Tag Archives: History

France 2026

You were expecting a post about the World Cup, weren’t you? While I appreciate sports and their benefits to humankind, this blog is about travel and spiritual adventure. :):) My wife and I, along with three other couples and longtime friends, just returned from a Viking cruise on the Rhône river of France from Avignon to Lyon followed by a high-speed train ride to Paris, and three days of walking and touring The City of Light.

Despite the record-breaking heat wave in Europe, we enjoyed our look at that ancient waterway from the Swiss alps to the Mediterranean Sea. The food and wine of the region were amazing as heralded, with Lyon reportedly being the gastronomic capital of the world. The short history excursions tracing the Roman and medieval history of France were insightful and beautiful to view. Speaking of history and beauty, the Roman aqueduct Pont du Gard was my personal favorite—amazing engineering with breath-taking beauty and two-thousand-year-old splendor.

Fun Facts

France is the third largest country in Europe after Russia and Ukraine. It’s almost the size of Texas. Metropolitan Paris has a population of about 13 million people. Yet it hosts about 48 million visitors each year. The Eiffel Tower is visited by about 7 million people each year making it the most visited world attraction where a ticket is required. Five million more visit the grounds and nearby area for photography and viewing bringing the total to 12 million visitors. Nearby Notre Dame hosted an estimated 11-15 million visitors in 2025 after the fire and restoration. The City of Light has many other grand monuments, museums, art galleries, and beautiful city architecture making it one of the great walking cities of the world. One should also mention French cuisine and sidewalk cafes aplenty to relax, refresh, and soak it all in.

The Jews

“The Jews, Your Majesty—the Jews!” That’s how Blaise Pascal, the brilliant physicist and mathematician, responded to French King Louis XIV, the Sun King, when asked for proof of the supernatural or of God. The idea being their survival through centuries of exile and persecution is a miracle. Any serious student of human history would have to acknowledge the same. Especially when you throw in the Biblical record and prophecy about the journey of these storied, ancient people. I’ve included chapters about this phenomenon in my books, A Friend of the King, Puzzling 2020, and God Stays Near.

It naturally interests me when I travel, to see the history of a place or country through the lens of how they treated or interacted with the Jewish people among them. (See Genesis 12:3). France’s history in this regard is varied and nuanced. Do some AI research if you’re interested.

One big surprise and takeaway for me was walking by the Jewish synagogue in Avignon and hearing that one of the popes there had shown kindness and protection to the Jews of the city and region. Pope Clement VI was number 4 of 8 French popes who ruled from France for almost 70 years after the papacy moved from Rome in 1309 due to unstable conditions in Rome and conflicts with the French king. During the Black Death, 1347-1351, Jews were accused of poisoning wells causing the plague and many pogroms broke out in Europe. Clement VI issued papal bulls condemning the violence. He declared that blaming the Jews was the work of the devil and urged clergy and rulers to protect Jewish communities. He provided refuge himself to the Jews in the territories around Avignon.

Spiritual France

A lot could be said because France has a long history since kings began to rule in Europe around 1000 A.D. They were anointed with oil by priests pointing back to the same practice as the kings of Israel in 1000 B.C., symbolizing that authority to rule on earth comes from God. We visited the historic and beautiful Notre Dame, and Saint Chappelle in Paris. All the Gothic cathedrals in Europe say a lot about what was happening at the time. Most people couldn’t read or write, but their spirits would be drawn up toward God by the lofty ceilings and beautiful light filtered through stained glass—stained glass depicting Bible stories and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I read these words about Jesus in my Bible reading this morning: “Jesus traveled all through Galilee teaching in the Jewish synagogues, everywhere preaching the Good News about the Kingdom of Heaven…” (Matthew 4:23 TLB). So it was a thousand years later in Paris, His disciples were carrying on that work in stained glass and weekly preaching and teaching about the kingdom of God.

