Saturday, October 06, 2007
TRUE
I'm really excited about the missional community that we have kicked off in church (Big Al's vision). I believe that through TRUE we will inspire and invision eachother to live out kingdom values on the earth. It feels like this is how church should be. It feels like this is what life should be.
Stevie Mc was dying with the flu but played a blinder. Check out his words on the TRUE blog!
The video above is something I put together for the worship. Acknowledging our numbness, voicing frustration and worshipping a God who reigns.
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9 comments:
Wow
"Forgive us Lord, forgive us please, as we fight for this broken world on our knees"
I need help putting these words into actions.
Bro
Good work, John. I always find the social disproportion and general numbness incredibly disconcerting. It is HIGH TIME we take responsability for making the world God has given us a much more just place. True is an enviable starting point: Lurgan is setting the pace for a juster world. Go for it, guys!
Hi John
I was interested to see what you wrote about Israel.
I havent visited the area but am interested in it and was interested to hear a bit about it from someone who has.
In my understanding there are several key points about the conflict;-
1) The future of Israel as an eternal nation under God is immutable through just about every prophet in the bible; as is its reformation before the coming in power of the Messiah.
2) The persistent idolatry and oppression of the weak by Israel is also attested to by virtually all the same prophets.
3) The kingdom of darkness hates Israel because it is a key part of God's plans for the world and it uses every opportunity to twist the truth about it to try and destroy it and undermine it.
4) The GDP of the Palesintian terrorities is much lower than that in Israel but is very similar to all the other Arab nations in the Middle East.
This leaves obvious questions as to how exactly how much blame can be laid at Israel's door for the poverty in Palestinian areas.
5) There is no freedom of speech/reporting in the Palestinian terrorities in complete contrast to Israel (source: Reporters sans frontiers).
This has obvious ramifications for understanding what is really happening in any given event.
6) Operation World has described the Palestinian people as "pawns" who are being manipulted for a bigger political game. In my understanding their situation is deliberately exacerbated by Arab states who could actually help, in order to create a running sore with which to accuse Israel.
7) In terms of equality, roughly the same number of Jews were expelled from the Arab world with nothing at the same time as this happened to the Palestinians.
The difference being that Israel accepted the refugee Jews while the Arab world kept the Palestinians as "refugees" in order to create a PR disaster for Israel.
But consider how much more space the Arab world had for the most of 1 million people than did Israel!
FYI
As will be obvious, I do firmly believe that unless you get your biblical worldview right on this to start with, you are in danger of swallowing replacement theology etc.
Studying what each prophet says about the destiny of Israel (ie God purpose for it) is a key step in understanding how God and the devil see the topic.
This does not mean denying your experience, but putting into the context of a biblical worldview.
As you have visited the area, how do you think Israel could otherwise tackle suicide bombers aside from the wall?
Havent these groups vowed to destroy Israel no matter what peace deal it offers them, even if that means maniupulating naive and oppressed civilians?
Thoughts?
sincerely
Phil
Phil,
Thanks for your email and your interest.
If you read down my blog you'll read about my time in Israel. I had heard many of the arguments you make before and in Israel I heard these in greater depth.
I loved the country and was privileged to meet Jews, Arabs and Christians who had been affected by the conflict. I met Jews who had friends blown up and shot by Arabs, I felt their pain.
I resisted all I saw for days in Palestine, constantly arguing, but you can't deny what you see with your own eyes.
The thing is it's easy to make all these points about Israel, Zionism, prophecy etc from the UK/US or from Israel. It makes everything look clean and good and permissable.
But take a step inside Palestine and the reality is dirty and wrong. It's hard to describe without seeing and hearing it for yourself. It's not media bias it's stories from amazing Christian men and women, and it's the reality you see with your own eyes.
The injustice, oppression and brutal history of occupation has to be experienced to be understood.
I agree with many of the points you make and because I've been with both sets of people I could never take sides.
The wall is built miles inside the UN 'Green Lines' which is supposed to define Palestinian territory. Look at my pictures. It isn't straight, it is built around houses..just feet away. It became obvious to be that the primary aim of the wall is not security but land expansion of the Israeli state.
It's true that Hamas (and countries such as Iran) have vowed to destroy Israel. However the vast majority of Palestinains, both Christian and Muslim, just want to co-exist in peace....as equals.
The situation is complicated beyond belief and I honestly don't see how there can be a solution. Fundamentalist Islam is on the rise because of Israeli brutality and the incompetance and corruption of the moderate Palestinain parties.
Christians in the West Bank feel isolated and oppressed from all sides. I wish you could meet them!
hi john found your blog via alain ems.couldnt stop thiking about your description of jerusalem,it really impacted me.i ve been searching the web and found this site called www.meguiar.addr.com,in the part entitled the black pope he talks about the jews in jerusalem .have a read and tell me what you think .i dont have a blog my email is viv.c.r.n@hotmail.co.uk.i go to green past.in b'mena.would like to hear what anyone else thinks of this website.
http://www.planetquo.com/Illuminati-Design-And-Symbolism-In-The-Israeli-Supreme-Court-Building sorry to annoy you again john but ive found another website i found this fascinating. ive always been really curious about what gods heart is regarding this .viv
The only way I could describe those websites without swearing is..... amusing fiction from an overactive imagination.
great video john
John
Liked the vid. Love the U2 commitment.
Recognise your sentiments about the links posted about Israel.
The world is a truely shocking place. Propaganda is a vice.
Keep talking, I wish I have the cojones to visit Palestine.
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