Allow me to Introduce Myself…

I am a married Medical Assistant, parent of nine children (six sons, three daughters) and a currently serving Medic in the National Guard. I currently reside in a metropolitan city in the Midwest, though I’m a native Texan.

In case any are wondering, EngMed is short for Engineer Medic. I’m currently serving as a Platoon Medic in a Combat Engineer Company, so that seemed a fitting name, wouldn’t y’all think?

My interests vary between religion, politics, art, literature, hunting, camping, fishing, hiking, music, writing and serving the Lord. Yes, I am an evangelical Christian and I won’t ever shy away from the subject. I invite any to ask questions, debate and will gladly pray for any who ask.

In terms of politics, I’m a Conservative Constitutionalist. No, I’m not a Republican. I’m actually very disaffected with them, given that their commitment to conservative values tend to disappear faster than water on the surface of the sun.

I’m pro-gun, pro-life, pro-death penalty, and pro-limited government. I believe that the Constitution is the law of the land, not social whim.

I’m anti-Islam (a topic I will expand upon in the future), against virtually all forms of gun control, and I’m totally OK with the idea of legalizing marijuana, though I personally detest the stuff.

Well, I think that’s about all I have at this time. If y’all wanna know more, feel free to ask. I’ll just end with this quote:

“Dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori.” “It is sweet and fitting to die for your country.”

To my Indigenous People. What are you doing?

If you have read my blog long enough, you will have noted that I make mention of the fact that I carry Native ancestry. My father’s family is of Nahua (Aztec) ancestry. My mother’s family carries some Cherokee, along with an ancestress whose background is still a mystery. Seems she was half Irish, half Native, from Alabama, and married a white man from a prominent Missouri family, much to his family’s abject horror. I mean, it was the 1800s, so of course the young couple faced some rather harsh discrimination. Nor is it a surprise that her tribal affiliation was never divulged. It happened a lot in those days, sad to say.

Given this, it goes without saying that I do have some rather strong opinions when it comes to the history of this nation, as it relates to the Native tribes that inhabited North America when the Europeans first stumbled across it. For clarification, while I am a proud American patriot, I am also very much a realist. What was done to my ancestors was beyond the pale in terms of horror, brutality, and evil. Make no mistake, I also recognize that those ancestors were doing much the same things to their neighbors, though on an admittedly smaller scale.

Our peoples were lied to, manipulated, and denied their basic human rights in various ways. They were ethnically cleansed from lands that they had occupied for millennia, which is heinous to say the least. Of course, I am referring to what was happening before the Europeans showed up on the scene and joined in the fray. Everyone took turns enslaving, marauding, conquering, and outright destroying each other in a way that clearly shows how and why the Europeans were so easily able to take over. Our ancestors had only themselves to blame, as tech was clearly not an issue.

Having covered that base, I want to ask a question that has been weighing on my mind for the last few weeks. Why do I see so many Native people supporting the Palestinians, Hamas, Hezbollah, etc.? How is it that I see so many YouTube channels run by Natives, showing that (of course) they have access to the internet, and through it, to the sum and total of human existence, in all its messy and egregious glory, but so very few of us have caught on to the truth of the Israel-Palestine issue?

I am aware of the narrative that holds that the Jewish State, founded in 1948, was founded on what people refer to as “Palestine”, and the claim that these Jewish people stole this land from the native Palestinians. Anyone with more than five minutes of instruction in American History, OUR history, can see where the natural sympathy would go. According to this narrative, anyone with even a drop of Native blood in their veins ought to be outraged at what appears to be Europeans colonizing and usurping an indigenous population, and that outrage would be 100% warranted, IF that narrative were the slightest bit true. However, it really is not. The Palestinian narrative is based on no small number of historical lies, and we must now examine those lies, in the light of the truth, to better inform ourselves.

I will begin by stating that I fully support Israel. I do so without qualification, without an ounce of shame, embarrassment, or trepidation. As a man of Native ancestry, their story, which is fully supported by the evidence, hits somewhere in my DNA. There is a land grab taking place. There is an apartheid being perpetuated. There is an attempt at ethnic cleansing taking place. However, Israel is not the perpetrator. Israel is the victim. I intend to show how and why I say that, in the hope that other Natives might be persuaded to place their support behind the true victims of this horrific crime. If you are reading this, and are not Native, make no mistake, I encourage you to examine my argument and see for yourself, too.

Where we begin is in the Torah. Among other things, the Torah is an historical record. It covers many of the events that helped to form and shape the people we know today as “Jews”, and their religion, Judaism. It begins with a man from what is now known as Southern Iraq, Abram, a man from the city known as Ur of the Chaldees.

One thing we learn from the Torah is that the modern day Semitic peoples (including Arabs) descend from Shem ben Noach (Shem son of Noah) (Gen. 10:21-31). This is a hugely important element to the story, because the Hebrew and Arabic people are cousins. They descend from the same man, Avram ben Terach (Abram son of Terah), father of Isaac and Ishmael. It is from Yitz’chak (Isaac) and Yishma’el (Ishmael) that we get the Hebrews and Arabs, as they are the sons of Isaac (Hebrews), and the sons of Ishmael (Arabs).

According to the Torah, God promised Abram that his descendants would be numbered like the stars. He says, “Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.” (Gen. 15:5) Later, God would come to Abram, and formalize the covenant that would ensure the promise that he would be the father of many nations (Gen. 17). This Covenant would also be marked by the changing of Abram’s name from Avram (exalted father) to Avraham (father of many).

The land given to the descendants of Abraham is laid out in Genesis 15,

“And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.” (Gen. 15:17-21)

There is something very important of note here. The land God describes here encompasses all or part of the modern nations of Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt; in addition to those of the modern Jewish State of Israel. How many of those nations are occupied by the sons of Isaac? Additionally, God states in Genesis 17 that this promise, this Covenant, is to be eternal (Gen. 17:7). There is no expiration date on that promise. It is to remain their land, but there is a bit more.

Abraham had at least two sons, Isaac and Ishmael. The Israelite people descend from Yakov ben Yitz’chak, or Jacob son of Isaac, who would later be renamed to Yisra’el, or Israel. The Arab peoples descend from Jacob’s brother, Ishmael. Both were to be blessed by God, and both were to be the fathers of many nations. Ishmael was blessed when he was still in his mother’s womb (Gen. 16), while Isaac would be blessed much later. It is worth noting that their blessings included land, and that their lands were to be separate. We should also note what is said of Ishmael, and his descendants, in terms of their behavior,

“And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.” (Gen. 16:12)

The term used to describe Ishmael here is פֶּ֣רֶא אָדָ֔ם (Pere aDam, wild man), which makes clear that he would spend life in constant conflict with his brethren, as would his descendants. These would be the modern day Arabs, among other groups. The Arabs derive their name from the place of their origin, the Arabian Peninsula. This places them close to Israel, but not from it. Furthermore, the text shows that the Arabic people would live AMONG their brethren, which is true given that millions of Arabs live in Israel, and they are not all so-called Palestinians.

According to modern biblical archeology, the earliest reference to Israel is found on the Merneptah Stele, dated to 1205 BC, which lists the military victories of Pharaoh Merneptah. Israel is listed among the countries his forces defeated in battle. What is not listed on that stele is a country known as Palestine. That dates to more than 3,200 years ago.

The stele says,

Canaan is captive with all woe.
Ashkelon is conquered, Gezer seized,
Yanoam made nonexistent;
Israel is laid waste, bare of seed,

What we have then is an historically verifiable basis for the existence of Israel. Funnily enough, many Muslim scholars today dispute the idea that Israel ever existed, despite the evidence to the contrary. Interesting, is it not?

