Your Questions, Answers, and Comments are Encouraged!
What is the WestBank/Gaza Strip?
by Anna G
What is the West Bank/Gaza strip? Is it a part of the
natural borders of Israel? Was this piece of land given to the Palestinans as a part of the peace process?
When the UN partitioned the Middle East in 1948, Israel was given quite a bit of the Land she now has, but the Arabs declared war right away & managed to capture Biblical Judea and Samaria. Jordan annexed it immediately and began to call it the "West Bank" (of the Jordan River).
When Israel recaptured its own land in subsequent wars, the media still insisted upon calling it the West Bank instead of Judea & Samaria. It is the entire center of the country.
Arafat has persisted in claiming that it is Palestinian land & has created so many problems for us, that some of our political leaders began to fall for the big lie: land for peace. They began turning over bits and pieces of this land to Arafat, so now the map looks like swiss cheese. There are many Jewish villages next to Arab villages, so it is impossible to separate the two peoples, especially in places like Hebron, where there has been a Jewish presence for the past 4000 years. (Not all Jews were dispersed from the Land)
The Gaza Strip is a coastal area along the Mediterranean in the southern part of Israel. There are Jewish villages there, too. It is the area in which the sea people of the Bible called the Philistines inhabited. They were overthrown and destroyed long ago. The modern Palestinians are not related to them in any way other than being a thorn in the side of Israel. Arafat tries to make a connection with the Biblical nation of Philistines, but then he also claims that Palestinians were the first Christians. How confused can he get!?
The west Bank & the Gaza Strip are included in the given borders of the Biblical Land of Israel.
You should have a map in front of you when you are trying to figure this all out - maybe we will make one and put it on the web site.
"Palestinian" was a catch-all word for all the inhabitants of the Land of Israel before it became recognized as a modern State in 1948. Even Jews who lived here had "Palestinian" written on their Identity
Cards. The term came from the Romans who called this land "Palestina" instead of Israel.
The word Arab comes from the Aramaic language & means "mixed" or "interwoven" (like fabric). The Arabs are a mixture of descendants from Ishmael, Esau, & the sons of Lot, plus other races. There are Muslim Arabs, Bedouin Arabs & Christian Arabs in Israel. Some of them hold Israeli citizenship (Israeli Arabs) & some do not (Palestinian Arabs). There are only two basic categories of Arabs today: Israeli Arabs & Palestinian Arabs. They all intermarry with one another.
Technically there is no such thing as a race called Palestinians, however, Yasser Arafat, through his cunning, has made a group of disenfranchised people into a so-called nation with that name. The plain truth is, these are people who did not want to live in a Jewish State; - they were rebellious and deceived in 1948 & thought they could destroy the State of Israel & they are still rebellious and deceived today. They do not realize they are fighting against G-d! It is a sad situation where they are destroying themselves and being used as pawns by the surrounding Arab nations to be a thorn in the side of Israel. I hope this helps & I didn't confuse you.
Shalom Friends! I have some good news for you! One of the Arab boys we sent to Messianic Summer Camp has accepted the L-rd! Both boys thoroughly
enjoyed the program and want to return next year.
More good news! One of the victims from the Netanya Shopping Mall bombing picked herself up from under the rubble and literally ran home and locked
herself in her apartment for a couple days. She read the New Testament which a friend had given her & got down on her knees and asked the L-rd to take over her life! She is now an active member in a congregation.
More good news! We have been praying for protection over the Land of Israel; the Army just released the information that 85% of all terror attacks have been intercepted before they happen. This is a direct result of G-d's Divine Intervention! We are praising the L-rd for this! It is so nice to know Who is really in charge, isn't it?! This is true in your life
as well as ours!
The L-rd is only allowing enough pressure on His People to help them to look up! We need to pray for their salvation and to remember the Arabs also,
because right now, they are under a powerful delusion; their leaders are leading them to hell.
The L-rd has also brought a wonderful worship leader to us here in Arad, so we have begun a weekly praise, prayer and worship session! This is an
answer to prayer. Now please pray for musicians! I believe that the spirit of praise in a believer is a powerful tool against the enemy, so praise Him
with me!