A short list of prominent saints and martyrs in France would include Joan of Arc (1412-1431), a national heroine and Catholic saint who led French forces in the Hundred Years’ War, guided by visions. Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) was a mathematician, physicist, and philosopher, who had a profound conversion experience and wrote Pensées, defending the Christian faith. King Louis IX, (1214-1270), aka St. Louis, was king of France, crusader, and a model Christian monarch. He was canonized for his piety and justice. Charlemagne (742-814), was king of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor, who promoted Christianity across Europe. France considers him their first king. There’s Louis Pasteur, St. Vincent de Paul, Saint Genevieve, John Calvin, René Descartes, and many other Christian people who have shaped the spiritual landscape of France.

May the Lord remember their lives and prayers, and show France mercy and grace in times of spiritual darkness.

Viva la France! 🇫🇷

*********************

“The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
All your works praise you, Lord;
your faithful people extol you.
They tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.” (Psalm 145:9-13)

“Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love the truth, we cannot know it.” — Blaise Pascal

Vietnam 2026—Enigma and Empire

Questions & Conclusions

It’s been a month since I visited Vietnam for the first time and spent two weeks there. I’ve written short blurbs about it and shared photos, yet it’s been difficult to process what I saw and experienced. It was beautiful and complex–but it’s time to try.

I looked at Vietnam’s history this morning. It’s helpful in understanding how they got where they are:
1000 years ruled by China (111BC – 939 AD)
1000 years ruled by Vietnamese emperors (939 AD – 1858 AD)
100 years ruled by France (1858 AD – 1954 AD)
20 years of civil war — North against the South (1954 AD – 1975 AD)
50 years of communist rule ( 1975 – Present)

I try to look at everything through a Biblical lens, because it makes the most sense and holds true in every epoch and age of history. “God is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb 13:8, Ps 15:4, Mal 3:6, Isa 46:9-10) “Of old I have known from Your testimonies that You have founded them forever” (Psalm 119:152).

I made observations which raised questions. I asked questions of my hosts and others. Some remain unresolved, but my synopsis is that some big things are going on in Vietnam. God may be coming near (Luke 10:9), and the wind, or Spirit of God, is blowing there (John 3:8), or is about to do so. The country seems in a spiritual vacuum, and the church there has a spark.

I mentioned in my first post about Vietnam that it is open to tourism hosting 22 million visitors in 2025 — about one fifth as many people as their entire population. People interact with each other. And we change each other. Within people is a thirst for wisdom, truth, and understanding. Another characteristic of people is that we thirst for freedom. We are made in the image of a freedom-loving God. The words of the Bible come to mind “It was for freedom that Christ set us free” (Gal 5:1), and “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). The Christ follower can flourish under any type of government. Jesus told Pilate, “My kingdom isn’t of this world.” And Pilate didn’t feel threatened by Jesus. But some are afraid of losing control due to this innate freedom-loving quality in humans.

Communism or socialism doesn’t work well historically—men trying to be their own gods. Corruption is a big problem in Vietnam, China, and Asia in general. It’s been said, “Good men can make a bad system work, but bad men can’t even make a good system work.” There are very few good men absent the Spirit and teaching of God. But the people of Vietnam are very pragmatic and saw what wasn’t working, and then embraced foreign trade and private ownership of property. These incentives made the normally industrious and bright people of Vietnam sacrifice and work hard to improve their lot in life and future for their children. That seems to be obvious and working quite well.

I had the impression that the Vietnamese were the Irish of Asia—kind, hospitable, engaging. The country’s most important asset is her people.

The gorilla or elephant in the room, or on the border, is China. Because of their histories, there’s not much trust or love between them, but China can’t be ignored. There’s not room to go into that, but suffice to say, “You don’t want to poke the gorilla.”

Ho Chi Minh

What influenced the man to hold the views he did on the government needed for Vietnam? Was it the neighboring countries, most notably China? The lust for power? The cultures he encountered in the United States, France, and Russia when he visited? I don’t know. I need to find an objective, historically-accurate biography of the man and trace more of his actions. Jesus said, “By their fruits you shall know them [men]. A bad tree can’t produce good fruit, and a good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit [actions].” (Matthew 7:15-17) Actions speak louder than words, and you know a man better by what he does than what he says.

