Christian Cults - Afrikaans

April 1, 2025

In die Olyfberg rede, Mattheus 24 en Lukas 21 waarsku Jesus oor valse leraars, valse profete en valse Christusse. Toe ek nog ‘n jong Christen was het ek gedink dit het te doen met dinge soos Jehovah se Getuienis en Mormone ens. Ek twyfel egter nie die minste daaraan dat die groei van kultusse wat ons in die laaste paar jare gesien het, vernaamlik in die laaste twintig jaar, dit ook vir ons ‘n profetiese betekenis inhou nie. Maar dit is nie die valse leraars en valse profete teen wie die Here ons gewaarsku het in die Laaste Dae nie. “??as dit moontlik was, ook die uitverkorenes te mislei.” (Mat. 24:24) Baie sê natuurlik dit is nie moontlik om die uitverkorenes te mislei nie, wel dit is ‘n leuen. Jesus sou ons nie so ernstig teen iets gewaarsku het as daar nie ‘n moontlikheid bestaan dat dit kan gebeur nie. Jesus waarsku ons teen diegene wat gaan kom om wedergebore Christene te mislei. Christene wat deur Mormone en Jehovah se Getuienis mislei kan word kan net Christene wees wat basies net tot bekering gekom het en nie baie weet nie. Iemand wat al drie tot vier jaar gered is sal nie so maklik mislei word nie.

Dit begin by mense.

Daar is ‘n teologiese definisie van ‘n kultus en daar is sosiologiese definisie van ‘n kultus, maar dit sal onvermydelik by ‘n sekere punt saamsmelt.

“Ek bedoel dit, dat elkeen van julle sê: Ek is van Paulus, en ek van Apollos, en ek van Céfas, en ek van Christus?” (1 Kor. 1:12?13)

”Ek is van Paulus”, “Ek is van Apollos” “Ek is van Céfas” “Ek is van Christus”. Mense wat sê hulle is van Christus is die wat sê: “Ons het geen leierskap nie en ons erken ook geen pastorale gesag nie.” Baie sê dit, ander sê weer? “hy is myne”, “hy is myne”, ? en hulle maak van mense gurus. ‘n Kultus verskuif altyd die fokus op ‘n mens en baie keer ‘n dooie mens. Daar is vandag kultusse? en ek bedoel evangeliese kultusse? wat nou meer populêr is as hulle stigters toe hulle nog gelewe het. Die Assemblies of God het die idees van mense soos William Branham verwerp toe hy nog gelewe het. E. W. Kenyon se idees was afstootlik vir die hoofstroom Pinkster. Die Manifest Sons, die Latter Day Rain misleiding, Restorasie? isme, Koninkryk Nou en die res daarvan ? was in die 40’s en 50’s deur die hoofstroom Pinkster en ook die Assemblies of God verwerp. Hulle was geklassifiseer as okkulties. Vandag egter word hierdie okkultiese en ketterse dinge al meer en meer in die hoofstroom gesien, vandag is daar weer Branhamiete? die leier van ‘n kultus kan ‘n dooie persoon wees! Dit is nie kultusse soos die Jehovah se Getuies of Mormone nie, dit is kultusse waar mense glo aan die ware Evangelie!

Wanneer iemand deur een van hierdie groepe tot bekering kom skep dit ‘n groot probleem. Wanneer ‘n Mormoon gered is? geen probleem. Joseph Smith was ‘n valse profeet en ons weet dat die hele Mormoonse kerk in ‘n leuen lewe. Wanneer ‘n Jehovah se Getuie tot bekering kom? geen probleem: Charles Taze Russell was ‘n valse profeet, so dit is klaar met die hele Wag Toring gemeenskap. Maar

waar mense deur ‘n Christen kultus wedergebore word dan is daar ‘n groot probleem, vernaamlik met groepe wat teologiese “kerke” is maar sosiologiese kultusse. Op die een of ander stadium gaan groepe wat teologiese kerke en ook sosiologiese kultusse is verval in ‘n kettery. Hulle gaan betrokke raak in afvallige leerstellings terwyl hulle met die Ware Evangelie begin het.

Wanneer iemand wedergebore word deur een van hierdie groepe dan het die leiers of leier ‘n groot geestelike en sielkundige invloed en selfs beheer oor hierdie mense omdat hulle werklik wedergebore is. Ek was wedergebore in die “Children of God”. Vir die eerste vyf jaar van my Christen lewe was ek betrokke met sulke groepe. ‘n Ander een was die “Church of Bible Understanding”. ‘n Ander kultus was geken as die “Bible Speaks”, ook geken as die “Greater Grace”. Wat hierdie groepe gevaarlik maak is hulle preek die ware Evangelie. Jy kan hulle nie heeltemal afskryf soos die Jehovah se Getuies en die Mormone nie, en dit is ‘n groot probleem.

Mense in hierdie groepe en die wat deur hulle tot bekering gekom het word vasgevang in ‘n geweldige geestelike en sielkundige gebondenheid.

Die Eerste Kenmerke van ‘n Kultus.

Let op dat die apostels soos Paulus teen hierdie mentaliteit gekant was. Het Paulus jou gered? Dit is Jesus wat red, dit is die Evangelie wat red en nie ‘n kerk nie. Die Roomse Kerk maak daarop aanspraak dat hulle die instrument tot redding is, die sakramente wat deur hulle priesters bedien word is hoe mense deur hulle gered word? ex opere operato. Hierdie groepe sal Christus preek maar op ‘n manier sal daar nie onderskeiding gemaak word tussen die Christus en die kultus nie.

Paulus bespreek hulle eerste karaktertrekke, iets wat hy later in Galasiërs ‘n “daad van die vlees” noem. (Gal. 5:19) “—Faksies.” (Gal. 5:20) Soms ook gesien as party?ism, miskien beter vertaal as “faksies”.

