World News Through the Third Lens

1,000 VISITORS TO JOSEPH'S TOMB IN SCHECHEM (as reported by INN, 2/28/10) Commentary by Les Young: The ancient Jewish Biblical sites in Judea and Samaria continue to make headline news: Following the mass entry into Jericho and an ancient synagogue there last week, and after PM Benjamin Netanyahu included the Machpelah Cave and Rachel's Tomb on the new National Heritage Site List, it's now the turn of Joseph's Tomb in Schechem. A crowd of over 1,000 people from across Israel made their way to Joseph's Tomb on Wednesday night, in honor of the Fast of Esther. MK Danny Danon expressed dismay at the Arab vandalism he saw there, especially the site's smashed dome. "It's shocking to see the barbarism of those who are supposed to be our partners in peace," Danon said.

A BIBLICAL (THIRD LENS) PERSPECTIVE: "And Joseph's bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Schechem in the tract of land that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver from the sons of Hamor, the Father of Schechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph's descendants." (Joshua 24:32) It is this writer's opinion that incidents such as this stir up so many outcries of hatred and even violence for two reasons: 1) The discovery of such sites, or the reclamation of them is just further proof that the Bible is true. Many do not want to reckon with this notion, because to do so is to have to reckon with the God of the Bible and the fact that we are all accountable to Him. Often, those who do not wish to seriously consider biblical claim respond to them with anger; 2) They are reminders of God's special dealing with Abraham and his descendants, including promises concerning the land. Again, to accept such claims as valid will ultimately draw one into an encounter with many other biblical claims. I'll mention just two from Paul's letter to the Romans. "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Romans 3:23). "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) These are truth claims that should be seriously considered by every one of us.

World News Through the Third Lens

U.S. SLAMS ISRAEL OVER DESIGNATING HERITAGE SITES by Les Young.

I searched and searched my local paper and I couldn't find anything with respect to this report out of Israel, so the report cited here is from Bill Koenig at watch.org., the Washington Post and other Internet news sources.

The Obama administration criticized Israel Wednesday for designating two shrines on Palestinian territory as national heritage sites, calling the move "provocative" and unhelpful to the goal of getting the two sides back to the table. The criticism came as Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton said she hopes long-stalled peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians will resume. Clinton told a Congressional committee that groundwork is being laid to restart the talks with the help of US envoy, George Mitchell. Her remarks came amid a flurry of U.S. diplomatic activity in the region, even as efforts are underway to convene another meeting of the Quartet in Moscow on March 19th.

U.S. with the designations of the Cave of the Patriarchs in the flash point town of Hebron, and the traditional tomb of the biblical matriarch Rachel in Bethlehem has been conveyed to senior Israeli officials, according to State Department spokesman, Mark Toner. Jews revere the site - the Cave of the Patriarchs - where the Bible says the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were buried along with three of their wives. Muslims call it the al-Ibrahimi mosque, reflecting the fact that Abraham is considered the father of Judaism and Islam. The Palestinians also claim all of the West Bank as part of the future state of Palestine.

A BIBLICAL (THIRD LENS) PERSPECTIVE: Before introducing any Scriptural commentary, I would like to ask a couple of questions which require thoughtful answers. What solutions do the final status talks contain? Who can deliver a plan that the Palestinians will accept? [It has been clearly stated by so-called Palestinian leaders and allies - actually terrorists in business suits - that there will be no satisfaction until the little Satan (Israel) and the big Satan (the USA) are destroyed]. And, what is Palestine and who are the Palestinians? The term wasn't even used until introduced by Yassar Arafat in 1967. Without trying to answer any of those questions, I will stipulate that the situation is extremely complex and will not be settled until a false peace is effected by the anti-Messiah. About that, Scripture does speak.