Thank the L-rd for the wonderful things He is doing in the Land! Don't pay
attention to the evil reports - that's what kept the Israelites wandering in
the wilderness instead of entering the Promised Land!
Thanks & blessings to you for your prayers and support! I appreciate it and
I know the Lord appreciates you, too!! Love in Y'shua, our King, Savior and
Messiah,
Lura
"From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth." Psalm 50:2
There is a teaching circulating that once you have made a commitment to the Lord and been saved that He holds no sin against you even if it is willful, like
living in adultery and going off to church every week and they are also baptizing these people, knowing that
they are living in adulterous relationships or even
lesbian relationships.
Are these people really saved?
Your comment please?
We need to distinguish between salvation & growth in the situation you describe. We are not allowed to judge another's state of salvation, and even the Bible has a number of commands for believers to behave themselves. Therefore, it must be concluded that some believers need to grow from being baby believers (dirtying their diapers) into mature believers (changing the baby believers' diapers). That takes time. How soon maturity comes depends on growth (intake of Bible doctrine and applying it to one's personal life with the help of the Holy Spirit). Some sins are worse than others in our eyes, but sin is not really the issue at all.
Is a person truly born again? We must leave that in the capable hands of the Lord. But one thing is sure - the Sin Issue is forever settled in the eyes of the Righteous Judge. Y'shua (Jesus) paid it all on the tree! No one will be judged for sins -- not here, not ever. The Blood of Y'shua atoned for the sins of the world. (I Jn 2:2)
The Final Judgment will be based on works - things which unbelievers think are good enough to get them to heaven. At the Final Judgment, the Lord will give them an opportunity to compare their "good deeds" with His own Righteousness. (books of works - Rev. 20:11-15) Then they will realize their works are nothing but "filthy rags in His sight." (Isaiah 64:6) They will come up miserably short compared to the glory & purity of the Most High God. The ONLY WAY to get right with God is to accept His Messiah as a blood atonement for our sins. That is God's provision. Once in the family of God, He is well able to take care of His children & He is well able to spank those who misbehave. Trust in Him.
Meanwhile we are instructed to provoke one another to good works & to be a good witness & to lead a moral life. We are also instructed NOT to associate with believers who are in an immoral lifestyle, such as adultery, homosexuality, etc. (It brings shame on the witness we bear before the world; how can we represent a Holy G-d if our group tolerates impure behavior?)
We are to confront them in a loving manner and offer our help to free them from bondage. If they are approached in the proper manner & are believers, they should respond in a convicted way and repent. If not, they should be treated as unbelievers and given the gospel again & again & again.
Baptism has no requirements other than a verbal assent to having accepted the salvation provided by the death & resurrection of Y'shua, the Son of G-d. However, if a pastor is aware of impure relationships, He needs to take action to prevent the church from being contaminated. This area was a huge problem for the Corinthian Church; they tolerated all kinds of sexual impurity in their midst. They were believers, but they were not being a good witness! They had to grow up!
The real Issue is "How much do you love the L-rd?" Do we love Him enough to say "no" to our own selfish desires & say "yes" to a intimate daily relationship with Him?
Because of the serious nature of this question, I will be adding a teaching concerning this subject to the Chaplain's Page. Thanks for asking it; I hope the answer below helps other readers understand a complex subject. Please be aware that I have only touched the surface of this subject.
"Do not be afraid of those who can kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. Rather be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Matt. 10:28
The bottom line concern of most people regarding suicide is "Fear, that in a moment's madness, we can somehow move ourselves out of God's sphere of influence & lose our salvation." Read the following quote (I thought this person said it very well.)
************
(Quote)
"…the first thing to consider with this question is, did the person get right with God and live right for God before they died? People do not make it to heaven, regardless of how they died, if they had not yet accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. That is, suicide is not the issue regarding whether a person goes to heaven. Getting right with God is the issue.."
"…it should be clear that although suicide is wrong, the essential issue regarding going to heaven is getting right with God before you die.