Some of those I visited from former North Vietnam have warm feelings for him and genuinely referred to him as Uncle Ho. Those who fled Vietnam when the communist took over and those who suffered in reeducation camps, have a completely different idea. Personally, it’s a little hard for me to get past the fact that when the communists took over the south, many property owners were executed as their properties were confiscated.

The Future of Vietnam

Two former North Vietnamese friends told me that 75% of Vietnamese would favor doing business with the USA, even after the war, than any other country. The same friends are doing well for themselves and prospering with the prosperity that’s coming to Vietnam. They said they were happy and content living there.

Later in the week, because of something they said, I asked the question “If you had the chance to live in the USA, would you?” They surprised me by saying, “Of course.” It left me thinking, “OK, which way is it? “”

My concern is for the people of Vietnam. They have been oppressed by foreign powers, like China, France, and their own government. Their country was war torn because of it—3 million Vietnamese and 58,000 Americans dead in just the civil war. Yet they’re smart, industrious, social, ambitious, and want to make a go of it—to make better lives for themselves and their children. They seem to be forgiving and want to “Let bygones be bygones.” Diplomatic relations with the US were restored in 1995.

Free markets work. Individual ownership works. But unbridled consumerism doesn’t. It ends up being an idol and a curse on people who worship or serve only money and material possessions. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth” (Matthew 6:24). It’s an ancient proverb that Shakespeare says like this, “All that glisters is not gold.” Tolstoy said, “It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness.”

Nations sometimes look at America and see only the prosperity and benefits of freedom. They mostly don’t see that it was the word of God, and the Spirit of God, in the people of God that brought the blessings of God—the prosperity and freedom. And those same factors allowed the people of God to have wealth to enjoy without wealth having them. So that they could continue living in the power and blessing of God, in relationship with God on a higher spiritual plane, enjoying the blessings while keeping those things in their proper priority.

I had a rare, beautiful opportunity to take a deep dive into peoples lives and the culture of Vietnam. I love the people and their country. I pray God’s blessing and best for them.

“Father God, may Your kingdom come, and Your will be done in Vietnam as it is in heaven. Bless the country and people with Your truth and Your life, as only You can. They’ve experienced plenty of wrath. Please, in wrath, remember mercy. Amen”

*********************

“He says, ’It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’” (Isaiah 49:6)

“Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” (Isaiah 60:3)

“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.” (Isaiah 9:2)

“Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)

“‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’”(Jeremiah 29:11)

Undaunted Courage

Three Books

I just finished reading Undaunted Courage by Stephen E Ambrose. Wow! What an interesting book for those curious about American history in the early 1800s! And what a stellar biography of one of the most interesting people of all times, Meriwether Lewis. His story now rests with two others as the best three survival, adventure, and discovery stories of all time for me. The others are Endurance about the Antarctic discovery voyage of Earnest Shackleton and Wager with the Wind about an early Alaska bush pilot, Don Sheldon.

Reading good books is such a healthy exercise for our minds and hearts — our souls. It gets us away from the shallow exercise of scrolling on our devices and into deep thought in a quiet place that’s focused, yet enlarged for imagination, thinking and pondering the meaning of life and the better parts of it, instead of just devouring information and mindless entertainment.

Reading is a spiritual discipline or habit for the enjoyment and development of our souls. It involves solitude and humility. Solitude and silence are almost lost and badly needed in our day for healthy souls to connect with themselves, others, and the spiritual realm. Reading involves humility because you must stop and humble yourself to listen to someone else share their thoughts or stories.

I just finished a season where I read three books. Let me recommend them to you and tell you a little about each. Each was mind-expanding and enriching in its own way. All bought joy, peace, and expanded my horizons as I journeyed with the authors.

Undaunted Courage

I attended a high school with a good curriculum and felt like I had a better than average introduction to American history. I graduated from a university with a minor in history. But when I read this book, I felt like I was reading or learning about this period of history for the first time, and it fascinated me.