Die eerste kenmerk van ‘n kultus is wat Paulus noem die “sonde van partyskap”. Die sonde van partyskap is waar ‘n groep daarop aanspraak maak dat hulle die alleenreg besit op Bybelse waarhede. Hierdie partygees en wat daaruit ontwikkel is ‘n vorm van gnostisisme, van die Griekse woord “gnosis” wat “geheime kennis” beteken. Die gnostisisme in die Katoliek kerk word die sensus plenior genoem ? “die volle wete van die Skrifte”. Nou? daar is ‘n voller wete van die Skrifte, maar wat hulle op aanspraak maak is dat die Pous op hierdie basis as die opvolger van Paulus, al die onfeilbare insig en kennis besit om te bepaal en te definieer wat die Skrifte beteken. In gnostisisme is dit nie belangrik wat die Bybel eksegeties sê nie, maar wat belangrik is, is wat die leier oor die Skrifte te sê het.

John Wimber van die Vineyard beweging se stellings is gebaseer op Christen gnostisisme, ‘n kettery in die vroeë kerk. Byvoorbeeld, ‘n basiese lering van die Vineyard en die Latter Day Rain beweging en die Kansas City profete is Restourasie?isme en dit wat hulle “Joël se weermag noem. “They run on the cities, they rush on the walls, Great is the army who carries His word.” Dit word vergelyk met sprinkane. In die historiese opset was dit Nebukadneser se leër wat deur God gebruik was om Juda te oordeel oor hulle sonde, dit is ook ‘n tipe van die leërmag van die Antichris in Openbaring.

Dieselfde sprinkane wat ons in Joël sien? sien ons weer in Openbaring. So, wat ook al hierdie leërmag in die Laaste Dae gaan wees, is en was dit die leër van die Antichris. In Joël 2:20 lees ons God sê: “Ja, Ek sal

die sprinkaanswerm, uit die noorde afkomstig, van julle af wegjaag en dit wegdrywe na 'n dor en woeste land; sy voorhoede na die Oostelike See en sy agterhoede na die Westelike See toe. En sy stank sal opstyg, en 'n slegte reuk uit hom opgaan; want hy het alte groot dinge gedoen.”

Die Vineyard beweging sê dit is hulle. So, enige persoon wat begeer om deel te wees van ‘n leërmag wat God gaan oordeel en vernietig kan by die Vineyard, die Minifest Sons of God en die Latter Day Rain bewegings aansluit.

Dit maak nie saak wat die Bybel sê nie, maar wat die Gnosis sê wat dit beteken. “God het MY gewys”. Copeland en Hagin kom van Kenyon af. Vergeet wat Jesus aan die kruis gesê het, “Dit is Volbring” (Joh. 19:30), en? “Vader in U hande gee Ek My gees” (Luk. 23:46) die Kenyaane sê: “God het MY gewys dat Satan die oorwinning op die kruis behaal het en nie Jesus nie. Jesus was vir drie dae en nagte in die Hel gemartel en na dit het Hy uit die dood opgestaan.” Dit is ‘n ander Jesus en ‘n ander evangelie wat die Meester verloën wat hulle gekoop het. Die voorspoed predikers? God het dit of dat vir my gewys, dit is alles okkulties!

“Terwyl julle veral dít moet weet, dat geen profesie van die Skrif 'n saak van eie uitlegging is nie; want geen profesie is ooit deur die wil van 'n mens voortgebring nie, maar, deur die Heilige Gees gedrywe, het die heilige mense van God gespreek”. (1 Pet. 21:20?21)

En direk hierna sien ons die Griekse woord “parasaxousin” – hulle stel die waarheid teenoor die dwaling.

Hulle maak verklarings van dinge soos Bybelse profesie ‘n saak van hulle eie uitleg. Dit is nie belangrik wat die Bybel sê nie, wat belangrik is? is wat die leier sê wat dit beteken.

Die Mens stel Homself vas.

Wanneer hierdie twee dinge? ‘n Partygees en Gnostisisme? by mekaar kom, pasop, dit is onafwendbaar dat daar ‘n derde ding gaan plaasvind.

Jesus het die werke van die Nikolaite gehaat (Op. 2:6). Histories weet ons nie wie hulle was nie. Baie mense dink hulle was die volgers van iemand wat Nicolaus genoem was, die seun van een van die diakens in Handelinge 6, maar niemand weet nie, tradisionele verhale, maar wat ons wel weet is wat Nikolaisme in Grieks beteken. Niko? die “onderdrukking” van “die Laity”? mense? selfaangestelde heersers wat aan hulle self weiding verskaf.

“En die woord van die HERE het tot my gekom en gesê: Mensekind, profeteer teen die herders van Israel; profeteer en sê vir hulle, die herders: So spreek die Here HERE: Wee die herders van Israel wat aan hulleself weiding verskaf! Moet die herders nie die skape laat wei nie? Julle eet die vet en beklee julle met die wol; julle slag die vettes, maar die skape laat julle nie wei nie; julle versterk die swakkes nie en maak die siekes nie gesond nie en die wat gewond is, verbind julle nie en wat weggedryf is, bring julle nie terug nie en wat verlore is, soek julle nie; maar met strengheid heers julle oor hulle en met hardheid. So het hulle dan

verstrooid geraak, omdat daar geen herder was nie; en hulle het die voedsel geword vir al die wilde diere van die veld en het verstrooid geraak.” (Eseg, 34:1? 5)

Bybelse leierskap is deur voorbeeld, nie om oor ander te heers nie. Jesus bestraf die fariseërs oor hierdie dinge maar dit het nogtans in die vroeë kerk ingekom. ‘n Partygees word verbind aan Gnostisisme. “O maar hy verstaan die Bybel beter as ons”. Wanneer ‘n begaafde persoon mense toelaat om hom op ‘n verhoog te plaas, pasop. “Ons weet nie wat hy doen nie, maar hy is nader aan God as ons? hy het meer insig”. Dit kan waar wees maar direk teen die Skrifte. “Kies vandag wie julle wil dien.” (Josua 24:15) Maar dinge wat al sover gevorder het is gewoonlik te ver in ‘n gebondenheid. Die volgende ding is Nikolaisme, swaarhand leiers. “Wie is jy om ons te bevraagteken? Wie is jy om ons uit te daag? Jy het ‘n gees van rebellie.”

Persoonlikheids Tipe van ‘n Kultus leier.

Die persoonlikheids tipe van kultus leier is basies identies die persoonlikheid van ‘n diktator, ek is seker ‘n forensiese sielkundige sal dieselfde dinge sê.