Incidentally, this does not mean that someone who wants to end the pain in their lives can get “fire insurance” by getting right with God before killing themselves. In such a case, it is obvious that the person’s real reason for getting right with God is not establishing a relationship with Him, but rather going through a procedure to “get the best deal.” Such a phony “acceptance” of God will not count. The following passage is relevant:
Galatians chapter 6
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
Remember, the concept of “getting right with God” is to be adopted (through Jesus) into God’s family. How would you feel if you adopted someone who then committed suicide, leaving a note stating, “thanks for adopting me, I wanted to commit suicide and I am glad that I found someone who would pay for my funeral?” The reality is that you would then know that the person you adopted was only an opportunist—not someone interested in being part of your family. The point is that people who honestly want to get right with God are safe in His Hands. Those who have an ulterior motive to “have a relationship” with Him do not have that advantage."
Many times, a person who commits suicide is in a state of rebellion and angry. They opt for a permanent solution to a temporary problem & commit the greatest act of revenge they could imagine. "I'm hurting & I am not getting the attention I think I deserve, therefore I will kill myself and show them…" Suicide is NOT an option, especially for a believer. It will not keep a believer out of heaven, but it is an extremely poor witness to those left behind and it will place you in the presence of the King of Kings full of shame.
"And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming." I Jn. 2:28
As a believer, I myself reached a state of depression where I did not see the point of continuing on and actually planned to commit suicide (I did not tell anyone about it) but the Lord Himself intervened and spoke to me to read Ecclesiastes. There I discovered someone else who felt the same way -- all is futility! Then the Lord told me to turn to the book of Job. In Chapter 23:10 "But if I go to the east, He is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find Him. When He is at work in the north, I do not see Him; when He turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of Him. But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold." In Chapter 42:5, Job says, "My ears had heard of You but now my eyes have seen You. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."
Results:
1. I realized I was not the first to feel this way. (Ecclesiastes)
2. I realized that even if I could not see God's hand at work in my life: He was there and He had a purpose. (Job 23:10)
3. I realized my arrogance for wanting to take my God-given life & I got down on my knees before my Creator and asked forgiveness for not giving Him the respect He deserves, for my self-centeredness and my wrong desire to control my own life. (Job 42:5)
4. I received a new start in my life & I now experience what it means to realize that "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. ' The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, Therefore I hope in Him!" Lam. 3:22-24
Suicide is probably the most distressing thing that can happen to a family and it leaves people bewildered & wondering what happened to the soul of the one who died. We cannot judge if the deceased had a relationship with the Lord, but we can determine that the relationship was not on the best of terms or the suicide would never have taken place. We all succumb to sin at one time or another. We need to be compassionate at such a time, not judgmental. There is NO WAY to tell if the person was truly born again; we must leave that in the capable hands of the Lord. But one thing is sure - the Sin Issue is forever settled in the eyes of the Righteous Judge. Y'shua (Jesus) paid it all on the tree! No one will be judged for sins -- not here, not ever. The Blood of Y'shua atoned for the sins of the world. (I Jn 2:2)
The Final Judgment will be based on works - things which unbelievers think are good enough to get them to heaven. At the Final Judgment, the Lord will give them an opportunity to compare their "good deeds" with His own Righteousness. (books of works - Rev. 20:11-15) Then they will realize their works are nothing but "filthy rags in His sight." (Isaiah 64:6) They will come up miserably short compared to the glory & purity of the Most High God. The ONLY WAY to get right with God is to accept His Messiah as a blood atonement for our sins. That is God's provision. Once in the family of God, He is well able to take care of His children & He is well able to spank those who misbehave. Trust in Him.
This is my opinion from what I see in the Bible: The earth is millions of years older than mankind. Man has only been on this planet about 6000 years & animals slightly longer - G-d created them first.
In Genesis 1:1 G-d created the earth. Isaiah 45:18 says the L-rd did not form the earth to be chaos. So I believe that between Gen. 1:1 and 1:2 something happened to the earth to make it chaos (formless & empty). In verse 2, the the Spirit of G-d is hovering (brooding) over the mess, then He goes about Re-creating the earth & puts man on it.