Ambrose is obviously a scholar and a good storyteller. But the way he relied on Lewis’ and Clark’s journals and their eyewitness accounts of the Indians they encountered and the descriptions of the terrain and weather conditions on their historic trek, made it a page turner for me. Also the political and relational elements of their lives and times were fascinating. Lewis’ best and closest friends were William Clark and Thomas Jefferson. I’ll share a few highlights at the end of this blog to see if it catches your whimsy.

Catching Whimsy

Speaking of Catching Whimsy, that’s the name of the second book I’ll recommend to you. It’s actually a “365 Days of of Possibility” devotional book of sorts by lawyer and best selling author Bob Goff. His short readings and stories each day will take your mind and heart to some interesting and worthwhile places, making a difference in your day, your outlook, and your life.

7 More Men

An easy-read collection of seven short biographies, 7 More Men, by Eric Metaxas will take your mind away to what’s possible in human history with the stories of ordinary people with flaws and rough starts who became history changers and added to our stories and lives on the planet. It’s inspirational, educational, and will lift your mind and heart out of the mundane and into the free realm of the soul.

Take courage, and read! Then take courage and live a more rewarding life of love and adventure following your dreams, being lifted and perhaps standing, on the shoulders of those who have gone before.

Undaunted Courage—Quips & Quotes & Thoughts

From my journal on February 11, 2026: “Spending the morning in glorious silence and solitude, reading of the Lewis and Clark adventure. Synchronicities abound in God’s helping the USA as a nation to progress. Also in my personal, spiritual, and natural journey I identify with Lewis in many ways–ways you can only understand if you’ve walked some of those paths of resilience and courage. I’ve ridden horses, explored in remote mountains, canoed with friends in ten heavily loaded canoes on a flooding river, and served in the military.

“Let me be clear, I do not consider myself in the same league or conversation with Meriwether Lewis for toughness, courage, or intellect. But I can see his greatness and genius and faith from where I stand, and his spiritual journey and circumstances, maybe even more clearly than he did.

“That’s an interesting thought! But such is the nature of revelation and spiritual sight. It seems to be a meeting of the minds, and a spiritual synchronicity for me what Lewis recorded August 18, 1805, on his 31st birthday.

“As I and my friends contemplate the brevity of life and the limited time we have left, what shall be our purpose and course in the days ahead? Our characters are mostly formed with the truth we believe, and our thoughts are solidified. But our strength and minds are waining, so it seems a good and timely question to ask. It should be asked all along life’s way.

“It seemed poignant to Meriwether Lewis on his 31st birthday, at a time he felt his mission was most in doubt, but also feeling the hand of Providence in the good favor experienced with the Shoshone tribe, Sacagawea there to interpret, and she being discovered to be the chief’s sister, with 3000 miles of amazing, incredible, adventure, and protection behind them. Meriwether Lewis writes, “This day I completed my 31st year… I reflected that I had as yet done but very little indeed, to further the happiness of the human race, or to advance the information of the succeeding generation… In the future, I purpose to live for mankind, as I have heretofore lived for myself.”

“I know he was a son of the Enlightenment and of that generation. But these are major themes of Solomon, philosophers, poets, and thinkers throughout time. There seems to be a strain of “Love your neighbor as yourself” and “He has set eternity in their hearts” in his words, along with faith in God or destiny and the willingness to sacrifice his all for something greater.

“I really found myself loving Meriwether Lewis, and hope to see him in heaven. I found myself wondering if he was a Christian. It even occurred to me to ask that question to Grok, my favorite AI engine. The results revealed some churches he might have attended and the beliefs of some people in his life, but it was inconclusive. Besides religious people try to put people in religious boxes so they can evaluate them, compare themselves with them, and maybe control them. So I decided to look at his character and actions. Jesus said, “By their fruit you shall know them.”

“I looked at how he viewed and treated the Indians, his own men, and how they viewed him. He was honest, kind, fair and very much respected by all. I also looked at his loyalty to his friends William Clark and Thomas Jefferson. He had a respect for authority and practiced obedience to the same. He showed a familiarity with Scripture by some of the things he said, and recorded in his journal. On the Pacific coast, for instance, he spoke of, “Eating the whale instead of the whale eating them,”a reference to the book of Jonah.