Moving forward, there is an historical basis for a place named Palestine, but there is a catch. The modern English word “Palestine” derives from the Latin “Palestina”, which in turn comes from the Greek “Philistia”. In Arabic, it is called “Filistin”. Where the name Palestina enters our lexicon is in 135 AD, when Hadrian, Emperor of Rome, chose to rename the Province of Judea to Syria-Palestina as punishment to the Jewish people for rising up against Imperial Rome. This was known as the Bar Kokhba Revolt (133 AD – 135 AD), which brought an end to Jewish resistance against Rome.

The intent behind renaming Judea was to drive a permanent wedge between the Jewish people and their lands. History shows that Hadrian failed miserably. The Jewish people persisted in Syria-Palestina, and remained there into the modern day. In fact, Mark Twain took a trip to the Holy Lands in the 1860s, and wrote about it. The resultant book, “The Innocents Abroad”, makes mention of Jews, Christians, and Arabs, but never makes mention of Palestine as a nation, or of a distinct people group calling themselves “Palestinian”. He refers to Palestine as a “country” in the same way that we would refer to a region, or a general area, but never as a distinct nation. (At the time, Palestine was part of the Ottoman Empire, so it was not an independent nation) As Mark Twain wrote this at a time when no one was seeking to establish a Jewish State, he did not exactly have a dog in that fight, which certainly makes him an impartial observer.

Another aspect of Palestine that was covered in Innocents Abroad was the emptiness of the region. He took note of the fact that there was very little by way of agriculture, or wildlife. The entire region seemed to be awaiting something, and its depression showed in the people. He noted that the people there seemed to be as muted as the land. How interesting considering the land came back to life when the Jewish State was reconstituted in 1948.

Where did the Greek Philistia come from? It was their pronunciation for the country of people known as “Philistines”. Think David and Goliath. Hadrian chose to rename the Jewish homelands after their ancient, and no longer existent, enemies. He added insult to literal injury there.

They were a good and proper nation, but they had passed out of existence long before the events of the Bar Kokhba revolt. Between the fact that they ceased to exist before that time, and the fact that the Philistines were most certainly NOT Arabs, it is clear that the so-called Palestinians of today have no historical claim on the land, beyond the few descended from people who lived there prior to the reconstitution of Israel. It gets better.

On the day that Israel officially became a country, all of the surrounding Arab nations declared war and told their Palestinian brethren to leave, so that they may avoid being injured in the bloodbath that was about to ensue. At the same time, the newly formed Israeli government asked the Palestinian people to remain and live with them in peace, with full citizenship. Those Palestinian Arabs all left, entirely by choice, forfeiting any chance at being a part of the new Jewish State, and effectively rendering themselves stateless. Their descendants now live in refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria, and various other countries. They are also universally reviled as being terrible people in those countries.

Today, we are expected to believe that the Israeli government evicted these people from their homes and lands, and that is EXACTLY what did NOT happen. In fact, all Israeli Arabs not only enjoy full citizenship rights, but they occupy all levels of Israeli life, including serving on the Knesset. They serve as judges, and even serve in the Israeli Defense Forces. At this time, Muslim Arab members of the IDF are facing off against members of Hamas and Hezbollah in direct and close combat. (Prior to the “pause” in fighting) You must ask yourself why. Why would they face off against people of the same religion and ethnicity if Israel is such a horrible place for them? Trust and believe that the answer is not as complicated as one might think.

Another point to consider is the so-called genocide of the Palestinian people. Population figures have shown that the Palestinian population in Gaza and the West Bank have not been in decline. In fact, they continued to experience population growth until the war Hamas started on October 7. If Israel were seeking to exterminate the Palestinian people, they have clearly lost the plot.

Until the resumption of hostilities on October 7, there had been a longstanding ceasefire in effect for several years. During that time, Israel provided Gaza with food, water, fuel, electricity, medical supplies, etc. Gaza was also receiving large amounts of assistance from the US, the UN, various Muslim nations around the Middle East, and had no good reason to be suffering at all. Israel had honored an agreement that required they pull out of Gaza entirely.

When they pulled out, they left behind fully functioning infrastructure and more than enough resources for the Gazan people to jumpstart their own economy. They could have been an independent nation living in peace with their neighbors, and they would have been prosperous. What happened? Hamas. Hamas happened. The Gazan people elected them as their government, and everything went downhill from there. They destroyed all the infrastructure, made life wretched for the Gazan people, and used the money and resources to carry on an unremitting war against Israel.

Finally, I want to address the specific targeting of civilian infrastructure by the IDF, because I know that is a huge sticking point for a lot of people. It is true that intentionally targeting civilian infrastructure is a war crime under the Geneva and Hague Conventions. It is also true, under the same body of laws, that using civilian infrastructure for offensive purposes in war nullifies any legal protection said infrastructure enjoys. If a military force chooses to store weapons, munitions, and/or troops in or near a hospital, place of worship, school, residential area, etc., then targeting said structures become entirely legal.

No small number of videos have come out of this current conflict showing clearly that Hamas has been using the Gazan people as human shields, and as propaganda fodder. Furthermore, Hamas has not been shy about using outright lies to push international opinion against Israel. For example, there was the supposed bombing of a hospital in Gaza City that they claimed took the lives of over 500 medical staff and patients.

The problem with this story is that the rocket came from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), that the rocket had malfunctioned mid-flight, and had impacted in a parking lot outside the hospital causing minimal damage and reportedly killing a few dozen people. The images from the next morning showed that there was not much of an impact crater, and that all cars that had been parked there were burnt out. They also show that there is little to no damage to surrounding buildings. Even trees are still standing. If you examine this picture, you will see what I am referring to.

Note that there is a disparity between the strength of Israeli rockets, and Palestinian ones. Israeli rockets are far more powerful. Had it been an Israeli rocket, the cars not vaporized by the explosion would have been rather efficiently relocated several hundred meters away, most likely in several pieces. The hospital and surrounding buildings would have taken far more significant damage, and the actual death toll would have been far higher. In short, Hamas lied about what happened there, so that people like you can sympathize with them and condemn Israel. There are more examples of this running around the news cycle.

Video footage provided by the IDF, showing a rocket striking al-Ahli Arab Hospital

In recent days, the IDF has routinely released videos showing the tunnels they found under Al-Shifa Hospital, along with the weapons they have stored under there. According to Geneva and Hague, those are war crimes. Hamas simply does not care. They will do it again if given a chance. The civilian casualties said actions cause benefit them tremendously.

Compare that with the IDF going above and beyond to avoid civilian casualties by warning the Gazan civilians ahead of time. They use leaflets, phone calls, and specially designed missiles to warn the civilians. When they issue their warnings, they include where and when they are going to strike, which direction will take them to safety, and how they will deliver the final warning. They are demonstrating more care for the Gazan people than Hamas is, and it really boggles my mind that people cannot seem to see past Hamas’ obvious lies.

Quick Update

Couple of things, y’all. First, I’m presently on a leave of absence from my job, as I have undergone my first ever surgery. Second, the first two of my books have been published.

For the last few years, I have been dealing with a torn meniscus. While it hasn’t been a huge issue, it was something that I knew I would need to deal with eventually. Last Friday, I underwent a right knee arthroscopy, and the surgeon removed the torn portion of my medial meniscus.

I feel fine, but I’m in a strange place. I’d never had surgery before. I didn’t really know what to expect. I now know this. When the anesthesiologist says, “Good night”, you’re about to have a blank spot in your memory, no matter the time of day.