In my studies of the role of Lucifer/Satan, I believe that this was his planet to rule & that his rebellion took place here & that the L-rd turned the lights out on this planet for awhile (long time!) - that explains the age & also why the fossil record is so limited. (By the way, there is absolutely no evidence for evolution) It also explains much of the ice age, however there have been periodic limited ice ages throughout history. Weather has its cycles and also its limits.
The Bible is not a science book but everywhere it comments on scientific things, it has been proven to be accurate. There are many books written on the subject including some by prominent scientists on the accuracy of the Bible - the Word of G-d.
Some believers are so anxious to "prove" G-d right that they fail to consider all the facts; they do more harm than good. There is no need to tell people that the L-rd made the earth "look" old. It is!
Hi Gail! This "teaching" that many gentiles (non-jews) are from the "lost" tribe of Ephraim is making the rounds of the churches & the internet & ,unfortunately, making some inroads even into the Messianic community.
It is just another version of British-Israelism, Anglo-Israelism, Mormonism, and a few other fringe cult groups like Christian Identity or Kingdom Identity.
It is a lie designed to separate people, while actually saying that it is trying to unify them. This is Replacement Theology - saying that the church is Israel. It was the popularity of Replacement Theology in Germany which led to the silence of many churches while Jews were being arrested and taken to the concentration camps. (In essence, it says that G-d is finished with the Jews, so we don't need to protect them).
Also the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America has some position papers on the subject, but I have been unable to access their site for a few days. Perhaps you will be able to do so. http://www.mjaa.org
We need to remember three things:
1. The Church/Body of Messiah is made up of Jews and Gentiles; the L-rd is making ONE NEW MAN! We have spiritual equality.
2. There are no lost tribes: G-d knows where every Jew is and ALL 12 tribes were represented when the L-rd used Nehemiah to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem & to rebuild the Temple. All 12 tribes have been represented down through the history of the Jews. Many of the 10 northern tribes of Israel joined with Judah before the Assyrian invasion came.
3. The L-rd is not finished with the Jewish nation of Israel; He has a Plan and He is working out that Plan until the Leaders of Israel call upon the Messiah and ask Him to return (at the end of the coming 7-yr. Tribulation Period... then every Jew shall be saved! Praise the L-rd!
Wouldn't it be nice if we believers could be content with where the L-rd put us. To whom much is given, much is required. "Being Jewish is not a matter for pride -- it's a matter of responsibility!"
Since the Jewish people believe that embalming interferes with the natural order of "dust to dust", bodies are not embalmed or preserved in any way. Therefore it is expedient to bury the dead as soon as possible, especially in the heat of summer. They are wrapped in a shroud and buried in the ground.
At different times during the history of Israel, the boundaries have been slightly different. I think it depended on the ability of the people to manage the Land along with their spiritual standing with the L-rd. What good is is it to give land and allow the wild beasts to multiply faster than the people can handle it, etc. Also, the Land belongs to the Jewish people, but the L-rd only allows them to live in it if they are submitting to Him. He allows a grace period then if all else fails, He allows their enemies to harrass them and eventually take their land for a limited time. He made an eternal covenant with them.
However at all times, the area of Judea and Samaria has been part of Israel proper. (This is the area the journalists term the "West Bank" & this is the area which Arafat wants)
Generally speaking, the Mediterranean Sea is always listed as its western boundary and in places, the Jordan River is listed as its eastern boundary except for the Golan Heights, which is included in Israel's territory. The southern boundary is the small wadi called the brook of Egypt which is just southwest of the Gaza strip. The northern boundary is the spring which forms the Orentes River (in modern-day Lebanon)
The boundaries for the future Messianic Kingdom are larger than what Israel has now - Israel will stretch to the Euphrates River in the north. Of course in that day, many will want to be part of the nation of Israel because the King of all kings will be reigning here!
I will get back to you with some Scripture on this in a day or two & also answer your other questions. Shalom!
