

"The Lord sits enthroned, King forever. The Lord gives His people strength." v10,11 One day everyone will acknowledge You as the King of kings. But today I do. I want You to be King in my life. Help me be second.

Part of my Journal, March 28

5:49 AM

Psalm 28

"Lord, I call to You; my Rock, do not be deaf to me." v1

"May the Lord be praised, for He has heard the sound of my pleading." v6

Lord, I call to You early in the morning and know You will hear me. You will hear me because You love me. I have no merit to bring to this relationship; You, and You alone, are good, holy, and kind.

You see me, however, as if I am righteous -- all because You chose to put on me the goodness and righteousness of Jesus. And what did He get in return? My ugliness, sin, and darkness. But His reward was resurrection and victory over death.

Your overwhelming grace is greater than my sin. I want to praise You for the grace and mercy You have extended to me. I just pray my life will reflect Your goodness in some way today. Thank You for hearing me. You don't have to.

From My Journal, March 26, 2011

Psalm 56:13 … God is the light of life.

There is no death in You, Lord. You are light. You are life. There is no light or life in the whole universe without Your expressed, deliberate operation. Light is not the nature of the world. It was found by You in darkness, and it was empty. You spoke and light shone on the earth. You spoke and life appeared.

You, Lord Jesus, are the Light and Life of me. I have no hope, no chance, no eternal prospects apart from the Light and Life You impart to me … because You love me. It's all a matter of grace. Pure grace.

What in the world is going on?

People are wondering what in the world is going on? Rebellions and uprisings; Islamic Jihad; earthquakes like the ones in Haiti and New Zealand; world wide seismic activity; rise in the frequency and intensity of violent crime; economic instability. All these events and activities have captured the attention of thinking Christians.

The truth is none of these are “signs” of the end. Jesus said when you see these things that the end is not yet.

Clearly, Jesus tipped us off to the two things, and only two things, that believers should be watching in the last days.

First, is that the Gospel will be taken to every nation. At least one person in every nation and people group will be introduced to the Gospel The death of 4 people killed by Somalian pirates is more of a sign of the end times than the uprisings in the middle east. Why? Those 4 people were attempting to take the Bible to the Far East. They were carrying out the command of Christ the “go in all nations.” That is relevant to end time prophecy.

Second, Jesus, and all of Scripture for that matter, told us that it’s all about Jerusalem. It’s not about world events or wars or pestilence. It’s about Jerusalem!

Jerusalem is the place the Messiah died for our sins; it’s where He rose from the dead; it’s place to which He will return; it’s the city He will replace with a whole New Jerusalem.It’s all about what happens to and in Jerusalem.

Many prophecy buffs try mark the time of Jesus’s return (against His specific command) from 1948, when the UN voted to establish the State of Israel. But that’s not as important as 1967 – when Israel reclaimed Jerusalem for the first time in 1,941 years.

Christians should be concerned with two things: 1. Taking the Gospel, and/or supporting the sending of the Gospel, to the world; 2. Praying for Jerusalem and the people of Israel.

What’s going on in the world is not nearly important as what is happening with the Gospel and with Jerusalem. What those two things.

Some Things We Never Forget

A representative to the U.S. House of Representatives is shot down, and others killed, at an otherwise happy, public event. There’s no rhyme or reason to it. Men, women and children who attended, and survived, will never forget the sights and sounds of that day. Some things you never forget.

I served in New York City as a chaplain immediately following the tragedy of 9-11. One assignment was to attend the funerals of first responders at St. Peter’s Cathedral. The grief on the faces of hundreds of firemen and policemen; the street lined with officers from all over the U.S. as the bagpipes played; the empty body-bags being carried on a fire truck; and the need for answers – and God – in every person’s eyes. Some things you never forget.

A seven year old first grade boy, doing what he does every other day of the week, was struck down as he crossed over to his house. The students on the school bus, the drivers waiting behind the bus while students disembarked, and the driver of the bus, and the driver of the pick up, were unwilling witnesses to this tragedy. Lives are changed forever in a flash, in a heartbeat, in just a moment’s time. Some things you never forget.

Where was God? If He is good, merciful, kind, and really loves us, where was God when all this happened? The answer: He was watching – and He was grieving – the same way He was watching and grieving the day His Son was being crucified on a cross. God’s Son died for our ultimate delivery from this earth of tears, pain, and death. I pray this is will one of those things we never forget.