My knee is still swollen, but it doesn’t really hurt. I was very sleepy for the first few days, but my energy level is getting better. My hope is that I’ll be able to return to work here soon.

Now, on to the books. I’ve finally finished and published the first two books. They aren’t yet available on Amazon, but they are available through the following:

Apple

Odilo

Tolino

Vivlio

Borrow Box

Smashwords

Gardeners

Baker & Taylor

Kobo

Bibliotheca

Hoopla

Barnes & Noble

Scribd

Palace Marketplace

OverDrive

The first book can be found at all of those sites, but the second will only be at some of them, as it’s still undergoing the approval process.

I do plan on publishing on Amazon as well, however, they have a lot of extra hoops to jump through, so I’m going to wait on that one for a bit. I’ll let y’all know when they go up on Amazon.

The titles are:

“Between the Church and the Synagogue: The Jewish Sermon”

“The Signs of Our Time: Combatting the Issues”

You can find them under my name, J.J. Mireles.

The first book began as the series I wrote on here about the Sermon on the Mount. Almost all the materials on my blog went into it, a long with some materials that didn’t. The second is my attempt to address many of the social issues we’ve been faced with, through the lens of Scripture.

Anyways, I hope y’all will give it a look.

Inconvenient History

Where to begin? These last few weeks have been nothing short of insane. News coming out of Israel and Gaza has occupied a fairly good portion of my attention. So much so that it has become necessary to take a bit and remind people of certain key aspects of the Israel-Palestine conflict that has either escaped notice, is being downplayed by the media, or has been ignored entirely. It has also taken me this long to calm down enough to be coherent. Mass murder, kidnapping, and the slaughter of innocents are on the list of things that will send me into an instant rage, and it takes me awhile to come down from that.

One of the most essential points in this issue is the claim that Israel stole land from the Palestinians. There are multiple points to be made here. First, there has been a continuous Hebrew presence in the Levant for more than 3,000 years. Note that the so-called Palestinians have not existed as a people for even a century. The Jewish people have held that land, in one way or another, the entire time. The only thing that changed with the establishment of the Jewish State was that the Jewish Diaspora was asked to return home. The necessary question that must be asked is, who is taking land from whom?

There are two points that must be considered for a fuller understanding of the issue. This is not a land dispute, media talking points notwithstanding. The land is little more than an excuse. The other point is, of the two, Israel and the so-called Palestinians, it is clear that the Palestinians have mastered the use of propaganda and have consistently displayed superior use of it. Though they do not think like us Westerners, they most certainly know how we think, and exactly how to use that against us. No matter what, this is something that must always be kept in mind. It is sometimes really difficult to tell where and when you are being played, though knowing the background of the story certainly does help.

Who Does the Land Belong to?

Let us then go back to the beginning. In Genesis 15, God makes a promise to Abram that has direct bearing on this topic. Genesis 15:18-21,

“On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.“

Time to do a little historical geography,

Kenites– Nomads believed to be descendants of Cain, and who lived throughout the Levant.

Kenizzites– Very little is known of this group. They are believed to have lived in Syria.

Kadmonites– A tribe in the Levant that is largely unknown.

Hittites– Believed to be descended from Heth, son of Canaan, son of Ham, son of Noah, the land they occupied is present day Turkey, namely the region of Anatolia, or Asia-Minor as it was called in the Bible.

Perizzites– A tribe that lived within the lands of the Canaanites.

Rephaites– Referred to as a race of giants in the Bible, they lived on Canaanite lands.

Amorites– A group of people who lived in Syria and Israel.

Canaanites– Well known as enemies of Israel, they are believed to have been descended from Canaan, grandson of Noah. They occupied much of the Levant until God sent the Israelites in to take their lands as punishment for their horribly sinful ways.

Girgashites– Known as the fifth ethnic group among the Canaanites, their territory is somewhat difficult to determine, but it is believed that they came from Anatolia, moved South in the lands taken by Israel, before finally settling in North Africa.

Jebusites– A Canaanite tribe that were the pre-Israelite occupants of Jerusalem.

If you were to look at a map and find all the salient points mentioned in Genesis 15, i.e., the river of Egypt, to the Euphrates River, and up to Anatolia, what you would find is that the land promised to Abram and his descendants, through his son Isaac, is not only considerably larger than what they currently occupy, but that the excess land is occupied by Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. Again, we must ask, who is stealing land from whom?

This is land promised to the descendants of Abram, through Isaac, his son of promise (Gen. 17:19-21, 21:1-13). What of his other son, Ishmael? He was similarly blessed and promised a strong legacy through 12 sons who would become rulers elsewhere. In Genesis 16, the Angel of the Lord says that Ishmael will be a wild man, whose hand will constantly be against his brothers. It is noted that he will live in hostility against them. Considering he was the older brother, the behavior he would later display, which eventually led to his expulsion, must have indeed become extreme, and not much seems to have changed with his descendants. The descendants of Ishmael have returned, and are seeking to rob the descendants of Isaac of their blessing and inheritance.

There is nothing to dispute regarding the land. God declared which lands belong to the sons of Isaac, and that is that. The sons of Ishmael are acting in defiance of that covenant when they claim the land for their own despite the facts of the matter. It does not end there, mind you. There is much more to the matter.

The origin of Palestine

Prior to 135AD, the region now known as “Palestine” was the Roman Province of Judea. Prior to that, it was the Kingdom of Judah, after splitting from the Kingdom of Israel. This history goes all the way back to the time when God used Moses to free His people from the Egyptians.

The Second Jewish Revolt, also known as the Bar Kokhba revolt, began in 133AD. While the Jewish forces did enjoy a few victories, including a point when it looked like they might win, they were ultimately defeated.

In response to Jewish defiance, Emperor Hadrian elected to remove the Jewish people from their land and culture. He forbade them from teaching the Torah, circumcision, and from entry to Jerusalem all but one day a year, during which they were reminded of all they had lost.

One of the changes Hadrian made was to rename Jerusalem to Aelia Capitolina, and to rename Israel Syria-Palestina. This was meant to be a double insult, as Palestine derived from the Greek Philistia, their name for the Philistines. He renamed the region after the ancient enemies of the Hebrew people (think David and Goliath).

The thing is, there is a point where Hadrian failed. He was never able to drive the Jews from their lands. There was a continuous Jewish presence in the land, including some who still managed to remain in Jerusalem. In that regard, he failed utterly, and the result is that there were still Jews in the region post-WWI, when the Ottoman Empire dissolved, and the British were given charge of the area known as Trans-Jordan, which encompassed what is now the countries of Israel and Jordan. Prior to that point in time, there had not been a people group known as “Palestinian”.

This is further supported by a book entitled “Innocents Abroad”, by Mark Twain. The book details his trip to the Holy Lands, and one thing that is never mentioned is a people known as Palestinian. He mentions Jews, Arabs, Bedouins, but no Palestinians. It was a regional name, not that of a people group.

This makes the so-called Palestinians a historical lie, because the people calling themselves Palestinians are neither descended from the Philistines, nor are they from the region. There has never been a country known as Palestine. Recall that the sons of Ishmael were given inheritance elsewhere. That land belongs to the sons of Isaac.

Gaza, 2005-Present

In 2005, Israel withdrew from Gaza. Not only did they withdraw, but they also removed and bulldozed all Israeli settlements from within the borders of Gaza. What they left behind was a functioning infrastructure, complete with greenhouses, and all the resources necessary to jumpstart their economy. They were set up for success.