Baie forensiese sielkundige outopsies is al op verskeie diktators soos Adolph Hitler en Joseph Stalin gedoen. Toe ‘n groep in 1940 ‘n persoonlikheid forensiese outopsie op Adolph Hitler en Stalin vir die Brits Amerikaanse alliansie gedoen het, het almal saamgestem dat nie Hitler of Stalin die moed sou gehad het om in die slag van Stalingrad of die slag van Bulge te veg nie en hulle sou ook nie die moed gehad het om aan hulle self te doen wat hulle aan ander in die konsentrasie kampe gedoen het nie.

Kultus leiers is soos diktators? onstandvastige persoonlikhede, gewoonlik omring deur ander wat meer onseker is as hulle, mense wat hulle kan misbruik om ander mense te mislei. ‘n Kultus leier sal baie min met iemand deel sonder die teenwoordigheid van sy meelopers. Hy sal altyd een van sy na?apers stuur wat basies altyd sal doen wat die kultus leiers hulle gesê het om te doen. Kultus leiers is onseker en hulle agente? assistente is net so onseker daarom word hulle maklik gemanipuleer. Nie almal is dieselfde nie maar een ding is seker: Wanneer iemand wedergebore is vind daar geestelik verandering plaas en as hulle geestelik verander dan is daar ook ‘n sielkundige verandering.

God verander mense van binne af na buite en soos wat hulle groei in Jesus word hulle al meer standvastig in Christus en ook standvastig in wie hulle in Christus is. In ‘n Christen Kultus gebeur dit nie, groepe wat in die begin teologiese “kerke” was eindig as sosiologiese kultusse. Daar is nie ‘n standvastigheid in Christus nie en hulle sekuriteit word gebaseer op hulle verhouding met die leier. Daar is verskillende grade maar hulle is almal dieselfde. Die enigste verskil tussen die meeste huiskerke bewegings wat vasgevang in restourasie teologie is hoofsaaklik tot watter graad hulle okkulties betrokke is, maar hulle is almal op dieselfde pad.

Die enigste verskil tussen die Jehovah se Getuies en David Koresh is dat die een verder af is in dieselfde pad. Gee hulle genoeg tyd, alhoewel hierdie teologiese “Kerke” maar net sosiologie kultusse is, gaan hulle net so in ketterse leerstellings verval. Nie net dwaling nie, maar fundamentele dwalinge. Die “Children of God” het dit gedoen.

Die “Church of Bible Understanding” het dit gedoen. Gee hulle genoeg tyd en hulle gaan betrokke raak in leerstellige dwaling. Maar dit is maar net die begin. Hierdie mense is onstandvastig en hulle is bang vir mense wat dinge weet wat hulle nie weet nie.

Ons mag nie ‘n afgod maak van opleiding en kennis nie. Apollos en Paulus was geleerd, Petrus en Johannes nie, en tog was die Apostoliese gesag wat Petrus en Johannes gehad nie minder waardig as die van Paulus nie. Alhoewel, soos wat Petrus in sy Brief sê: “Hierdie dinge is moeilik en dit is beter as Paulus dit verduidelik.” (2 Pet. 3:15?16) Wanneer iemand se agtergrond? sy intellek– gekruisig is, wanneer ‘n gelowige geleer het om op Christus te vertrou en nie op sy eie insig nie, eers dat word sy intellek ‘n baie goeie dienskneg. Intellek is ‘n goeie dienskneg maar ‘n slegte baas, maar onkunde is ‘n dodelike baas.

Hierdie mense sal altyd enigiets minag wat te doen het met ‘n Bybelskool of ‘n Teologiese Kollege en mense wat Grieks ken, hulle is bang vir hierdie mense. Hulle is gewoonlik in die teenwoordigheid van hulle groepe wanneer hulle iemand ontmoet wat meer as hulle weet. Mense wat die oorspronklike Grieks en Hebreeus kan lees is ‘n gevaar vir hulle. Dieselfde met diktators, hulle is bang vir mense wat meer weet as hulle. “Jy het dit nie nodig nie!” Hulle sal dinge uitwys wat op sigself waar is: “Kyk hoeveel geleerdes is daar in Universiteite met ‘n PhD graad wat Grieks en Hebreeus ken wat self oppad is Hel toe, hulle is nie gered nie!” Hulle kyk egter nie na die anderkant van die munt nie, hulle sal net dinge beklemtoon wat vir hulle van nut is om mense te kan beheer. Wanneer jy met ‘n kultus leier betrokke raak dan het jy te doen met ‘n persoon met ‘n onstabiele persoonlikheid, iemand wat net mense kan beheer wat hulle onseker van hulself kan maak.

Verhewe bo Leerstellige dwalings

Die uiteinde van hierdie dinge is leerstellige dwalinge, en dit is onvermydelik dat een of twee of beide van die volgende gaan gebeur.

Die eerste is finansiële wanbestuur soos wat dit beskryf word in Esegiël 34. “Jy slag die skape om lekker te eet, maar kyk hoe lewe die skape”.

In Amerika is daar ‘n voorbeeld met vyf vliegtuie, gereelde vakansies in die Bahamas? met sy tweede vrou? terwyl die skape in rot besmette krotte woon waar misdaad hoog gety vier. Baie van hulle bly in New York stad in die slegste krotbuurte denkbaar waar hulle daagliks 14 uur matte skoonmaak terwyl al hulle geld deur die kultus leier opgeslurp word wat veronderstel was vir die kinders in Haiti. Miskien het iets daarvan daar uitgekom, maar dit was ook vir die vyf vliegtuie waarmee net hy en sy tweede vrou rond vlieg.

Finansiële wangedrag is eerste. uiteenlopendheid is onvermydelik. Hulle gee hulle oor aan ‘n leefstyl wat hulle nie in die sekulêre wêreld sal kry nie omdat hulle nie slim genoeg is nie, soos baie van vandag se Pinkster leiers. 90% van die Pinkster leiers van ons dag sou nie die leefstyle gehad het waarvan die koerante vol is, as hulle nie Pinkster leiers was nie.