Martin Luther King Day

Martin Luther King, a Baptist preacher, stressed the viability of the Constitution of the U.S. and constantly urged Americans to seek the rights already guaranteed them therein. MLK knew that it was hard work, individual liberties, and constitutional government that would give all men equal opportunity and equal access to the pursuit of happiness.

There's a debate raging over which party MLK belonged to. The fact is, he stressed the tenets of Christianity and faith in Christ more than political parties. And with that being said, let's take a quick history lesson.

Most black voters in the 1950s and 60s were registered Republicans. In their segregated South, it was the democrats like Lester Maddox, Al Gore, Sr, and George Wallace that fought for segregation, "whites only" schools, and "separate but equal" public facilities. Even John F. Kennedy voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1957 when he was still a senator.

The Civil Rights Act of 1963 passed because of the Republican Senators that supported it. Al Gore's father voted against it. Senator Fulbright, Bill Clinton's hero, voted against it. Leading Democratic Senators across the board, mostly southerners, voted against it.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, a Republican appointed the Supreme Court justice that would lead the charge to overturn the Jim Crow Laws. It was Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, that maintained a strong hatred of slavery and racial injustice. A southern democrat killed him.

There were racist Republicans, too, like Senator Jesse Helms, but their voices never resonated among true constitutional conservatives or the Republican Party as a whole.

The debate goes back and forth about which party favors the minorities in this country. And there are racists in either camp. But it's the constitutional conservatives of BOTH parties that carried the day. Eventually, JFK came around and demonstrated conservative views. For example, he was pro-life and against big government handouts. Remember this: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." That should be a bumper sticker!

I say, let's drop the party labels of Democrat and Republican when we talk about the direction of our government. We should clarify whether a person is a constitutional conservative, or a constitutional revisionist. The framers of the Constitution were visionary, intelligent, God-fearing men. Most hated slavery but were unable to end slavery using the Constitution. The best they could do is include this: "all men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; among which are the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

They added "liberty" so that future courts and generations would be able to end the atrocity of slavery. They added "pursuit of happiness" because they knew it was not the government's place to guarantee happiness.

That's a fact that we learn from all the letters and journals written by these great men.

There's enough fault to go around in both parties. Let's stick to the Constitution as our one and only reference point for all our laws and government reach. Then, like President Washington said, we too will agree, that "no government can rightly rule without the Bible."

I, too, dream of a country where people are judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. Thank MLK for that dream. I hope that dream will belong to all us one day.

With Christ in the School of Adversity

That’s right. Adversity is more than a painful experience or a challenge that threatens our peace and happiness. Besides being a “normal” part of living on this cursed planet, it is also a school where we learn a great many lessons. One lesson (and there will be a test later) is about how faithful we truly are. We also learn a lesson about the faithfulness and love of Jesus.

Sunday we will attend class with Jesus in the School of Adversity. Check out Matthew 14 then join us in person or via the internet as we attend class together.

Thoughts on Second Chances

"Lord, when I read about Peter slipping into the water I think of myself failing You. But then You didn't reject / discard Peter. You reached out and took him by the hand and drew Him to Yourself. Thank You for giving me one chance after another. I walk and sink; walk and sink; walk and sink. But each time You rescue me and draw me to Yourself…and then continue to work in and through my life. I just pray that when it's all said and done that You receive the glory and praise You deserve."

Sick or Not, God Remains Awesome

I've been sick all week. You know, a cold with sore throat, larygitis, coughing, sleepless nights. When your head feels kind of woosie it's hard to concentrate on important things. One thing is certain, no matter how I feel God is still the same -- He remains awesome.

One friend of mine had a clear MRI this week; another friend's brother succumbed to our enemy, death; another friend's house burned to the ground; but Jesus died to rescue us from this cursed earth. he remains awesome. Thank You, Father, for everything.

Used My Miracle Mouthwash

Well, I'm sick with a head cold, sore throat included. So, I made up a batch of my Miracle Mouthwash (actually got it from my doctor) and boy do I feel better!!
Try it. See the previous blog for the recipe. I forgot to put in the recipe to add a normal dose of Mylanta to the concoction.

MAGIC MOUTHWASH

My doctor gave me this formula last year when I was sick. It works!!