In addition to that, they were receiving assistance from the UN, and various other groups, in the form of money, construction materials, expert advisors, etc. Had they chosen to remain peaceful, and make use of what they had, things would likely be different. Instead, they chose to turn a terrorist organization into their government, and it was not long before everything they had was diverted into trying to eliminate Israel.

Since 2007, Hamas has utterly wrecked Gaza. They have turned it into a hellscape by ripping up the infrastructure and using it to manufacture weapons intended for use against Israel.

While this might seem to be nonsensical to the average Westerner, note that it makes perfect sense to the people running Hamas. As I said before, they do not think like us. Their leadership has repeatedly, and openly, stated that they love death. They have also stated that they regard us as weak for loving life.

If the people of Gaza are seen to be successful, and prosperous, their propaganda value diminishes. However, if they are seen to be wretched, oppressed, and occupied by an invading force, then their propaganda value goes through the roof. In the eyes of Hamas, the Gazan people are not human beings, they are meat shields, propaganda fodder, a source of income, and resources to be exploited.

Since then, this is exactly how they have been used. Hamas attacks Israel, Israel necessarily responds, Hamas places civilians in harm’s way, and then Hamas records the aftermath so that the world can see how big and evil Israel is. To say that they have succeeded would be a massive understatement.

At present, we have pro-Palestinian (read pro-Hamas) protests taking place all over the Western world. Not too long ago, there were 30 student organizations at Harvard University that signed letters in support of the Palestinians, not caring that it was the Palestinians who gave Hamas power. Nor are they understanding the implications of supporting a terrorist organization bent on finishing what Hitler started!

To make matters worse, years worth of propaganda efforts on the part of Hamas have paid off for them. In the aftermath of the attack October 7, when news began coming out about the atrocities carried out in cities, towns, and kibbutzim, people began to draw a moral equivalence between what Hamas had done, and what had happened in Gaza in recent years.

Through this moral equivalence, people were able to excuse the beheading of babies, burning people alive, taking hostages, raping women and girls, executing entire families, by saying, “Well, look at what Israel has been doing to them for all these years. You can’t blame them for fighting back against their oppressors.”

Let me state unequivocally that there is no moral equivalence between the two. The IDF goes out of their way to avoid civilian casualties, while Hamas goes out of their way to produce them.

The IDF warns civilians of where and when they are going to strike, tells them which direction will take them to safety, and will even give ten minute warnings before finally striking. Meanwhile, Hamas takes that information, and uses it to their advantage. Even if, by some miracle, the blast site is empty, they are there to insist that they took heavy civilian casualties, and blame Israel for it.

More often than not, they simply force civilians to remain in the expected blast zone, record the aftermath on camera, and upload it to the mass media, who are only too happy to show the world what Israeli cruelty looks like.

If you need proof of this, look no further than a certain hospital that was accidentally hit by a rocket fired by Islamic Jihad after it malfunctioned mid-flight. To hear Hamas tell it, that rocket came from the Israeli side, hit the hospital dead on, and wiped out 500 people.

The problem with that narrative is that the blast zone was in a parking lot next to the hospital, did not leave a blast crater, and killed 15 people. When I saw the footage the next morning, I saw burnt out cars still sitting in their parking spots, and no discernable blast crater. Had that come from the Israelis, such would not have been the case.

There is a marked difference in strength between Israeli weapons and those of the terrorists. Those cars would have either been vaporized, or rather efficiently relocated hundreds of meters in various directions. There would also have been a sizeable crater, and considerable structural damage to the hospital itself. That this was not the case makes clear this was not an Israeli airstrike, which means Hamas lied. Again.

One of the Worst Parts

To make matters worse, there is not a shortage of people falling for the lies and propaganda. People who have fancied themselves decent people, who have thought of themselves as good, enlightened, intelligent, the list goes on. That groups like AntiFa and BLM have spoken out in support of Hamas should come as no surprise. Authoritarians tend to stick together when face with a common enemy, and they will always back the perceived underdog if they think it will further their cause.

There is something horrifying about knowing that many of my fellow citizens are supporting known terrorists, especially after the last 23 years of American history. How quickly we have forgotten 9-11, Muslims dancing in the streets, celebrating the deaths and destruction caused on that day. Have we also forgotten the Holocaust? The meaning behind the words “Never Again”? Here is a phrase I have seen paraded around by Americans, seemingly ignorant of what it actually means, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.

What do they mean by that? The river would be the River Jordan, and the sea would be the Mediterranean. In other words, their intend is to wipe out all Jews in Israel, and take the land for themselves. Remember what I said about who the land belongs to, and who promised it to the sons if Isaac? In their pride and arrogance, the sons of Ishmael are bringing biblical prophecy to fruition, and they probably do not realize it.

Zechariah 12,

“The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.

Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.

In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem. The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah. In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.“

Note that this does not end well for the neighbors of Israel. In fact, it goes downright badly for them. While the whole world seems to be turning on Israel, blaming them for crimes and conditions manufactured by others, God is ready to take their side and make them more powerful than any others on the planet. Whose side are you on? God’s? If you support Hamas or the Palestinians, you most certainly are not on His side. Choose wisely, God never lets anything slide for anyone.

Hamas in the Bible

Relevant Scripture: Genesis 6; Psalm 7; Ezekiel 7; Habakkuk 1; Matthew 26

A little bit ago, I was playing around on YouTube, and I came across a Ray Comfort (Living Waters) video in which he shows four places where the word Hamas appears in Scripture. I had to take the time to examine what he had presented, and see what I could find. Not only was he right, but all of the references seem to ironically describe the modern day terrorist organization. This is an important note to consider when forming an opinion of the events that have unfolded these last few days.

For those who believe in the idea of a peaceful resolution to this war between Israel and Hamas, I have only this to say. Hamas has made the destruction of Israel their stated goal, their raison d’etre. They desire nothing less than to wipe Israel off the map, and wipe all Jews from the whole of the earth. This makes them no different than numerous others, who have sought to wipe them out over the course of millennia. It also means that there is no peaceful solution to be had. How does one make peace with people whose only desire in life is your death? How does one make peace with people who are willing to sacrifice not only their own lives, but the lives of their entire population to ensure your destruction?

I know this may upset some, but the main issue is that too many Westerners have made the mistake of believing that the whole of the earth thinks like we do, that they are motivated by the same things we are. This could not be farther from the truth, though I wish this were not the reality. Hamas is an organization made up of people who happily kiss death because they have been taught that what awaits them on the other side is infinitely better than the world they are violently leaving behind. The threat of death is nowhere near enough to deter these people, and that is a huge problem for those who desire peace.

