“GAZA”

We live in very strange and dangerous times. History is being systematically rewritten on a global scale. No longer is it just possible to make one nation believe lies, the internet has made it possible to influence the whole world.

Nothing stands out more clearly than the manipulation of the perception of the war between Israel and HAMAS. One side in the propaganda war would have us believe that October 7th never happened, that it was all Israeli propaganda. Of course similar train of thought would deny the Holocaust.

Make no mistake about it, HAMAS control all information getting to the western media.

What is happening in Gaza is entirely the fault of Iran and its literal interpretation of the teachings of the Qur’an. Mohammad was a tribal warlord who sort power through domination and conquest. They are simply following his example. Islam cannot countenance the existence of a people descended from Abraham even though the Qur’an itself acknowledges them ……..

10:90   ۞ وَجَٰوَزۡنَا بِبَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱلۡبَحۡرَ فَأَتۡبَعَهُمۡ فِرۡعَوۡنُ وَجُنُودُهُۥ بَغۡيٗا وَعَدۡوًاۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَدۡرَكَهُ ٱلۡغَرَقُ قَالَ ءَامَنتُ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِيٓ ءَامَنَتۡ بِهِۦ بَنُوٓاْ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ وَأَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ ٩٠

And We took the Children of Israel across the sea, and Pharaoh and his soldiers pursued them in tyranny and enmity until, when drowning overtook him, he said, “I believe that there is no deity except that in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of the Muslims.”

10:93    وَلَقَدۡ بَوَّأۡنَا بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ مُبَوَّأَ صِدۡقٖ وَرَزَقۡنَٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ فَمَا ٱخۡتَلَفُواْ حَتَّىٰ جَآءَهُمُ ٱلۡعِلۡمُۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَقۡضِي بَيۡنَهُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ يَخۡتَلِفُونَ ٩٣

And We had certainty settled the Children of Israel in an agreeable settlement and provided them with good things. And they did not differ until [after] knowledge had come to them. Indeed, your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which they used to differ.”

7:137    وَأَوۡرَثۡنَا ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَانُواْ يُسۡتَضۡعَفُونَ مَشَٰرِقَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَغَٰرِبَهَا ٱلَّتِي بَٰرَكۡنَا فِيهَاۖ وَتَمَّتۡ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ عَلَىٰ بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ بِمَا صَبَرُواْۖ وَدَمَّرۡنَا مَا كَانَ يَصۡنَعُ فِرۡعَوۡنُ وَقَوۡمُهُۥ وَمَا كَانُواْ يَعۡرِشُونَ ١٣٧

And We caused the people who had been oppressed to inherit the eastern regions of the land and the western ones, which We had blessed. And the good word of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel because of what they had patiently endured. And We destroyed [all] that Pharaoh and his people were producing and what they had been building.

If HAMAS had any compassion at all for its people they would surrender, release the hostages and agree to new elections. Iran won’t countenance that.

I cannot even begin to understand the evil mindset that would orchestrate October 7th fully knowing that if they hit the” bees nest” that hard, the swarm would come after them relentlessly! THEY KNEW.

They are that callous that they would martyr their fellow Gazans in order to turn the world against Israel and hopefully complete their long term objective of ridding Palestine of the Jews “from the river to the sea“.

It is almost impossible to see how Israel can bring an end to this conflict without completely occupying the Gaza Strip and systematically rooting out every member of HAMAS.

If Gazans were not a threat then by now Egypt would have allowed refugees to escape.

But no, their border wall is more impressive than Israel’s.

Displaced Palestinians walk next to the border fence between Gaza and Egypt, on February 16, 2024 in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas militant group. – Nearly 1.5 million displaced Palestinians are trapped in Rafah — more than half of Gaza’s populations — seeking shelter in a sprawling makeshift encampment near the Egyptian border. (Photo by MOHAMMED ABED / AFP)

The Chosen Season 5

I love “The Chosen” – but with some provisos.

Last night we watched part 3 of Season 5.

Season 5 is a different level in terms of production and to some extent style. But it also goes further in adding to scripture, “filling in the blanks” if you like and there lies the danger.

There is so much embellishment, so much added dialogue that like a ship at sea there is a danger of losing sight of the coast! As an evangelistic tool it is very engaging, but a non-Christian, and I think especially of Moslems, could get very confused as to “what is truth?”.

Series 5 becomes rather indulgent, slow, reflective, allowing the characters and events to develop way beyond what we have on paper. Depicting real people means that even facial expressions become important. I know for instance that Jesus clearly had a sense of humour, but was he quite as witty as depicted? Which brings me to my main point. “The Chosen” has made me really think about who Jesus was. Or to be more accurate, what it was like to be Jesus!

How did Jesus cope with being “Son of God”, with being human, with feeling pain and rejection. In short, not going completely insane at knowing who he was. There is a great scene towards the end of series 5, the first conversation between Yeshua and Nathaniel (speculative of course) where Jesus invites Nathaniel to follow him and establish the kingdom of God. Humanly speaking Jesus sounds completely out of his mind. Quite insane! Well you would wouldn’t you living with the reality that you are the Saviour of the entire human race, Messiah, King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

But there we have it. The Chosen raises lots of questions. Sends us away thinking. Isn’t that what Jesus did?

In short Jonathan Rhoumie doesn’t nail it (pun intended) but he gets pretty darn close.