“He was complex. We all are, or can be. But based on the points I’ve mentioned and others from his diary and actions. I believe him to be a man of faith, even though it wasn’t his common confession, and even though his life didn’t end well. He loved his mother, his siblings, and his friends. He didn’t often take into account a wrong suffered. He was a man under authority. He lived in amazing times and accomplished amazing feats — almost unthinkable, and unfathomable to moderns.

“And there were many synchronicities which indicate to me divine intervention on behalf of him and the Corps of Discovery, 31 men and a woman over 28 months and 8000 miles of wilderness adventure on a par with any mission of discovery before or since. It’s interesting to consider what God did for them and what he was doing among the nations to bring about his plan. It’s amazing to view the history of the United States and all nations through that lens —the lens of Scripture, given by the God of Creation.

“Remember the former things, those of long ago;  I am God, and there is no other;  I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand,  and I will do all that I please.’” (Isaiah 46:9-10)

“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,  and he delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7)

“For the land has become defiled, therefore I have brought its punishment upon it, so the land has spewed out its inhabitants.” (Leviticus 18:25)

*********************

Another book selection from the fiction catagory that’s a really good read about kindness and goodness that’s recently burst on the scene and wildly popular is Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. Also a reasonably good book about soul care and spiritual habits is God Stays Near by Yours Truly.

Eschatology Important?

Eschatology, Who Needs It?

It’s interesting that I’m writing about the second advent of Jesus Christ, on the first day of Advent 2025, when Christendom starts celebrating Christ’s first advent—His first “coming.”

Jesus second coming to Earth and the study of events surrounding that cosmic event is called eschatology. But who needs it? Maybe we all do! I’ll repeat the eschatology being taught us recently from Luke, Daniel, and Revelation, and I’ll also include thoughts on personal eschatology. I’ll call that “Solomon’s Eschatology” from the book of Ecclesiastes. There we see what the wisest thought about the end of our lives with inspiration and insights from the Holy Spirit. We all will have a personal end-times, if the Lord doesn’t come back first. We should give that equal thought and live with it in mind. You can read Ecclesiastes 12 for Solomon’s perspective and conclusion, but I’lll get to that.

Why is eschatology important? Four reasons come quickly to mind:

So you won’t be confused or disillusioned when the end time events start happening. You will be at peace and able to make some sense of it all knowing God is in control and He told us about it before hand.

There will be a lot of deceit involved and flying around like there was in 586 B.C., 70 A.D., and nearing 2026 A.D.. Jesus started one of his end-time’s discussions like this, “Let no one deceive you.” Paul said essentially the same thing before 70 A.D. as recorded in II Thessalonians 2:4-11. That’s important to know as a sign to the approaching end times, and as a deterrent to lethargy and hurtful surprise—being caught unaware.

So you will continue to put your trust in God who told you these kinds of things in the past through His prophets and recorded them in His Word. They came to pass. God is 100% faithful to His Word and plan (Isaiah 46:9-10).

It’s a part of the process of having faith, and growing in your faith, confidence, and love of the Lord. In reading the book of Ezekiel anew, I noticed the phrase, “Then they will know that I am the LORD” was often stated. I asked the AI engine, Grok, how many times that phrase was in Ezekiel, and was quickly told 63 times!

Thumbnail Sketch of the End Times

Ben Wilson, our Cambridge-educated, PhD, Pastor recently taught on Luke 20 through 24 a message series entitled, “The Week That Changed the World.” Within it, he outlined the timeline of biblical prophecy. In theology the study of end-time events is called eschatology and is mostly taken from the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, Daniel, Revelation, and the words of Jesus in the Gospels. Jesus addressed the subject during His final week on earth with some prophetic insights and predictions. Peter, Paul, John, and Jude, were New Testament prophets and apostles who added to the clues under the Spirit’s inspiration.

Ben mentioned that all Christians believe that Christ is coming back, in the resurrection of the dead, and in the judgment. He emphasized that in eschatology, where the doctrines of the Bible are more complex, we should employ the same straightforward reading of scripture to order the predicted events most accurately.