The keyword involved here is חָמָֽס chamas, which means, “violence, wrong, cruelty, damage, false, injustice, oppressor, unrighteous, violence against, done, wrongdoing”. Here are the verses from the video, plus one more, so that we may have a clearer picture,

Genesis 6:11, “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” (חָמָֽס chamas)

Psalm 7:16, “His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.” (חֲמָס֥וֹ chamaSo)

Ezekiel 7:11, “Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness: none of them shall remain, nor of their multitude, nor of any of theirs: neither shall there be wailing for them.” (הֶחָמָ֥ס hechaMas)

Habakkuk 1:3, “Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.” (וְחָמָ֖ס vechaMas)

Habakkuk 1:9, “They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.” (לְחָמָ֣ס lechaMas)

The first thing to note is a rather common theme. These people are violent, unreasonable, and this is coming back onto them in the form of reprisal from the Israeli government. This serves as a potent reminder of what Jesus meant when He said, “Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” (Matt. 26:52)

For the better part of my 46 years on this earth, I have heard many politicians and pundits speaking of peace accords, peace plans, roadmaps to peace, two state solutions, and the list goes one. It was not until I began my course of study ten years ago that I came to fully understand why it was all wasted effort. Hamas is, first and foremost, an Islamic organization. It is an organization built on Islamic teachings and ideals, all of which espouse these practices as a way for believers (Muslims) to get into paradise. Things like human rights, minority rights, and many other principles we hold dear as Westerners, are antithetical to them. This means that the only peace they desire is the peace brought about when there is a worldwide Caliphate governed by the Sharia, or when they are all in paradise with Allah. For them, there is no higher ideal than that of martyrdom, because Muhammad said so,

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “By Him in Whose Hands my life is! Were it not for some men amongst the believers who dislike to be left behind me and whom I cannot provide with means of conveyance, I would certainly never remain behind any Sariya’ (army-unit) setting out in Allah’s Cause. By Him in Whose Hands my life is! I would love to be martyred in Allah’s Cause and then get resurrected and then get martyred, and then get resurrected again and then get martyred and then get resurrected again and then get martyred.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 2797)

The idea that one can form lasting peace with someone of this mindset is sheer folly. You would have better luck drawing a square circle, and therein lies the rub. Golda Meir summed it up perfectly by saying, “If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more ‎violence. If the Jews put ‎down their weapons ‎today, there would be no ‎more Israel.” As soon as Hamas struck a few days ago, the international community took notice. The instant Israel responded, and rightfully so, they began calling for de-escalation, and that was when I began to more fully understand the disconnect between the people on the ground in Israel, and the rest of the world.

No one wishes to be seen endorsing violence. I mean, it makes sense. I am all for finding the peaceful solution first. However, unlike the rest of the world, some of us are able to recognize that there are situations where one must roll out of bed, and default to violence without an option for peace. Seeking peace now means that the people who were willing to slaughter unarmed civilians, who were willing to kidnap, rape, torture, and murder hundreds of women, who were willing to wipe out entire families, and to behead babies, get to go back to planning the next fight. Peace is not an option with them, not for a minute.

I know many are going to argue that the Palestinians are fighting against an occupation, and they would be wrong. You see, there is no such thing as a Palestinian, at least not in the fullest historical sense. Two millennia ago, what we now call Palestine was known as Judea. Prior to that, it was the Kingdom of Judah. History spanning thousands of years, all of it pointing to Israel being the Jewish homeland, given to them by God, promised to them in perpetuity.

The name change took place after the Bar Kochba revolt (132AD-135AD), when Hadrian had defeated the Jewish armies, plowed Jerusalem under, and renamed it Aelia Capitolina. Judea was renamed to Syria Palestina, linking it to the Philistines, the Israelite’s ancient enemies in the Tanakh. Note that modern day Palestinians are Arabs, not Philistines. These are two distinct ethnic groups, which brings up a few interesting points, not the least of which is, why do they claim the land as theirs if they don’t have that ancient tie to the land? Because Muhammad said that the end times would not come until there was a slaughter of the Jews,

Sahih al-Bukhari 3593, “Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar: I heard Allah’s Apostle saying, The Jews will fight with you, and you will be given victory over them so that a stone will say, ‘O Muslim! There is a Jew behind me; kill him!’”

Sahih Muslim 2921, “Ibn ‘Umar reported Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) as saying: You will fight against the Jews and you will kill them until even a stone would say: Come here, Muslim, there is a Jew (hiding himself behind me) ; kill him.”

Sahih Muslim 2922, “The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews.”

Note that there has never been a country named Palestine. There has never been a people known as “Palestinian”, except as occupants of a region renamed by the Romans. Their claim to the land is not legitimate, it is a farce. It is a lie, and an ugly one at that. It is an ugly lie perpetuated by an authoritarian death cult. Their single greatest desire is to bring about the end, so that they can watch as all kafir are sent into the fires of hell, and they can go into paradise with Allah. There are no eloquent speeches, logical arguments, or sound reasoning that will change minds such as these, and that is where we run into a problem. All over the world, politicians have taken on a contradictory belief that posits the idea that the land of Israel belongs both to the Jewish people, and to the Palestinian people. This could not be more untrue.

Arabic names can give us a bit of a clue as to how wrong this idea is. Their names denote who they are, who their father or eldest son is, where they are from, to which clan or tribe they belong, etc. Their names are their lineage, and many of their names denote them as originating in Syria, Jordan, Egypt, etc. Their families are not from so-called Palestine. This is consistent with what Mark Twain wrote about during his trip to the Holy Lands in the 19th century,

“Here were evidences of cultivation — a rare sight in this country — an acre or two of rich soil studded with last season’s dead corn-stalks of the thickness of your thumb and very wide apart. But in such a land it was a thrilling spectacle. Close to it was a stream, and on its banks a great herd of curious-looking Syrian goats and sheep were gratefully eating gravel. I do not state this as a petrified fact — I only suppose they were eating gravel, because there did not appear to be any thing else for them to eat…It is seven in the morning, and as we are in the country, the grass ought to be sparkling with dew, the flowers enriching the air with their fragrance, and the birds singing in the trees. But alas, there is no dew here, nor flowers, nor birds, nor trees. There is a plain and an unshaded lake, and beyond them some barren mountains. The tents are tumbling, the Arabs are quarreling like dogs and cats, as usual, the campground is strewn with packages and bundles, the labor of packing them upon the backs of the mules is progressing with great activity, the horses are saddled, the umbrellas are out, and in ten minutes we shall mount and the long procession will move again. The white city of the Mellahah, resurrected for a moment out of the dead centuries, will have disappeared again and left no sign.” (Innocents Abroad)

Seems a rather stark contrast to what the region turned into after the Jews returned to their homelands, no? The land was thinly populated, most living in abject poverty, without anything resembling real development or life. This is what “Palestine” looked like before God’s Chosen people returned, reclaimed their rightful place, and brought it back to life. Most of the people we now call “Palestinian” came to Eretz Y’isra’el after the fact, seeking employment. This is why their names point to them originating in places other than Israel.

The truth of the matter is that very few Palestinians have a genuine claim to the land. Their intent is to wrest it away from the Jews, and slaughter them. This is what Israel is up against, and peace treaties are entirely useless. It is fitting that Hamas is mentioned in the Bible, and that the word appears with the context and connotation it does, because those verses describe them perfectly. The time to permanently remove Hamas from the land has arrived, and I for one am glad that Hamas will be dealt with. Anyone who can look at a baby, and be fine with cutting its head off, ceased to be a human being long before that point.

At this time, there are many seeking to excuse the things done by Hamas as fighting against an occupation. My question is, who’s occupying whom? The people who have a tangible and verifiable connection to the land, or the people bent on their destruction? Between the international community, and Israel’s neighbors, it seems more like they have been forced to allow squatters to occupy their territory, while said squatters are busily trying to murder them in their sleep.

There are people who try to make an equivalence between the actions of Hamas and the actions of the IDF, saying that what Hamas is doing is in reprisal for actions the IDF has taken. I am going to very blunt here. There is a huge difference between the two. When Hamas attacks a kibbutz full of unarmed civilians, and executes entire families, down to the infants, that is calculated evil. When an Israeli airstrike levels a building in Gaza, the West Bank, or elsewhere, and civilians get caught in the blast as collateral damage, that is because the fighters of Hamas are most comfortable firing from behind the skirts of their women, while using their children as meat shields. The necessary question is, “Why?”