Die tweede ding, wat in baie gevalle onder hierdie mense gevind word, is seksuele wangedrag? immoraliteit, gewoonlik gaan dit vir ‘n geruime tyd in die geheim aan voordat dit op die lappe kom. In die kort termyn van ‘n kultus is dit die waarskuwings tekens om pad te gee.

Die sonde van partygees sal daar wees wat op ‘n manier verwant is aan Gnostisisme. Hulle sal aanspraak maak op ‘n moderne verklarings van leerstellings wat ander nie kan verstaan nie en waarin hulle volgers ingelyf moet word. Na ‘n tyd sal mense wat nie verstaan om pad te gee nie hulle in ‘n finansiële gemors en uitbuiting bevind. In baie gevalle sal hulle die Skrifte met betrekking tot tiendes verdraai om hulle doel te bereik. Immoraliteit sal daar wees, gewoonlik is dit seksueel, en soms ook van ‘n afwykende seksuele natuur.

Hoe dit plaasvind.

Voordat Satan die kerk in die 4de eeu verheidens het was sy eerste truuk volgens die Nuwe Testament om die kerk te Judafiseer. Dit is nie dieselfde as verjoods nie omdat die Kerk teologies Joods is. Israel is die natuurlike wortel. (Rom. 11)

Ons moet die Skrifte verstaan uit ‘n Joodse Christelike perspektief en nie uit ‘n Hellenistiese perspektief nie. Die Here het Sy Woord deur Sy mense geopenbaar, ‘n nasie met ‘n gegewe kultuur en ons moet dit verstaan.

Dit is belangrik om Bybelse Judaïsme teologies en Bybels te verstaan om so Bybelse Christelikheid te verstaan. Jesus het die Wet vervul. Satan se eerste misleiding was om mense terug te kry onder die Wet in plaas daarvan dat die Wet ons na Christus lei. Dit het niks te doen met onderhoudings nie.

Ons as ‘n familie wat Israeliese Jode is, wie se kinders in Galileë gebore is, onderhou die Pasga omrede ons kultuur en getuienis vir ongeredde Jode. Daar is ‘n Mezuza aan die deur en ons praat Hebreeus by die huis. Ons het Hanukkah en Purim en al die Joodse feeste. Ons gaan Sondae na ‘n Kerk toe en ons deel met ‘n Messiaanse gemeenskap op Saterdag? Shabbat. Dit gaan oor mense wat kultuurlik Joods is en hulle kultuur wil behou om aan Jode in hulle eie kultuur te getuig, dit is nie verkeerd nie. Ook is dit nie verkeerd om aan Jode te getuig deur mense wat die kultuur aangeneem het soos wat Paulus in 1 Korinte 9 sê nie. Waaroor dit gaan is wanneer iemand wil beweer dat dit nodig is vir redding of vir regverdiging. “Wel jy kan deur genade gered wees, maar….” Wanneer gesê word dit is nodig vir redding dan is dit “wettisme”. Wanneer daar bykomstige dinge nodig is vir regverdiging terwyl iemand deur Jesus gered is dan word dit geken as Nomianisme, van die Griekse woord “nomos”.

Vandag is daar twee soorte groepe waarvoor mense versigtig moet wees, mense wat onder twee verbonde wil lewe. Een is die ekstreemse sy van die Messiaanse beweging. Hier word nie gepraat van goeie Messiaanse Bybelse leraars soos Arnold Fruchtenbaum of die mense wat Christene help om die Joodse agtergrond van die Nuwe Testament te verstaan nie. Dit het ook nie betrekking op diegene wat op ‘n Joodse kultuurlikse manier aanbid om Jode te Evangeliseer nie. Dit gaan oor diegene wat probeer om mense te oortuig om die Wet verpligtend te onderhou.

David Kriss van Melbourne is gevaarlik man. Maar hy is nie die enigste Messiaanse ekstremis nie. In Engeland is daar Philip Sharp wat in die tronk beland het. Hy het sy Israelse vrou en kinders gelos en mense in ’n vergadering oortuig om hom as die Koning Messias te kroon. Hy is ‘n “Messiaanse Joodse Rabbi”, van hierdie mense is van hulle trollie af. Daar is ‘n soort Halachic gemeenskap in Queensland wat ek nie met ‘n paal wil aanraak nie. Dit gaan nie oor die goeie mense nie maar oor die wat die kluts kwyt is. Dit is egter nie net die Messiaanse Jode wat dit doen nie, wat weer die skeiding muur wil herbou nie.

Daar is ‘n ander groep mense wat ook probeer om onder twee verbonde te lewe: Die Sewende Dag Adventiste, die meeste van die volgers van David Koresh was Sewende Dag Adventiste.

Wanneer mense in fundamentele leerstellige dwalinge betrokke raak, veral soos om te probeer om onder twee verbonde te lewe, dan stel hulle hulleself oop vir baie erger dwalinge. Dit is ‘n saak van vlakke.

Dit is moeilik om te glo wat besig is om te gebeur as jy lees oor David Koresh, maar daar was al Evangeliese kultusse wat mense kon oorreed om ongelooflike dinge te doen.

Toe die tragedie met Koresh plaasgevind het, met al die internet materiaal, het ons gesien dat Koresh die patroon tot in die fynste besonderheid gevolg het. Onthou die SDA maak daarop aanspraak dat hulle weergebore is of dalk net gered, maar met ‘n hoop valse leerstellings: Die partygees, Nikolaisme en al die ander dinge? terug onder die Wet.

Koresh het 13 ure aanmekaar Bybel studie gehou en altyd oor Openbaring en oor homself gepreek. Wanneer iemand nie aandag gegee het nie of aan die slaap geraak het, het hy stoele en dinge rond gegooi. Hierdie Bybel studies was ontwerp om mense te breinspoel vir ‘n apokaliptiese kataklisme van ‘n aard wat sou gaan gebeur, maar altyd deur suggestie en nooit direk nie met die idee dat redding net sou kom deur hulle verhouding met hom in hierdie komende lotsbestemming. Hierdie mense was so gebreinspoel dat met die konfrontasie met die FBI het hulle geglo dat dit die Openbaring gebeure was wat hulle moes verwag het. Maar dit het nie so begin nie. Wat laat mense sulke dinge doen? Koresh moes die enigste opper gesags figuur word. Hy het hierdie mense laat glo dat hy halfgod was. Praat van Gnostisisme!