Then Ben said that the future events of the end times are important because they give us hope, a focus on God, His promises, and His character. A thumbnail sketch, or timeline of those future end-time events that come from the straightforward reading of scripture would look like this:

[1] RAPTURE (Christians meet Christ in the air, spared the wrath of the tribulation, and live forever with Jesus — Luke 7:43-35, Matt 24:40-41, John 14:1-3, 1 Thess 4:13-15 & 5:9).
[2] TRIBULATION (A time of violence, intrigue, evil political powers, and judgment; the 70th week of Daniel, it ends with Satan’s defeat, the battle of Armageddon and the return of Christ as King — Daniel 9:24-27, Matthew 24:4-28, Revelation 6-18, and Zachariah 11-12).
[3] MILLENNIAL KINGDOM (Christ reigns on the Earth for 1000 years from Jerusalem with the Saints who died during the tribulation—Revelation 20:1-3).
[4] NEW CREATION (Believers experience a new heaven and a new earth with Christ forever—Revelation 21:1-4).

The discussion of personal eschatology will have to wait for another blog. This has become lengthy enough and I want to keep the timeline and the reasons for having a timeline simple, so it’s meaningful and easier to recall.

Summary

The complexity of the subject comes from the fact that the pieces of the puzzle are spread over 4000 years of Bible history scattered through many epochs and eras. But they do fit together in a grand, cosmic, mysterious story our Creator wished to make known—one that is hard to ignore if one wishes to look at the puzzle pieces searching for truth and honoring the tug of a God who put “eternity in our hearts.”

I’m learning to use AI like the rest of the world, and consulted my favorite AI engine Grok for a summary. Here’s my question and Grok’s answer:

Q: What’s the most commonly taught eschatology or sequence of end-time events?

A: Probably the premillennial dispensationalist view-top dog in evangelical circles. Jesus comes back before a thousand-year reign, raptures the church first, then there’s seven years of tribulation with the Antichrist, Armageddon, and finally Satan’s defeat. Folks teach it heavy in seminaries and churches-big on literal timelines from Revelation, Daniel, and Matthew twenty-four.

I hope this helps you to remember or serves as a starting point for your own investigation of the facts the Bible and history provide about the end times and Christ’s return. Godspeed on your journey to truth, and knowing God better each year of your journey. Shalom in Jesus, “The author and finisher of our faith,” the Son of God, Prince of Peace, Bright and Morning Star, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth;
and after my skin is destroyed, this I know,  that in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
(Job 19:25-27)

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3)

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John…” (Revelation 1:1)

A 2018 Blog About the End Times

A PDF with more end times references and explanations South Fork, Colorado 2025

Love What God Loves

As barbaric and evil as the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by its Palestinian neighbors in Gaza was, the anti-Semitism that has come to light around the world since then may be even more disturbing. There are people marching, rioting, burning flags around the world, and threatening violence against Jews who probably don’t know a Jew or who have never met a Jewish person. How do you explain that? Outside of dark, evil spirits?

Yes, people are jumping up and down around the world, protesting for media attention, burning Israeli and US flags, waving Palestinian flags, and defacing and destroying property while they chant “Free Palestine” or “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Not surprisingly, in a recent survey, American college students were asked about the chant “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free.” They were asked which river and which sea. An overwhelming majority of them did not know. Their guesses were as preposterous and humorous as they were sad and telling — telling that college-educated adults in the US have so little grasp of the history, religion, geography, and politics of the region, as well as the Bible.

My own experience asking three college students in our church wasn’t all that different. That’s also telling. The referenced sea and river are the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. The PLO popularized the phrase in the 1960s, calling for themselves to have a state that encompasses all of Israel and for Israel to have no country or state at all.

Those familiar with the Bible will recall that God gave Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and their descendants forever the land from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River, a much larger part of the Middle East. Israel’s boundaries under King Solomon about 1000 BC — 1700 years before Islam — were as large as they have ever been, but the whole possession hasn’t been under Israeli control yet. All the while, for 4000 years, since Abraham, Jews have lived in the land. They just didn’t have an officially recognized nation since the Romans destroyed and dispersed them 70-73 AD, that is, until the miraculous return to the land after WWII and the rebirth of their nation on May 14, 1948.

“Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west” (Joshua 1:4— also see Genesis 15:18-20, Genesis 26:3, Genesis 28:13).

So that is a little history and geography lesson. Maybe a theology lesson, too. Grab your Bible and some history books, or do some valid research on the web. This is going to be an important issue going forward to the end of time. You should know what you believe and why it’s important. You should know what is right, historical, just, and true — the facts.

Jesus said, “You shall know them [people] by their fruit,” by what they do, not what they say. Have a serious look at what both sides in the conflict have said and done throughout history, especially since 1948. Then, draw your own conclusions.

In the meantime, you can dwell on the Bible-stated truth that God hates violence, and God loves Israel. You will always do well to love what God loves and hate what God hates.

“And God loves Israel, declaring, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness’” (Jeremiah 31:3). “The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion” (Psalms 11:5).

Those who do not love what God loves and hate what God hates, those who passionately support violence and hate Israel, are shaking their angry fists at God. This never ends well for them, their political organization, and those who support them.

This is how to make sense of it, even with the smoke and media haze — misguided secular-humanist deception. Harvard? Pit? MIT? CNN? BBC? Beware of deception!

Be aware of these verses: “They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:10b-11).

Choose the age-old wisdom and most basic Bible teaching, “Fear God and keep His commandments.” Or if that seems out-of-date or too draconian for you, “Love What God loves, and hate what God hates,” and you’ll be fine and fare well.

Shalom and Godspeed on your journey to truth — also righteousness, peace, and joy.“For the kingdom of God is … righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).

“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Indeed, that’s what Israel is in the process of doing right now. They are freeing Israel /Palestine from a people who love violence, oppress their own, practice lawlessness and injustice, hate Israel, their neighbors, and fire rockets and missiles at them incessantly. You reap what you sow. There is One who sees to it.

May our gracious Creator and King exercise justice and judgment mixed with mercy. It’s His to do. And He is the only One who can.

*********************

“To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever” (Revelation 5:13).

[An article I wrote about end times events in 2018]

Pentecost 2023

Today is Pentecost 2023, 50 days after Passover and the 7th Sunday after Easter — the day the Holy Spirit came in power to the Chruch. You might say to found the Chruch, the Bride of Christ — forever changing history and beginning the Last Days according the prophet Joel (2:28).

WOW! I just looked in my iPhone calendar, and they don’t include Pentecost on their calendar. Look at Western Civilization and the civilized world of the last 2000 years — and note if you have eyes to see and mental facilities to look at historical facts unbiased — to see all the advances in science, medicine, education, art, government, and religion where Christ is acknowledged as King and His Father God as Sovereign over all.

On Pentecost 33 AD, the same Sovereign sent His Spirit into His house — His disciples, His church, and all future disciples who would become holy ones — normal mortals made holy by Christ’s sacrifice and then the indwelling of His Spirit. These have caused His Kingdom to come forth on the earth in some measure, ebbing and flowing, with the resultant “righteous, peace, and joy” (Romans 14:17) described in Scripture during the ensuing 2000 years.

Pause with me and ponder, “Where are we today in America and the Chruch with these realities?” — realities that began on 33 AD in Jerusalem, and the most recent outflow of that Grace for us in 1620 and 1776 in the USA.

Ponder in wonder, and give thanks. Amen אמן

**************

Remembering Pentecost four years ago in Jerusalem

From my latest book Puzzling 2020: “Without being born of the Spirit, we cannot see the things of God or know God Himself. If Nicodemus, the Bible scholar, and teacher of Israel, couldn’t apprehend God with just his mind, why do we think we can? Or that it’s our job to make the issue more clear for others than Jesus made it and left it. It is God’s job by His Holy Spirit. Thankfully to those who believe Jesus’ testimony, ‘He gives the Holy Spirit without measure'” (John 3:34b).

“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7).

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:26-27).