Every time Israel is attacked, they have two choices, reprisal or indifference. Neither are good options because both only serve to further the cause of the Palestinians. Hamas, Hezbollah, and other groups like them, will store their weapons, munitions, and people in hospitals, mosques, residential areas, and schools. This means that reprisal will result in heavy civilian casualties, and Hamas knows it because they have engineered it that way. They have people with cameras on standby to record what happens immediately after an airstrike. This is the footage they choose to share with the rest of the world so that everyone can see them as the true victims of Israel’s brutality. It is nothing more than propaganda driven by extreme cynicism. Imagine being so amoral that the idea of using your own children as a weapon against your enemies is seen as a good thing.

If Israel chooses indifference, they die. She is surrounded by a multitude of countries that labor for her destruction, contributing money, materials, and people to the cause of pushing Israel into the sea. If the Israeli government steps back and refuses to respond, it will be a sign of weakness in front of all her neighbors, and they will in turn respond. Golda Meir was absolutely correct, if Israel lays down her arms, she ceases to exist. The so-called Palestinians will not choose to return to a peaceful way of life, they will immediately attack harder and with more brutality than before. Israel is, and has been, in a fight for her very survival, and the international community seems to alternate between condemning Israel for doing what must be done, and coddling the evil wretches threatening Israel at every turn. I think it might be time for the international community to do one of two things, help Israel or get the hell out of the way.

A prayer

Everyone needs to pray for Israel. May God’s blessings be with them, and may His perfect justice be done for them. May the evil people seeking to destroy her be struck blind, deaf, and dumb. May those behind this horror find justice swiftly. In Jesus’ mighty Name.

Genesis 12:1-3

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵאַרְצְךָ֥ וּמִמֹּֽולַדְתְּךָ֖ וּמִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַרְאֶֽךָּ׃
וְאֶֽעֶשְׂךָ֙ לְגֹ֣וי גָּדֹ֔ול וַאֲבָ֣רֶכְךָ֔ וַאֲגַדְּלָ֖ה שְׁמֶ֑ךָ וֶהְיֵ֖ה בְּרָכָֽה׃
וַאֲבָֽרֲכָה֙ מְבָ֣רְכֶ֔יךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ֖ אָאֹ֑ר וְנִבְרְכ֣וּ בְךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הָאֲדָמָֽה׃

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

A Much Clearer Picture

I have previously written about the schism that developed between Messianic Judaism/Christianity and mainline Judaism in the first and second centuries, but there was something missing. I had studied this in preparation for one of my previous posts, but could not recall which book. The good news is, I have found the book, and the necessary reference.

Much of Judeo-Christian history has been marked with tragedy, oppression, and virulent discrimination. No small number of Jews have been forcibly converted to Christianity over these last 2,000 years, so much so that there is an unmistakable anti-Christian sentiment in many Jewish communities the world over.

In cases where Jews did choose to become Christian, whether by free will choice or by coercion, it almost always came with a test of their new faith. In his book, “Restoring the Jewishness of the Gospel”, David H. Stern makes mention of people being asked to eat a ham sandwich. This is nothing new, and Jewish converts have long been regarded with suspicion throughout history.

Many Spanish Jews were watched closely upon conversion to Catholicism, to ensure no one was keeping the Shabbat, keeping Kosher, or any other practices traditional to Jews. In some cases, they were even made to sign contracts like this one,

“Profession of Faith, from the Church of Constantinople:

“I renounce all customs, rites, legalisms, unleavened breads and sacrifices of lambs of the Hebrews, and all the other feasts of the Hebrews, sacrifices, prayers, aspersions, purifications, sanctifications and propitiations, and fasts, and new moons, and Sabbaths, and superstitions, and hymns and chants and observances and synagogues, and the food and drink of the Hebrews; in one word, I renounce absolutely everything Jewish, every law, rite and custom. . . . and if afterwards I shall wish to deny and return to Jewish superstition, or shall be found eating with Jews, or feasting with them, or secretly conversing and condemning the Christian religion instead of openly confuting them and condemning their vain faith, then let the trembling of Cain and the leprosy of Gehazi cleave to me, as well as the legal punishments to which I acknowledge myself liable. And may I be anathema in the world to come, and may my soul be set down with Satan and the devils.”

Is it any wonder that so many Jews are put off by anything involving Christianity? Is it any wonder that they continue to reject faith in Messiah when faced with such as this? Imagine the painful choices they faced, convert and lose literally everything they are, or face whichever consequences result from refusing. It would be entirely unbearable.

When interacting with our Jewish brethren, it is important to consider that history. It is a big part of why Jewish Christians are regarded as traitors lost to their people, and why so many Jews believe that one cannot be Jewish and Christian at the same time. It is also why Messianic Jews are routinely denied aliya to Israel. In the eyes of the State of Israel, and mainline Judaism, Messianic Jews are not Jews. It is that simple. If they are not Jews, they have no right of return.

“Profession of Faith, from the Church of Constantinople: From Assemani, Cod. Lit., I, p. 105,” as cited in James Parkes, The Conflict of the Church and the Synagogue (New York: Atheneum, 1974), pp. 397-398.

We are in some dark days

Hello, all. It certainly has been a bit since I was last compelled to sit down and write, and what a doozy we have here. At this time, I am certain that even the people living under rocks have heard of the drama surrounding “The Sound of Freedom”, and the back and forth it has caused. In one corner, there is the organization Operation Underground Railroad (https://ourrescue.org/), fighting to bring an end to the trafficking of children. In the other corner, we find the people committing these heinous acts. I think it goes without saying that there can be no in-between here. There are only two corners, the choice should be obvious. Yet, I get the feeling that many would disagree with my assessment here.

How surprising it is that the instant this movie hit the theaters, it not only demolished the latest installment of a movie franchise almost as old as I am, but that it did so despite the consistent and widespread mechanical failure of nearly every single movie theater this movie is showing in. Imagine that, all across the country, the air-conditioners keeping the movie theaters cool managed to fail in such a way that only the theaters showing Sound of Freedom were uncomfortably hot. In some, the failure went a different way, with projectors going down, the movie failing to download, etc. Things that make you go “Hmmm”.

As if that is not enough, various news outlets have excoriated the film, calling it “Q-Anon” adjacent, whatever that means, implying that the contents of the movie are some type of conspiracy theory. There has been no end of the vitriolic comments flying back and forth, as people try to figure out which talking heads to follow or ignore. In all, there seems to be an effort within the mainstream media to downplay this movie as much as possible, and I am thankful for the Streisand Effect it has caused. Now, people are becoming more aware of what has been happening to people all over the country, and the world. Keep it up CNN, you are doing God’s work.

By now, it should be clear where I stand on the issue. I am unabashedly opposed to all forms of slavery, and am more than willing to do what I can to bring awareness of its continued existence in our midst. Like it or not, the law notwithstanding, there are people being kidnapped and forced into slavery all over the world, and the US is no exception. There are people going missing, and those taking them do not discriminate. They have even taken babies, toddlers, on up to 20 somethings. The things being done to them are beyond the pale, beneath contempt, and without excuse. It falls to us to stop it, and there are people choosing to close their ears because their favorite flavor of social engineering tells them they should stick their heads in the sand and ignore what is right in front of them.

Not to be outdone, the State of California recently had a bit of drama when the legislature failed to advance a measure that would have imposed even more severe penalties on people who traffic in children. Let me say that again. They killed a measure that would have imposed harsher penalties on people who engage in the act of kidnapping and enslaving children. Full stop. What runs through your mind when the full impact of those words hits?