Net sy semen was goddelik deurtrek, so, net hy kon kinders verwek! Mans mag nie deur hulle vroue en kinders gerespekteer word nie, so het hy hulle verneder. Net sy gesag moes erken word. Hy het aantreklike vroue oorreed om in vergaderings op te staan en hulleself aan die mans te ontbloot, “Wie is aangevuur deur dit?” Dan het hy hulle in die openbaar verneder oor hulle wellus. Die man was van sy verstand af!

Sy kamers was bo in ‘n dubbelverdieping terwyl die mans in ‘n millitêre styl barakke geslaap het, net die voue kon na hom opgaan soos wat hy hulle beveel het, maar hulle was nie altyd volwasse vroue nie daar was ook meisies so jonk as 11 jaar.

Baie van hierdie mense wat doodgemaak is was sekerlik sy kinders. Hy het die mans so sleg gemaak dat hulle vroue nie na hulle mans kon opkyk as ‘n geestelike gesag nie en as hulle dit wel gedoen het hy hulle op ‘n ander manier verneder.

Hy het SDA tipe voedsel wette ingestel wat hy ook van tyd tot tyd aangepas het en as die vroue ‘n verkeerde soort aangekoop het? het hy hulle verskreeu en in ‘n ry laat staan, hulle gedwing om hulle klere uit te trek en hulle met plakke geslaan, dit het vir dae aangegaan, hulle moes voor hulle kinders ontklee en sê: “Sien julle wat gebeur met slegte mammas?”

Hoe het hy hulle gekry om sulke dinge te doen? Wanneer ouers so ver gedaal het om hulle 11 jaar oue dogter as ‘n seks slaaf oor te gee dan is die logiese volgende stap valse leerstellings en dit wat daarop volg. Wanneer jy dinge lees wat die Kingdom of the Cults en wat mense soos Joseph Smith gedoen het (Nog ‘n seks pervert) dan kom jy agter hoe perverte seks deel geword het van kultusse. Opregte mormone is die fundamentaliste, dit is hulle wat Brigham Young and Joseph Smith doelgerig volg.

Met ‘n uitreik aksie van Moriel onder Mormone in Manti? Utah? het ek ‘n man ontmoet met agt vroue. Hoe kry hierdie mense dit reg om vroue in sulke dinge betrokke te laat raak? Dit is nie moeilik om te verstaan as jy sien hoe oud hierdie vroue was toe hy met hulle getrou het nie. Hulle is pedofiele, dit is hoe hulle dit gedoen het.

Wanneer Wedergebore Christene dieselfde dinge Doen.

Maar daar is iets meer skrikwekkend as David Koresh of die Mormone. Wat van wedergebore Christene, geredde Christene wat dieselfde dinge doen? In 1978, op voorblaaie van die New York Poast was daar ‘n kultus wat weg gebreek het van die Luteraanse kerk in Minnesota, evangeliese Luteraane het kinders in ‘n metaal stoel gesit met hulle hande vasgebind en hulle met elektrisiteit geskok terwyl hulle ouers bygestaan het omdat hulle nie aandag in hulle Sondag skool gegee het nie. In Kalifornië was daar ‘n groep wat mense (vrywillig) geslaan het om die duiwels uit hulle te dryf. In Engeland was daar ‘n jong meisie, ‘n student in die regte oorspronklik van Gibraltar wat na ons bidure toe gekom het wat nadat sy gegradueer het met kultus? Raima deurmekaar geraak het. Omdat sy Spaans kon praat het hulle haar na Chicago gestuur.

Hier het sy met ander Christene in aanraking gekom wat in dieselfde dinge gevang was. Gnostisisme, Nikolaisme? en al die geld het na hulle toe gegaan. Omdat sy meertallig en goed opgelei was het sy meer vryhede gehad as ander vroue en sy was toegelaat om my en my vrou te ontmoet. In hierdie groep het die leiers hierdie mense oorreed om in geloof met HIV positiewe mense te trou en dan op God te vertrou. Babas is met Vigs gebore en mense het gesterf aan Vigs terwyl hulle leiers huwelike met HIV positiewe mense aanbeveel het, hulle het hulle eie doodsvonnisse geteken. Hierdie is wedergebore Christene! Ek het haar aan my vrou voorgestel en haar ouers in Engeland gekontak en haar na ‘n veilige plek gevat en vir die mense daar gesê hulle moet haar opsluit tot die volgende dag waarna ek het vir haar ‘n vliegtuig kaartjie gekoop het terug na Engeland. Dit is die soort beheer wat begin met ‘n partygees wat gekoppel is aan Gnostisisme en Nikolaisme.

‘n Tree Verder.

Wanneer mense vergeet dat Jesus ons Wysheid is (1 Kor. 1:30) dan begin hulle opkyk na wysheid van mense. Wanneer ‘n gelowige nie meer ‘n Beriaan is nie dan gee hy homself oor aan die soort beheer oor sy lewe wat teen die wil van God is behalwe Homself.

(Maar ook God sal Hom nie op mense afdwing om hulle te manipuleer nie.) Dit kom by ‘n punt waar mense onbybelse dinge sê en doen terwyl niemand iets daaroor iets sê nie, immorele dinge! Hulle verloor hulle kapasiteit om rasioneel te dink! Dit verskil net in vlakke tussen die sogenaamde “Christen” kultusse en die valse Christene. In Utah dra die Mormone T hempies wat sê: “Brigham Young het dit

gesê, Ek glo dit, en so sal dit wees.” Wanneer ‘n JW's in ‘n hoek gedryf word oor ‘n onderwerp dan sê hulle dieselfde dinge, hulle word opgelei om dit te doen.

Mormone val terug na hulle belydenis, ‘n subjektiewe proklamasie. “Ek het ‘n las in my hart om jou te vertel dat die Mormoonse Kerk die Ware kerk is.” Dit is veronderstel om alles reg te verklaar. Dit maak nie saak wat logies reg en verkeerd is nie, dinge wat hulle nie kan verklaar nie, hulle getuienis is die alfa en die omega! Totaal subjektief.