"...the people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. [done in AD 70 by Roman General Titus] The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He [the ruler of the people to come] will confirm a covenant with many for one seven [7-years]. In the middle of the seven he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple [a rebuilt 3rd temple, obviously a condition of the covenant], he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. (see Revelation 19:17-21) (Daniel 9:26-27) Jesus also spoke of this man in His prophetic discourse recorded in Matthew 24-25. "So when you see standing ion the holy place the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of through the prophet Daniel - let the reader understand - then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." (Matthew 24:15-16) Paul spoke of this peace and the man who implements it, who remains somewhat hidden until the middle of the 7-year covenant, when he desecrates the rebuilt temple. "While people are saying 'peace and safety,' destruction will come upon them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, but they will not escape." (1 Thessalonians 5:3) [For a further development of these times, read the blog "Birth Pangs and Fig Trees on http://www.endtimesencouragement.blogspot.com/] Paul speaks further of this event: "Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God [that's why he is known as the Antichrist] or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God." (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)

World News Through the Third Lens

WOMEN TO SERVE ON SUBS (Washington, staff and wire reports, 2/24/10): "The Pentagon has moved to lift a decades-old policy that prohibits women from serving aboard Navy submarines, part of a gradual reconsideration of women's roles in a military fighting two wars whose front lines can be anywhere. At issue is the end of a policy that kept women from serving aboard the last type of ship off-limits to them. The thinking was that the close quarters aboard subs would make coed service difficult to manage. Defense Secretary Robert Gates notified Congress in a letter signed Friday that the Navy plans to repeal the ban on women aboard subs. Congress has 30 days to weigh in."

The article went on to include comments from two local veteran submariners. Bob Hodge, a 24 year veteran said that he wasn't surprised and that "in terms of job skills, it's not a problem." He went on to say that the living conditions present an obstacle though. "There's no privacy on a sub, except for officers' quarters. When you're jumping out of bed at night for a battle stations drill or a fire drill in your underwear, there's no time for privacy." Jim Paulsen, a 20 year veteran said, "I think it's a bad idea. You're in very close quarters. I think discipline could break down."

A BIBLICAL (THIRD LENS) PERSPECTIVE: The Bible has nothing to say about submarines, but that's not the end of the issue. Some people have labeled the Bible as the manufacturer's handbook, referring to the fact that God created everything, including men and women, and the Bible is His revelation to us. In it He tells how things originally were, what went wrong, and then there is a long revealing of His plan to restore things. God tells us (mankind) what our problem is (sin) and how this affects everything. One of the things affected by sin is the whole gender/sex thing. From before the Revolutionary War, the military in this country seemed to understand certain biblical principles, whether or not chapter and verse were quoted.

The Bible records that before the entrance of sin, the relationship between the man and the woman was pure, heterosexual and monogamous (Genesis 2:24-25), and that of co-equal partners (Genesis 2:18). After the entrance of sin, the purity of their relationship was marred and their nakedness became a problem (Genesis 3:7, 10). In addition, contention, pain and sorrow were introduced into their relationship (Genesis 3:16).

Knowing the sinful nature of man, God, through Moses, instituted rules for living because the carnal desires of man were not a sufficient guide. The entire 18th chapter of Leviticus is devoted to standards concerning sexual relationships. The pagan nations into and through which God was about to lead the Israelites had a practice of erecting altars to their false gods that were elevated several feet, and had to be approached by steps. In those days people did not have jockey shorts, so the Lord gave these instructions concerning any altar built for Him. "...if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it. Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness not be exposed on it." (Exodus 20:25-26).

Somebody may be saying at this point, "That was all Old Testament law. We now live under grace and Jesus changed all that." The first thing I must point out at this point is the fact that Jesus made it clear that our (sin) problems went much deeper than outward adherence to some moral code; our (sin) problem was embedded in a sinful heart. His teachings, especially in Matthew 5-7 make it clear that the Law could not save us, and that He came to fulfill the Law. In the midst of this teaching He made it clear that we need a Savior. To stay on point, listen to what Jesus said with respect to "sex." "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27-28).