INGREDIENTS
One small tube of ORAJEL, CHERRY FLAVORED
Liquid BENEDRYL, CHERRY FLAVORED
Liquid MYLANTA, CHERRY FLAVORED

DIRECTIONS
Cut the back or bottom of the Orajel tube with scissors and empty the entire tube into a cup.
Add twice as much Benedryl as gel
And about 20cc of water (a spoon used to measure medicine or a cup that comes with Nyquil can be used to measure the water)
Mix the contents

APPLICATION
Take 5cc to 10cc by mouth, swish it around and gargle deeply, then swallow.
Repeat every 2-3 hours as needed.
The Orajel and Benedryl help numb the sore throat; the Mylanta is to make swallowing them easy on the stomach.

There you have it: Orajel, Benedryl, and Mylanta -- all cherry flavored. Don't make a face...try it.

A Great Prayer from Thomas a' Kempis

I cant' seem to copy and paste this prayer into this blog format. Please go to link I've provided and make this prayer your own. ----->

READING THE BIBLE

I've added a new element to my blog. It's called "Faith Comes by Hearing" and makes the New Testament available to my viewers. You can listen to the Word in the English Standard Version (a good translation). So, go ahead. Take advantage and have a listen.

It's not about us, and it's not about NOW

Humans are physical by nature. God made us that way. But since we are under the Curse of sin we think in the NOW and have lost sight of eternity. But life is not about us, and it's not about NOW. Life, real life, is about Jesus Christ and what He has in store for believers.
The earth is temporary, but we invest all our emotional and mental stock in it. Truly, we give very little thought to what outweighs everything else -- the Lord and Heaven.
Worship, life, and love... it's not about us, and it's not about NOW.

Heaven just keeps getting better

I really enjoyed working on my message today about Heaven. We're studying the New Jerusalem and WOW, today I was into the River of Life, the Tree of Life (which is totally amazing!!), and even the natural wonders of the New Earth.
Think of it, mountains, trees, valleys, sunsets, waterfalls, precious stones, rivers and so much more. I wonder if the New Earth will have beautiful rings like Saturn does now; or maybe numerous moons. Why not? God always improves and advances on His work.
It's exciting; just plain exciting.

Heaven

Many of you know that I'm preaching a series on Heaven right now. In the process of reading, studying and preparing for the messages, Heaven has become even dearer and more desireable to me. Heaven is not a city floating in the clouds, or a ghostly place with ghostly inhabitants. It is a robust, full of life place where people enjoy success, work, pleasure, fun and fellowship.
Maybe all of us should be pre0ccupied with Heaven. It's our home, our future, and the place where our Savior and loved ones are.
The series can be seen on our website at www.gracekaufman.org or ordered and viewed on DVD.
I wonder what it would be like to place catch with Jesus. I always wanted to surf...I think I'll get my chance, if I want it. Sound weird? Maybe. Maybe not.

I'm not a Republican, I just seem vote Republican

Someone asked me about this the other day, and in today's political climate, I thought I'd exercise my freedom of expression (while I still have it) and answer: "Are you a Democrat or Republican?"
Sure, I've voted for Democratic candidates before when what they stood for mattered to me. But that was a long time ago. It seems I only vote for Republicans lately. But I do know some good public servants today that are Democrats on the local level.
You see, I'm a conservative. I have certain beliefs and values. I believe in a small federal government and that it's the role of the federal government to protect the homeland "from enemies, foreign and domestic", not regulate toothpaste, which medical treatment I can recieve, car emissions, nativity scenes, religious expression or free enterprise. I believe that less taxes stimulate the economy, not more taxes.
I also believe in the sanctify of human life. I belief God created human beings and our "abortion on demand" policies, and "abortion for convenience", tells God we think He made a mistake. It's like telling God that His crowning creation is disposable!!
I believe that our nation was founded on certain Judeo-Christian principles that will keep us strong, or only lead to our destruction if we abandon them.
I vote for candidates that hold to these and other conservative principles. And it seems that Republican candidates tend to hold to these principles more than Democrats. I'm open to correction if I'm wrong.
So, when I vote for conservatives with biblical foundations, more often than not they tend to be Republicans.
I think I'll join the Tea Party, however. I think the next time there's a Tea Party gathering around here you might find me there.
Bottom line? I belong to a set of principles, not a political party. So, I vote for Life. If you have to pick a single issue, make it Life. If anyone thinks unborn life is cheap and disposable, they're going to think your life is cheap and disposable, too!