Ek praat met ‘n Mormoon en sê vir hom: “Ek hou van jou T hemp!” Hy sê: “Halleluja!” Ek sê vir hom: “So jy glo daar is kwakers op die maan? En jy glo dat as Brigham Young dit gesê het dan is dit waar? Hier staan dit in julle kerk Tydskrif “Journal of Discourses.”

Brigham Young en Joseph Smith sê daar is kwakers op die maan wat al meer as ‘n duisend jaar oud is, Brigham Young sê hulle is ook op die son?” Ek sê vir ‘n swart Mormoonse man: “Weet jy wat, die Nuwe Testament sê dat die eerste nie?Jood wat Christus aangeneem het was ‘n swart Afrikaan man van Ethiopië! En weet jy wat het die Mormoonse kerk, Brigham Young oor jou te sê? Hulle sê jy is ‘n afstammeling van die gevalle engele, duiwels? Wie wil jy volg? Jesus wat lief is vir jou of ‘n Mormoon wat sê jy is ‘n duiwel omdat jy swart is? Kyk hier staan dit!” En wat is die Mormoon se antwoord? “Ek het ‘n las in my hart om jou te vertel dat die Mormoonse Kerk die Ware kerk is.” En wat het ek vir hom gesê? “Ek het ‘n las in my hart en ek vertel vir jou daar is lewende Kwakers op maan!” Logika is by die venster uit, die eenvoudige leer van die Skrifte is by dieselfde venster uit! Subjektiwiteit skop in.

Nugter Denke

“En die einde van alle dinge is naby; wees dan ingetoë en nugter, om te kan bid.” (1 Pet. 4:7)

Onthou julle die video van Rodney? Howard Brown en Copeland waar hulle mense aangespoor het om dronk te word en om nie te bid nie? ??word dronk in die gees? ??ingetoë en nugter?

“Daarom, omgord die lendene van julle verstand, wees nugter… (1 Pet. 1:13)

“ Wees nugter en waaksaam, want julle teëstander, die duiwel, loop rond soos 'n brullende leeu, en soek wie hy kan verslind.” (1 Pet. 5:8)

Drie keer waarsku Petrus? “Wees nugter”. Paulus waarsku: “maar julle wees nugter”. (2 Tim. 4:5)

Dieselfde Petrus wat hulle in die Toronto vergaderings aangehaal het oor die “dronk” in die gees leuen is die een wat gesê het die mense is nie dronk nie. (Hand. 2:15) Die mense het van die Groot Dade van God gehoor, hulle was nie histeries dronk soos Howard? Brown leer nie!

Ek het met vyf pastore in Melbourn gepraat wat gevang is in die Toronto dwaling en vir hulle videos van Howard Brown en Copeland gewys wat hulle nie kon verdedig nie. Hulle het geweet dit is ketters, vleeslik, en ook demonies maar nog steeds het hulle hierdie mense ondersteun. Hoekom? Hulle was nie

blind nie, hulle was moedswillig blind! Dit is die soort kerk leiers wat hele gemeentes mislei! Jesus Christus gaan hulle as herders verantwoordelik hou vir hierdie dinge. (1 Pet. 5)

Die vrug van die Gees is egkrateia in Grieks – “selfbeheersing”. (Gal. 5:22?23) Dit en wat Petrus gesê het oor om nugter te wees was aan hulle uitgewys, maar hulle antwoord het niks met die Bybel te doen gehad nie! Was hulle antwoorde logies? Nee! Het hulle kulties geantwoord? Ja! “Ek was so geseën, ek weet dit was reg omrede dit wat met my gebeur het!” Wat het die Mormoon gesê? “Ek het ‘n brandende gevoel in my bors en ek weet dit is die waarheid!” Dit is nie logies nie en by dieselfde venster uit met Bybel en al. Dit is net ‘n geval van vlakke.

Daar is nie meer ‘n groot verskil tussen die Assemblies of God en die Mormone nie, hulle is op dieselfde pad. Daar is egter nog goeie gemeentes onder die Assemblies of God kerke en ek dink hulle moet opstaan teen hierdie dinge en uitkom onder hulle anders gaan hulle op dieselfde pad beland, dit is net ‘n geval waar die een net ‘n paar tree verder weg is as die ander.

Verder op dieselfde Pad.

Die sielkundige gebondenheid wat hier plaasvind het ‘n demoniese karakter. Wanneer mense uit hierdie dinge kom dan is hulle outomaties verstoot deur die ander wat nog steeds deel is van die kultus. Dit is soos katolisisme. Wanneer jy die “enige ware kerk” verlaat is dit ‘n sonde tot die dood, daar is geen vergifnis nie? jy gaan Hel toe. Hulle gaan teen diegene draai wat padgee terwyl hulleself in gebondenheid bly. Maar is die wat padgee vry? Nee, nie in die begin nie.

Mense wat uit ‘n kultus kom is baie deurmekaar as gevolg van die pyn van al die manipulasies, dit vat ‘n lang tyd vir mense om uit ‘n kultus pad te gee, maar nog langer om ‘n kultus uit mense te kry. Dit is soos die Rock lied? Hotel California? “Jy kan enige tyd gaan maar jy kan ons nie verlaat nie”. Hulle bly in ‘n sielkundige en geestelike gebondenheid en meer ernstig as hulle in hierdie dinge tot redding gekom het. Hulle kan nie in ander kerke geakkommodeer word nie omdat ander kerke nie kan verstaan wat hulle deurgegaan het nie. Hulle het ‘n geheime vrees. “Wat as hulle reg was?” Dit is ‘n geveg wat baie lank kan duur. Baie van hierdie mense kry senuwee ineenstortings en hulle word geestelik siek. Drank en verdowingsmiddels en selfmoord en huwelike wat in slag bly is baie keer die volgende stap as gevolg van hierdie dinge.

‘n Ander groot nagevolg van hierdie dinge is dat mense so seer gekry het dat hulle nooit weer ander kerke kan vertrou nie en so word die oplossing van ‘n slegte kerk? geen kerk. Die oplossing van swak leierskap word geen leierskap nie.