I am not saying that every sailor in the submarine service is now going to be guilty of the sin of adultery, inwardly if not outwardly. I am saying that the Navy's latest plans are in defiance with the Manufacturer's Handbook, and as such, are a recipe for disaster. When this gets coupled with the planned repeal of the "Don't ask; Don't tell" policy, it gets even worse. I'm sure we'd agree that not every person who has served in the military has been a paragon of virtue, but at least officially, military and morality have gone hand in hand. This is now being destroyed from the foundation up. "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalm 11:3) God help us.

World News Through the Third Lens

CORRUPTION AT FEDERAL RESERVE BANK IGNORED BY NEWS MEDIA (Jim Kouri, 5th Vice President, National Association of Chiefs of Police and columnist for The Examiner and New Media Alliance, 2/19/10): America's banking industry is aiding and abetting lawbreakers and there appears to be no one in Washington, D.C. interested in conducting an investigation into this corruption. While the mainstream news media are hard at work covering the Democrats striving to achieve their dream of taking control of American' health care, the Federal Reserve Bank continues working with the Mexican government to make it easier for illegal aliens to export US money to their homeland.

The Fed is currently devising several programs that will extend banking services to illegal aliens.......One such program being utilized by illegal aliens from Mexico is a remittance program with the ultimate goal of bringing illegal Mexican aliens ---who send money home---into the mainstream of the US financial system, regardless of immigration status. In other words, the Federal Reserve System is aiding lawbreakers in moving their cash around in the US and Mexico. This obviously includes the myriad alien gangs and the more than 50,000 gang members who are involved in narcotics trafficking, identity theft, homicides, and other criminal activity. To read the rest of this disturbing report, (Click Here).

A BIBLICAL (THIRD LENS) PERSPECTIVE: So many parts of our government (and the federal reserve system is not even "federal" but a consortium of international bankers whose interests transcend those of any nation or any patriot and certainly any follower of Christ. They have been given unmitigated, and by most counts - unconstitutional, power to regulate money supply, interest rates and thus economies. Scripture says of such: "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.hey are corrupt,their deeds are vile, there is no one who does good." (Psalm 14:1) To all the Christ-followers out there, for the time being we are still participants in the economic system of our respective countries. Realizing how corrupt these systems have become, Scripture asks us a rhetorical question: "Can a corrupt throne be allied with you - one that brings on misery by its decrees?" (Psalm 94:20) Such practices as are described in this blog will one day soon lead to an economic system described thusly: "He [the false prophet of the Antichrist] also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name." (Revelation 13:16-17) Just in case somebody might think it no big deal to conduct his finances via a micro-chip embedded in his right hand, I caution you to think again. "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he too will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of His wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." (Revelation 14:9-11)

World News Through the Third Lens

MARINES LINK UP IN AFGHAN BATTLE (Alfred de Montesquiou, The Associated Press as reported in the Norwich Bulletin, 2/17/10): Marjah, Afghanistan - Marines moving by land from the north linked up Tuesday with U.S. units that have faced nearly constant Taliban attack in the four days since they were dropped by helicopter into this insurgent stronghold in southern Afghanistan. [After giving some details of the use of non-lethal smoke rounds for fear of civilian casualties, naming the two Marine Companies involved, the article closed with these words] A Taliban spokesman, however, claimed that insurgents retain control of the town and that coalition forces who "descended from helicopters in limited areas of Marjah" were now "under siege."

A BIBLICAL (THIRD LENS) PERSPECTIVE: First, because this is in effect an op-ed piece, this report, as the phrase goes, "makes me sick." The picture in the upper left is of my grandson, Andrew, and was taken on the day before his graduation from Marine Basic Training at Parris Island in 2007. He is now training with his reserve unit at Camp Pendleton, CA and in about 3 weeks will be deployed to Afghanistan. I love this young man to pieces, and I am proud of him and his comrades for service to God and country. I could go on (and have in other writings) about the deterioration of "American Values" that our men and women in uniform are being asked to defend, but I won't in this piece. For now I just want to remind those reading this piece that Jesus has said to us: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God." (Matthew 5:9) Notice that Jesus said "peacemakers," not "peacekeepers." When it was God's intent for the Israelites to come into the land He had promised them, His command was: "...when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy." (Deuteronomy 7:2) Not since WWII have we treated the enemy as an enemy that must be defeated. History records how well the peace treaties worked when the Allied Forces made peace through victory. Look at what has happened since - from Korea to Vietnam to the Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the political hot potatoes is "when are the troops coming home?" If we have a right to be there in the first place, the answer to that question should be, "Not until we win and peace is made."