To their credit, the outcry against their decision forced them to go back, revisit the bill, and then revive it. However, where I have difficulty is in the idea that they needed to revisit it at all. This was an effort to expand the California Penal Code to include Human Trafficking as a “Serious Felony” (SB-14 Serious felonies). The proposed amendment to this law simply adds, “human trafficking of a minor, in violation of subdivision (c) of Section 236.1” to the definition of a Serious Felony, and the same law would prosecute this offense via the three-strikes law, prohibiting plea deals. (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billCompareClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB14&showamends=false)

That is all it does. They tried to kill this change to the law. One must ask why, and to find the answer to that question, I will submit the following,

“Some Democrats believe that mass incarceration under California’s “three-strikes” law was a huge mistake that particularly harmed communities of color.”

This quote comes from an article published on the CalMatters site, discussing this topic. In the article it notes that the proposed change was pushed forward by Republicans, and killed by Democrats. After the resulting fight died down, the Republican side not only picked up additional supporters, but there were 18 Democrats counted among them. I will leave all speculation and conjecture to you, but I have already come to my own conclusions about the reasons for their decision to turn coat, and I have concluded that the lot are morally bankrupt. (https://calmatters.org/newsletters/whatmatters/2023/07/california-legislature-child-trafficking-bill/)

I am going to say something that should not be controversial, and the fact that it is makes my blood boil. Human trafficking should not be a political issue, it should be a humanitarian one. There should not ever be a single politician balking at the idea of making life worse for those who traffic in humans. At no point should any sane human being ever wonder if putting an end to modern day slavery is a good idea. Yet, a whole bevy of politicians did exactly that, and for what reason? Because they thought it would hurt so-called “people of color”.

As someone who would be considered a “person of color”, I resent that with every fiber of my being. If their first thought is that imposing harsher penalties for people who make a living harming children is that it would hurt non-white people, what exactly does that say about their opinion of said people? What does it say about their character that they are willing to allow children to suffer because they are afraid that their target voters would be upset with them for dealing with an issue that should not be politicized? Just exactly what kind of people are occupying the halls of power? I think you know the answer here.

There is more, of course. I am still serving in the National Guard. As a currently serving Soldier, I am required to sit through a set of briefings every year. Around 2007, I recall the addition of a new briefing, Human Trafficking. It is entirely possible that it had been added sooner, but the earliest I can recall sitting through said briefing was in 2007, when we were preparing to deploy to Iraq. It has been required ever since.

This is a very real problem, and one that I am convinced has not been given the attention it deserves. While Hollywood has given it some attention, with movies like “Taken”, and shows like “Criminal Minds”, it seems to me that most people feel as if this is somehow a remote issue, happening to some nebulous people somewhere else. That could not be farther from the truth! It is happening HERE! I must keep my children close because there are evil people out there who would take them and do horrendous harm to their bodies, and my fellow citizens wish to push the issue down the line? No. I recommend that you watch the movie, check out their website, learn all you can about the issue, and help bring it to an end.

I am reminded that Jesus made some very clear statements regarding children, and how important they are in His Kingdom. Matthew 18:1-6,

“At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.“

Any Thoughts?

I’m not going to offer any thoughts or opinions. What I am going to do is paste this link, and let you make up your own minds.

https://thetransparencyfoundation.org/news/audit-reveals-evidence-of-voter-fraud-in-californias-2022-election

What Did Daniel Mean by “the Desire of Women”?

Daniel 11:37, “Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.“

This verse comes from a larger prophecy in Daniel, one that pertains to a figure that Jesus referred to as the Abomination of Desolation (Matt. 24:15; Mark 13:14). In this verse, one thing noted is that this person will have no regard for the desire of women, an idea that some have taken to mean that this figure would be a homosexual. I have reason to disagree with this assessment.

If you take a moment to examine every antichrist system, what you will find is that women are always dishonored and abused in one form or another. Islam turns women into drudges good for little more than cooking, washing dishes, satisfying her husband’s urges, and having babies.

Conversely, authoritarian systems like Communism, Socialism, and Fascism turn women into sex objects by convincing them that true freedom is found in immodesty and promiscuity. This has been helped along by the advent of birth control pills, feminism, and the easy availability of abortion.

In either system, women are brutally robbed of that which makes them invaluable, and this is what I suspect is meant by the “desire of women“. The intent is to debase women, and this is accomplished via the same mechanism that the serpent used in the Garden, i.e., pride. Convince humans that they are missing out on something due them, and they will move mountains to acquire it.

Is it any wonder that feminists have worked throughout history to change our civilization to suit their vision? In their minds, patriarchy is the bane of all existence, the worst crime ever committed, and that the world will be saved by the downfall of patriarchy, marriage, and the requirement of raising families. Granted, I am overstating the case, and some will argue that they differ in one way or another, but handling this topic requires that I take a broad strokes approach; especially when we consider that there are adherents to each of those points within the feminist movement.

Their insistence on dismantling the patriarchal system centers around the idea that women have been oppressed throughout history. While there is some truth to this, it is only a portion of the picture, and the missing parts cast the issue into a whole new light.

Their belief in this entirely one-sided oppression has led them to seek to degrade men, to rob them of their place, and to seek to supplant patriarchy with a matriarchy disguised as an egalitarian system. Sadly, what many of them fail to understand is that history shows that men were oppressed, too. History shows that the balance of power has always favored a small, powerful minority, with the majority being held under the minority’s thumb.

How does this play into the desire of women? Feminism turns women angry, inspires hatred of men, and causes them to fight against that which helps keep and maintain a healthy, functioning society. In other words, Satan uses them to destroy the institution of the family, a task that they pursue with all the verve of a starving man in a buffet.

Where does this desire come from? It comes as part of the punishment for Original Sin in the Garden. Genesis 3:16,

“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.“

In the original Hebrew, תְּשׁ֣וּקָתֵ֔ךְ
(teshukatech), is translated as “a desire”, but this is not the same type of desire that we think of as “yearning”. This type of desire is for control. What is being said here is that the woman’s desire is to remove her husband from his position as the head, and to take that place for herself.

Contrast this with the original purpose God created women for. Genesis 2:18,

“And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.“

In the original Hebrew, the words for help meet are עֵ֖זֶר (ezer) כְּנֶגְדֹּֽו׃ (kenegdov), and the meaning is somewhat easy to define. Ezer means “a helper”, and kenegdov means “in front of, in sight of, opposite to”. Considering the context, the meaning is opposite to. A helper who is the opposite, i.e. male and female.

Woman was created to be the female helper for the male head of her home, and that is what feminists are fighting against. For the antichrist system to show no regard for the desire of women, it must remove them from their intended place, and convince them that they must supplant the men to be free and happy. This could not be farther from the truth.

This leads to a necessary question. What does it look like for a woman to be help meet for her husband? Barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen it is not. While bearing children is a portion of the command given by God in the Garden, there is much more to it. Solomon spoke to this in Proverbs 31:10-31,

“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.“

The opening statement makes clear that the woman described is of very high value. In other words, what we have here is the biblical definition of a high value woman. The qualities listed say that such a woman is loyal, honorable, industrious, independent, but focused entirely on the welfare, well-being, and furtherance of her family. It shows that she is generous, loving, kind, and that her decisions and actions are centered on bringing honor to her husband and family.

She engages in commerce, and is highly productive. The things she does contributes to the success of the household, and her family adore her for it. She’s the unquestioned manager of the house, while her husband leads. Her entire life is lived selflessly, and she is made beautiful by it.

This is what Satan fights against, and this is what the Abomination of Desolation will bring into the world when we get to the end. Perhaps this is what we are seeing now.

Our Current Events and What I see

One of the worst things we have ever done was to allow the enemy to have free rein, and it has come time to pay the price. Will it be our society? Will it be our homes? What of our children? The future of our civilization? For the desire to be seen as decent people, and to avoid hurting people’s feelings, we have surrendered that which holds our society together, namely the family unit.

