14 Aug 2023

The Toughest Job in the World

It’s truly incredible the issues that threaten Israel. Domestic, foreign, cultural, militarily, politically. An article this week from Ynet News highlights all this.

When Benjamin Netanyahu decided to tackle judicial reform, he knew it would ignite a firestorm of opposition. His job is unimaginably tough! As I say all the time, his situation runs so parallel to Donald Trump’s. Their respective political enemies sometimes cross. Many of the same corrupt operatives that have been dispatched to Israel during election season—by Bill Clinton and Barack Obama—are the same ones now trying to keep Trump out of the White House. Each man is embroiled in legal woes that threaten not only their positions, but their freedom as well.

Here I want to digress for a minute and explain what I think is going on. As believers, we know that the one behind all this ultimately is the devil. Personal evil is real, it exists. A certain madness envelopes such an entity, so that he pushes agendas that are irrational, destructive, and without moral constraints. Because the Bible tells us that this evil influences men, it’s easy to see why the international community’s leadership pursues insane agendas.

Recently I was re-reading a terrific book, Banquet at Delmonico’s, a story about Charles Darwin’s friend, Herbert Spencer, and his 1882 lecture tour throughout the United States. The British sociologist is responsible for some of the most evil initiatives ever seen. Here I want to quote one section, and my point here is to help you see how whole societies can be set up for a fall. Morally, one must maintain vigilance, if one is to stay away from the influence of the evil one. So here is the fascinating insight from Edward Youman’s, an American scientific writer in love with the idea that evolution would be embraced:

“Spencer will in time reap his greatest conquest in Germany. The whole nation is pervaded with religious skepticism, and they are without any philosophic guidance.”

Wow. There you have it. The collapse of biblical thought in a society will lead to disaster. Youman could not have known just how successful Spencer’s and Darwin’s work would be in Germany…50 years into the future.

Godless worldviews, particularly in government, lead to mind-bending evil. It is what afflicts the United States and, to some extent, Israel, right at this moment.

I firmly believe one of the main weapons the devil has used for the last 100 years is Marxism, fashioned after the Soviet version. By 1920, Lenin and Stalin were plotting to take down the United States from within. I seriously doubt they ever intended to confront the U.S. directly, even during the nuclear era at the height of the Cold War. What they did intend to do was send a flood of agents to infiltrate every single layer of our society. That’s what happened and explains why we are in the predicament we are in now. Israel is in much the same dilemma.

His enemies say that it’s obvious Netanyahu is trying to subvert legal justice in his own case by neutering the judicial authority. The same criticism is leveled at Trump.

However, I would point out the extreme corruption at the root of these criticisms of Bibi and Trump is the real threat. But because they have the benefit of corrupt Media covering for them, it’s hard for the truth to get out. But I did digress!

The writer of the article I mentioned believes the Israeli government is putting too much emphasis on judicial reform, and not enough on military threats, particularly from the north.

From the article, there is this very interesting observation:

“Iran succeeded in arming and equipping its proxies with precision weaponry. Until about a decade ago, precision weaponry was an advantage held by Israel against the adversary’s “dumb” missiles and rockets. Today, Iran is successfully advancing the production or adaptation of precision missiles and assault drones.”

It’s clear that Iran wants the option of bringing a multi-pronged war against Israel, using proxies in the region. Direct confrontation, terrorism, even the use of militias from Syria, Iraq and Yemen all threaten the Jewish state, potentially.

The article’s writer makes another great point. While Israel knows how to protect its own citizenry, it is less able to defend against precision weapons aimed at infrastructure, power stations, water treatment plants, etc.

It’s very obvious the Iranians are trying to take out Israel before Israel takes out Iran.

Our job, on the outside looking in, is to continue praying fervently for Israel. That is what we do best for our Jewish friends, and we believe it has tangible results. We hate evil, and look forward to the day it will be vanquished once and for all, by our Great King.

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com

Jimfletcher761@gmail.com

www.patreon.com/TheGodThatAnswers

 

7 Aug 2023

More Good News, Yeah!

I had quite a bit of positive feedback from last week’s column, in which I highlighted some positive developments in Israel. By the nature of this thing, I usually write about something “negative.” Israel has a lot of enemies, internal and external. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t happy outcomes in this volatile region.

For about 10 years, I have been tracking the innovations of Israelis in various fields: medical, scientific, agriculture. The things being accomplished there are truly astounding. I’ve written before about my tour of the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv several years ago; I had gone to investigate my options regarding the eye injury. The complex at Sheba is incredible. They are working on myriad issues, ranging from spinal injuries to helping people overcome their fear of flying.

I would go so far as to say that if the Israelis can’t fix something, it can’t be fixed.

Now comes word that a possible breakthrough in cancer treatment is being tested.

An Israeli medtech company has developed a process that freezes tumors. According to a site known as No Camels:

“IceCure Medical has developed the ProSense system, which uses extremely cold liquid (known as cryoablation) to freeze and destroy abnormal tumors as an alternative to surgical removal, with its focus being early-stage breast, lung, liver, and kidney tumors.”

The Canadian government has given approval to test this system in that country. Cryoablation isn’t new, but what IceCure has done is make it possible for doctors to perform the procedure at their offices; no hospital required! Amazing.

I certainly don’t have to tell you how much the world needs seriously effective cancer treatments. From time to time, I hear of a breakthrough treatment, then nothing happens. But with the Israelis involved, I believe they are credible.

The company is expanding its reach:

“’As we continue to gain traction in the United States, this approval in Canada will create synergies for us in the broader North American market,’ said Eyal Shamir, CEO of IceCure.

“IceCure’s ProSense system currently has regulatory approval in 15 countries, including the United States and China.

“Founded in 2006, IceCure Medical is headquartered in Caesarea, northern Israel.”

Just one of the extraordinary characteristics of Israel is that while the country fights a daily terrorism battle with both legs and arms tied behind its collective back, they still find time to thrive in virtually every area. Israeli tech companies are ahead of other countries, and the aforementioned medical advances are stunning. If the Lord tarries, I believe there will be life-changing innovations available for patients around the world.

While at Sheba, I was struck by the intensity of the compassion medical providers have for their own, of course. Injured soldiers, many with extremely serious and complex problems are given utmost priority. But I was also struck by the fact that Palestinian children are swiftly sent to the head of the line for treatment. Many, many lives have been saved. Thank God!

When I visited Sheba, I was struck by the fact that the staff, to a man and woman, were committed to treating anyone in need. In fact, I interviewed one former IDF officer, high-ranking, that seemed to fit the mold: tough, gruff, and highly capable. I asked him why they would commit to treating enemies (Hamas has also received treatment at Israeli hospitals). He glared at me for a second, then said, “Why wouldn’t we?”

The Israeli commitment to human life is second-to-none. I don’t know that I could be so magnanimous. Sometimes, terrorists are treated in rooms adjacent to their victims.

In any case, Israeli advances in things that help the whole world are a testament both to the nation and to the God that watches over them.

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com

Jimfletcher761@gmail.com

www.patreon.com/TheGodThatAnswers

(I’ve had positive feedback to our new endeavor, our Patreon page, “The God That Answers.” Here I offer an apologetic that is somewhat different from others. I aim to use Bible prophecy as an evangelism tool, because frankly, the hour is very late. I discuss everything from prophecies already fulfilled to origins issues. All related to helping people find God through the Bible’s internal evidences. Each month I offer a unique set of materials that will help you bolster your own faith or help you reach the non-believers in your life. Consider checking us out and sign up for the free week trial and access to exclusive material. I am genuinely interested in your feedback!)