Die regte oplossing vir swak leierskap en slegte kerke? is goeie leierskap en goeie kerke maar hulle kan dit nie aanvaar nie. Ander mense verstaan nie waardeur hulle gegaan het nie, hulle verstaan nie wat binne in hulle aangaan nie. Hulle kan nie by ander kerke inpas nie totdat iets gebeur, dit vat lank om te gebeur maar uiteindelik kan dit gebeur… Dit is ‘n groot probleem en dit word al groter en voordat Jesus terugkom gaan dit nog groter word.

Leon Festinger, ‘n sosiologiese sielkundige het godsdienstige sielkunde geindentifiseer as “Oorwegende onenigheid” Ek weet nie of hy ‘n Christen is nie, maar wêreldse sosiologie en sielkunde sien hierdie

dinge. Oorwegende onenigheid is wanneer mense so vasgevang word in ‘n sekte deur swaarhand leiers wat dinge profeteer wat nie gebeur nie. Maar in plaas daarvan dat hulle hulle gesonde verstand gebruik en padgee word hulle al meer toegewyd aan die sekte.

Een van die dinge wat gedoen moet word wanneer JW’s aan jou deur klop is om vir hulle van hulle eie afskrifte van die Wagtoring of die “Awake” boekies te wys waar hulle leiers dinge geprofeteer het wat nie gebeur het nie en vir hulle daarop te wys dat hulle valse profete is. (Deut. 18:22) Maar hulle kan dit nie sien nie.

Gerald Coates het ‘n aardbewing in New Zealand geprofeteer wat nie gebeur het nie terwyl daar in vier en veertig kerke van die Elim kultus oorlewings kursusse aangebied was! Wat van Rick Joyner en al sy valse profesië in sy boek “The Harvest”? Hy het onderandere gesê kommunisme gaan seëvier maar vyf maande later val die yster gordyn? Wat van die Kansas City Profete, mense soos Paul Caine en Mick Bickle wat in Oktober 1990 ‘n groot herlewing in Brittanje en Duitsland geprofeteer het, dit het nie gebeur nie en in die laaste 10 jaar is meer Moskees in Engeland opgerig as kerke? Wat van Benny Hinn, Rodney Howard Brown wat vals geprofeteer het? Wat maak ons met sulke mense? Deut. 18 sê gee pad van hulle, moet niks met hulle te doen hê nie, moenie bang wees vir hulle nie. In ‘n kultus maak dit egter nie saak nie.

Is daar ‘n verskil in wat die JW’s of die Mormone en mense soos Hinn en Howard Brown doen? Nee daar is nie, die een is maar net verder in dieselfde pad af as die ander? dit is? “oorwegende onenigheid”.

Wêreldse sielkunde sien dit, die wêreld sien dit maar misleide mense word nog meer toegewyd aan hierdie kultusse.

Hulle sal altyd verskonings aanbied om hulleself te verdedig of met ‘n ander datum kom en as dit nie werk nie begin hulle weer van vooraf. Mense wat mense volg in plaas van Jesus Christus.

Ons sien mense in ‘n gebondenheid, geredde Christene is dood, families en huwelike word verwoes. Hulle is bedrieërs en misleiers, onstabiel en onseker en hulle weet niks van die dinge wat hulle moet weet nie. Hulle is baie bang vir mense wat meer weet as hulle en stel nie belang in opvoeding nie, maar aan die ander kant is daar ook mense wat ‘n afgod daarvan maak.

Arnold Fruchtenbaum het gesê: “Ek gee nie om of jy van die “Plymouth Broeders”, of wat se Broeders ook al is nie, moet net nie ‘n oningeligte broeder wees nie.”

Dieselfde as die Sanhedrin.

Wanneer iemand deur hierdie dinge gered is en dit al is wat hulle nog ooit geken het, dan is dit verstaanbaar hoe dit met hulle kon gebeur. Maar wat gebeur met mense wat in hierdie dinge betrokke raak wat nie deur dit tot redding gekom het nie? Dit is baie sleg.

Veronderstel jy was deel van een van hierdie groepe in dieselfde patroon, hoe die leiers optree, hulle vrees vir kennis, almal weet wat hy nie weet nie, wat ander gebruik as sy boodskappers, hy het ‘n spesiale insig in die Bybel wat as ander dit nie kan sien nie hulle in rebellie teen God is omdat hulle nie onderdanig aan sy gesag is nie, ander draai teen jou en veroordeel jou en spreek ‘n vloek oor jou uit.

www.Moriel.org

(Hulle sal altyd vir jou vertel van mense wat hulle verlaat het en daarna gesterf het.) Hulle is baie selektief oor hoe hulle dinge hanteer, hulle werk soos die sanhedrin.

Die Sanhedrin het Jesus voor hulle hof gestel. Hoekom het julle Jesus nie in die Tempel gevange geneem waar almal kon sien nie? Hierdie mense sal nooit in die openbaar in ‘n debat voor ‘n video kameras betrokke raak nie, maar altyd saam met hulle maatjies.

Michael Brown, die misleier van Pensecola, sogenaamde teoloog en ‘n groot geleerde in Hebreeus kan nie Hebreeus praat nie. Hy het ‘n paar jaar terug na Israel toe gekom en vertel dat die vuur wat 22% van Israelse plantegroei verwoes het die embleem was van die uitstorting van God se Heilige Gees oor Israel. Hy het mense sover gekry dat hulle ‘n hele nag gesit en wag het vir die tweede Pinkster wat sou kom. Ek en hy sou mekaar in openbare debat oor Pensecola ontmoet maar toe hy uitvind dat ek al die band materiaal by Joe Chambers gekry het waar Kilpatrick leuens verkondig het oor ’n rukkende meise, het hy dit onmiddellik gekanselleer.

Kultus leiers sal jou nie op eie terrein aanvat nie. Hulle sal altyd soos die Sanhedrin jou op hulle terrein aandurf en nie in die openbaar nie, dit is waar hulle in beheer is.

Opsomming.