I probably have strayed more in this piece than in any I have written thus far. I don't pretend to have all the answers and I don't pretend to be a military genius. However, it doesn't seem to be a coincidence that as morality and righteousness has spiraled downward in our country, the number of unresolved military conflicts (wars and rumors of war) we have been drawn into. Even the reports of action on the battlefield brought to us by our press has given the enemy the last word!! Please pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2) and pray for our military.

World News Through the Third Lens

SECRETARY CLINTON : IRAN BECOMING MILITARY DICTATORSHIP. (AP 2/16/10): US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the Obama administration believes Iran is becoming a military dictatorship. In remarks to Arab University students in Qatar, Clinton said the Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran appears to have gained so much power it is effectively supplanting the government. Last week the US Treasury Department announced it was freezing the assets in U.S. jurisdictions of a Revolutionary Guard general and four subsidiaries of a previously penalized construction company he runs because of their alleged involvement in producing and spreading weapons of mass destruction. Clinton urged Iran on Sunday to reconsider its "dangerous" nuclear policy, saying Teheran's stance leaves the world community little choice but to impose "greater costs." Meanwhile, Netanyahu told ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday he would push for crippling sanctions on Iran during his meetings with Russian President Dimitry Medvedev and PM Vladimir Putin this week.

BIBLICAL (THIRD LENS) PERSPECTIVE: Concerning the continued rhetoric from the west, aimed at Iran: "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' "No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matthew 5:37) Concerning the threats aimed at Israel: "O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, both now and forever more." (Psalm 131:3) Concerning the plans of dictators and nations: "He (God) rules forever by His power, His eyes watch the nations." Psalm 66:7)

BATTLE OF THE VEEPS: Cheney says Biden WRONG that new attack unlikely. (Matt Spetalnick, Worth Reading, 2/15/10): Vice President Joe Biden rejected rejected assertions by Dick Cheney on Sunday that the Obama Administration was soft on terrorism and waterboarding should have been an option for the suspect in an attempted Christmas Day Airline bombing.

In an unusual round of dueling interviews played out across Sunday morning television talkshows, Biden said his Republican predecessor "either is misinformed or is misinforming" and accused him of trying to "rewrite history." Cheney, a chief architect of former President George W. Bush's counterterrorism policy and a harsh critic of President Barak Obama's approach, said Biden was "dead wrong" to have recently deemed another September 11-style attack on the United States to be unlikely. (more)

A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE: To the nation that turns away from the Word of God, the Lord says: "In then morning you will say, 'If only it were evening!' and in the evening, 'If only it were morning!' - because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see." (Deuteronomy 28:67) Regarding the exchange of hot air: "He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin." (Proverbs 13:3). "The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire and is itself set on fire by hell." (James 3:6)

World News Through the Third Lens

ALL OF US FOUND OUR ROLES IN HAITI (Dr. Anthony Alessi, Norwich Bulletin, 2/15/10) Following a trip to Haiti made by four health professionals from Norwich along with eleven others from Greenville, N.C., Dr. Alessi's journal of the trip has been running in the Norwich Bulletin. He has expressed nothing but admiration for the compassionate professionalism delivered to the people of Haiti by his colleagues, and the gratitude of the Haitian people. My hat is off to Dr. Alessi (neurologist)and his team members: Dr. Tom Bell (surgeon), his wife Patty Bell (surgical nurse), and Cindy Davis (critical care nurse). As a former EMT and one who has been on two mission trips to Haiti, I can appreciate what these caring professionals accomplished, and how they themselves must have been impacted by all they saw and experienced.