Too many agreed to allow things that have a direct and deleterious effect on the very fabric of our society, and now the madness many of us predicted is coming to pass. Make no mistake, this is not “I told you so”, this is, “I wish we had been wrong”.

Current events have brought to mind a bit of Scripture I have occasionally come across. Daniel 11:37,

“Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.“

What brings this to mind is an incident that took place in New Zealand. A British feminist named Parker Posey was scheduled for multiple speaking engagements, and had to cancel after the first one because the violent opposition to her presence forced cancellation due to safety concerns.

When it comes to free speech, I am as close to an absolutist as you can get. I do not believe in the concept of hate speech, I actively encourage people to exercise their right to free speech, even when I do not agree with them. In general, I believe that the worst thing to happen to a free society is for open and honest dialogue to disappear, and I am determined to see that such a thing cannot ever happen.

Perhaps you are wondering who would shut down a feminist in New Zealand? As left-leaning as that nation is, it almost seems unfathomable that someone would do such a thing. Leftism and feminism go hand-in-hand, so one might find such circumstances a bit confusing. However, there is an underlying dispute amongst leftists at play here, and many feminists have suddenly found themselves hoisted on their own petard. (If you do not get the reference, it means that they have been given a taste of their own medicine.)

At issue is the idea that trans “women” are women. That I patently disagree with this statement ought to go without saying. I am of the opinion that a man in a dress is not a woman. I believe that the true misogynistic ideology here is the trans ideology, and this is beginning to become apparent.

There are many in the feminist movement who have begun to object to biological males occupying spaces and positions meant for women. Their objections have been noted by those who adhere to the trans ideology, and the response has been less than stellar.

By less than stellar, I mean extremely vocal and hyperviolent. Footage of Parker Posey’s appearance in New Zealand included people screaming, yelling, pushing through barricades, dumping what appeared to be tomato juice all over her head, just to name a few examples.

All of this because she made the controversial statement that female spaces should be reserved solely for biological females. This was deemed enough to spark a riot, and drive someone out of an entire country. How is this not embarrassing for New Zealand?

Between this, and the backlash against restrictive laws being passed that disallow so-called “gender affirming care” for minors, it seems that there is an underlying agenda here. They want unfettered access to our children, so that they can indoctrinate them into their ideology. This is not hyperbole, this has been demonstrated repeatedly.

When the Tennessee legislature was debating a new law that would restrict LGBT education in schools, many objected, emotionally claiming that this would lead to children committing suicide, and then they began equating the law with genocide. Really? Genocide?

As incredible as it sounds, we cannot miss what is happening here. I have mentioned that they seek to hijack the language and shape it to whatever they want it to mean. For frame of reference, Oxford defines genocide as,

“the murder of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group, with the aim of destroying that nation or group”

Without pointing out the obvious fact that trans people do not fit the definition of a nation or ethnic group, they are seeking to equate restriction of their ideological beliefs with the total destruction of their population. This is a very serious accusation, especially when we ask the rather necessary question. How does one equate to the other?

How does postponing conversation and instruction about trans people until a set age count as an attempt at genocide? How does prohibiting HRT and sex reassignment surgery from people deemed not old enough to smoke, drink, vote, serve in the military, or manage their own affairs count as attempted genocide?

Oddly enough, there is method to their madness, and this method has something to do with so-called detransitioners. Neither their population, nor their ideology, can be spread through any method except indoctrination. More on that in a bit.

When last I dealt with this issue, I made the point that transgender ideology is misogynistic in nature. Consider that trans “women” rarely, if ever, present a positive image of women. Instead, they choose to present themselves as an overblown, caricatured, and stereotypical image of femininity that is overly sexualized, overly emotional, and uncontrolled. It is so overdone that it is blatantly insulting to women everywhere.

Then, there are trans “men”. Similar to their male counterparts, these women default to a mostly caricatured version of masculinity. They despise what they are to such an extent that they go out of their way to avoid displaying anything resembling femininity. The common thread between the two is that they not only hate who and what they are, but they both display absolute disdain, disgust, and hatred of genuine femininity.

[Note: Only one current day woman has successfully passed herself off as a man, and she did such a masterful job that it literally killed her. She committed suicide 18 months into a two year long experiment. Get the idea of why I say that men cannot know what it is like to be women, and vice versa?]

In both cases, the message is that society should hate and disregard women. Why else would they refer to women as “birthing persons”, “uterus havers”, “bleeders”, “breeders”, etc.? They apply dehumanizing language to women, rendering them irrelevant, and then hijack the word for themselves. In their lexicon, the only women we ought to be concerned with is the men in dresses, and there is so much wrong with that statement that words cannot begin to cover it.

Here is the problem. Satan hates humans, but the humans he hates above all others are women. Can you guess why? Genesis 3:14-15,

“And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.“

In that moment, he learns that the means of his destruction would be the child of a woman. Furthermore, Isaiah 9:6-7 makes a rather startling statement about that child,

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.“

There have been numerous moments in Scripture where children of the tribe of Judah were slaughtered, the most prominent example being the slaughter of the innocents ordered by Herod when he learned of Jesus’ birth. Since the events of Genesis, Satan had been determined to prevent the birth of Messiah because he knew that was the one to derail him.

He has taken every opportunity presented to him, and misled humans in various ways. He convinced women that pregnancy ought to be feared, that getting married and having children means the end of their lives, and that submitting to the headship of a man is akin to slavery. One of the more common arguments for abortion that I have encountered, of late, is that pregnancy is so risky that women should have the right to abort at any time. No joke, that is an actual argument.

We have been harassed and harangued for opposition to gender ideology to the point where people have been in fear for their lives, and it does not end there. Yesterday was supposed to be the “Trans Day of Vengeance” for the laws being passed, and this brings us back to the point regarding indoctrination.

Not too long ago, a series of news articles showed that the majority of children who come out as trans, and are left to their own devices, will eventually grow out of it. Here is one example,

Gender Dysphoria in Children

More than a dozen studies have shown that upwards of 80% of trans identifying children will not remain trans as they move into adulthood. Most will grow out of this condition, which leads one to some serious questions.

1. If 80% of these kids grow out of their dysphoria, how much of it can be explained by normal confusion?

2. If they are likely to grow out of it, and we do not have any real way to know which will grow out of it, why are we subjecting these kids to life altering drugs and surgical procedures for a condition that they stand an 80% chance of outgrowing?

If their population can only grow through indoctrination, and 8 of every 10 trans kids will not remain so in adulthood, it is clear that they take a huge hit in the whole population growth area.

If they can groom and indoctrinate children into believing that they are trans from the very beginning, then it becomes less likely that those children will detransition as they get older. As Solomon said in Proverbs,

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

This is a concept that cuts both ways, folks. Train them up in righteousness, and they will pursue righteousness. Train them for the road to hell, and hell is where they will go. The transgender ideologues know that taking hold of their minds as early as possible will result in more people exactly like them, given they certainly cannot reproduce it.

Bear in mind that sex change operations, and hormone replacement therapy, effectively remove their ability to reproduce. Chloe Cole, a well known detransitioner, has stated many times that she will never be able to breastfeed her children, and she has no way of knowing if she will ever be able to carry children to term, because she and her parents were talked into a double mastectomy and years of testosterone treatments that have severely damaged her body.

More than anything, this is what Satan wants. Confused and broken people unable to reproduce, while living in a way that guarantees a one-way trip to hell. As the old saying goes, “Misery loves company.”