I so appreciate the spiritual element that Dr. Alessi included in Day 2 of his journal, in a section he captioned "Joy amid ruin." Cindy started the week as part of a group that went to the village of Miragaone to set up a clinic. When the team was invited to Mass on Sunday, it found the cathedral was destroyed. "Mass was in a simple building and the people were so well-dressed," she said. "The makeshift church and the surrounding hillside were filled with families, yet they moved chairs forward for each of us to sit on. I'll never forget the joyful sound of the choir singing 'Amazing Grace' a Capella while surrounded by ruin."

A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE: I get the distinct impression that the love of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ was involved in this medical mission, and as such, the healing ministry of Jesus as described by Matthew is probably appropriate here. "Jesus went throughout Galilee teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people were brought to him with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them." (Matthew 4:23-24)

$100 IN THE BANK COUNTS AS $1000 (William Murray, Religious Freedom Coalition, 2/12/10 and earlier reported by Jerry Robinson in Bankruptcy of our Nation, New Leaf Press, 2009) An explanation of the Federal Reserve Bank's fractional reserve system: "If the reserve requirement is 10%, for example, a bank that receives a $100 deposit may lend out $90 of that deposit. If the borrower then writes out a check to someone for that $90, who then deposits it in the bank, the bank receiving that deposit can then lend out $81. As the process continues, the banking system can expand the initial deposit of $100 into a maximum of $1,000. ($100 + $90 + $81 + 71.90 +.......=$1000). In other words, about 90% of the money ion circulation doesn't really exist. President Barak Obama wants to increase the phony money supply with yet another stimulus. It is mathematically impossible, at this point in time, to pay off the national debt.

First of all, it is no wonder that many of our founding fathers did not want the United States of America to adopt any semblance of the central banking system that was employed in Europe during the 18th century. Initially Thomas Jefferson and similar thinkers prevailed, citing Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution as grounds for keeping private central banks from gaining control over their own government's monetary activities. In spite of this, President Washington signed the First bank of the United States into law in 1791, along with a 20 year charter which expired in 1811. In 1811, Congress voted against renewing the charter. President Madison, under great pressure, signed into law the Second Bank of the United States in 1816, again with a 20 year charter. The schemes of the Central Bank were to lead the country through periods of inflation and recession, with the bank (owned to a large degree by foreign individuals) to profit, no matter the direction of the economy. As the country became aware of these schemes, the charter was not renewed in 1836, thanks to the efforts of Andrew Jackson, under whose leadership the US national debt was paid off for the first and only time. Unfortunately, in 1913 the Federal Reserve was created by an act of Congress on December 23. The Federal Reserve is not Federal but a partnership between the federal government and the private banking system. Listen to U.S. Congressman Ron Paul's summary of the Federal Reserve System. "From the Great Depression, to the stagflation of the seventies, to the burst of the dotcom bubble in 2001, every economic downturn suffered by the country over the past 80 years can be traced to Federal Reserve policy."

A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE: The prevailing view in Jesus' day (and little has changed for the past 2000 years) was that to be wealthy was a sign of God's special favor and to be poor was a sign of God's displeasure - an idea soundly rejected by Christ (Luke 6:20, 16:13, 18:24-25). The Bible identifies greed and the pursuit of wealth with idolatry, which is demonic (1 Corinthians 10:19-20; Colossians 3:5) which can bring about enslavement (Matthew 6:24). Riches can be an obstacle both to salvation and discipleship (Matthew 19:24, 13:22), give a false sense of security (Matthew 13:22) and demand the loyalty of one's heart (Matthew 6:21). The few people who are behind the Federal Reserve System are seeking temporal riches at the expense of the many, employing an economic model driven by debt. With China and other foreign nations holding large portions of America's national debt, we need to seriously consider this biblical wisdom: "The rich rule over the poor and the borrower is servant to the lender." (Proverbs 22:7)