Soms vat dit maande selfs jare vir mense om ‘n persoon uit ‘n sentrale rol in sy lewe te kry en Jesus Christus in plek daarvan te stel. Hierdie mense is in ‘n verskriklike gebondenheid en as jy nie self in so iets betrokke was nie sal jy nie verstaan waarvandaan hierdie mense kom nie, jy sal hulle probleme nie verstaan nie. Hoekom kan hulle nie inpas nie? En nie net dit nie, baie van dit wat hulle sê is die waarheid, die Kerk is “louwarm”. Die kultus was meer toegewyd. Dit is baie waar en dit is ‘n groot gevaar. Hulle praat nie net leuen leuens nie, hulle vertel Satan se leuens, hulle verdraai die waarheid. Kyk na die resultate, die skade dit is nie moeilik om te sien nie.

Hulle het sosiaal as ‘n kultus en teologies as kerke ontstaan, maar gee hulle ‘n paar jaar? nie meer as 10 nie dan sien jy kettery. Finansiële korrupsie, immoraliteit, maar miskien aan die einde daarvan sal jy Jesus vind.

As jy gebonde is aan so ‘n groep dan sê die Bybel: “Waar die Gees van God is, daar is vryheid.” (2 Kor. 3:17)

Die voortreflikheid van die feit dat jy in ‘n gebondenheid is vertel vir jou dat dit nie God se Gees is nie want waar die Gees van God is daar is vryheid.

Gebondenheid is ‘n ander gees, ‘n party gees, ‘n vleeslike daad, ‘n sonde, die teenoorgestelde van die vrug van die Gees. Vleeslike dinge, ons ou natuur is die teenoorgestelde van die vrug van die Gees, jy is in gebondenheid. Die som totaal van alles is dit: Hou jou oë op Jesus en een Bybel vers uit die Bybel sal vir jou ‘n werklikheid word soos nog ooit te vore:

“As die Seun jou vrygemaak het sal jy waarlik vry wees.” (Joh. 8:36)

God seën u. †††

www.Moriel.org


By David Passmore May 30, 2026
Staying The Course Amidst Isolation Rubin Rothler LLB, LLM Living in Israel one gets the feeling that the metaphorical walls are closing in. Israel's reputation is being tarnished all over social media and the mainstream media, and this is reflected in massive public disdain towards this country. We are constantly told that there is near consensus amongst academics and commentators that a genocide was committed in Gaza. The very legitimacy of the state is brought into question. The majority of Americans are now hostile towards Israel. There is real fear that the next U.S. administration will turn against Israel. Even if this were to happen passively, by the U.S. refraining from exercising its veto power towards Security Council Resolutions condemning Israeli actions this could be catastrophic. Internally it is a fractured society leaning increasingly right wing which further alienates Israel from world opinion. An example in point is how Ben Gvir mocked the most recent participants of a global aid flotilla to Gaza. Such conduct further agitates outrage at Israel. The left-wing media presents the ruins of Gaza as a mortal wound in Israel's side. When the world observes this level of carnage no degree of public relations can ameliorate the sense of indignation towards Israel. We can liken the situation of Israel to that of a depressed person. All he sees is hopelessness and gloom. But this isn't the first time that the Jewish nation has been faced with such darkness. Things change and we don't know how the geo-political map will reconfigure in the future. We need to ride out this storm and keep going. On a historical note, the situation is reminiscent of what our ancestors faced when we returned from the Babylonian exile to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah was faced with constant lies and conspiracies designed to entrap him by hostile actors: Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite and Geshem the Arab. They employed deception, slander and ridicule in order to maintain their political eminence. There was also a certain sense of abandonment amongst the Jews in Israel then as in our own day. We read in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah about the anguish of the leadership in Israel concerning the lack of assistance from the Babylonian diaspora towards the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem and the Temple. Only 20% of the exiles returned to the land. It was largely the poor who returned. Most of the affluent, established Jews remained in Exile. This is a continuing theme in Jewish history. It is also important to observe that from its very beginnings there were bible believing Christians who spearheaded the return of the Jews to their land. The idea of organizing a return of the Jews to Israel began as a Protestant Restorationist objective that can be traced to 17th century Puritan England. The protagonists of the Cromwellian Republic viewed themselves as the new Israel fighting the Papist forces of Satan. Alongside this, interest grew in the notion that biblical prophecies pertaining to the return of the Jews to Israel were a necessary precursor for the return of Christ. The growth of the British Empire in the 19th century lent political clout to Christian Restorationism with specific missions to the Jews established. Although there had been a longing to return to Israel as written in the thrice daily Amidah prayer, Jewish Zionism arose in the midst of mid nineteenth century nationalism and was further fermented by European antisemitism. It was an altogether secular enterprise. Although Israel's situation appears rather stark, we can draw strength from the Providence afforded to our ancestors in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah when they too were faced with defamation. This is also an opportunity to grow closer to our natural allies in the evangelical world who from the beginning of Zionism were steadfast supporters of the project to establish a Jewish homeland in Israel.  (Author is an Israeli American lawyer academically qualified in British and in U.S.A. law, and a graduate of the School of Oriental & African Studies, London. He is a Jewish believer in Jesus and is currently based in Israel).
By David Passmore May 25, 2026
Signs of the Times Tony Pearce ‍ ‍ Left, right or center – is our democracy in danger “Things fall apart, the center does not hold. Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.” W.B Yeats ‘The Second Coming. ’ ‍ ‍ Labour’s losses in the council elections and the battle for succession to their unpopular leader Kier Starmer have raised the possibility that we may soon have our seventh Prime Minister in ten years. Local elections saw Reform and the Greens make sweeping gains, leading Green Party leader, Zack Polanski to say that we are seeing ‘the end of the old two party system’. Maybe we are. In which case what comes next? Will we head to the far left, the far right or will the center hold on to power? Or will it end with ungovernable chaos as unqualified people take control of local and national government? Behind all this there are fundamental questions, ‘What is government for? Who does it represent and where is it going?’ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ According to the Bible (Romans 13) the purpose of government is to promote good and restrain evil. The government has the right to raise taxes for the common good of society and people should pay them. In 1 Timothy 2 Paul encourages us to pray for the government that ‘we may live a godly and peaceable life’. In other words, pray that the government will create an orderly and peaceful society and not interfere with our right to set up communities that teach and preach the Word of God. The situation becomes more difficult when we see government promoting things which are harmful and restraining things which are good and clamping down on freedom of speech with a threat to our ability to live a ‘godly and peaceable life’ ‍ Since becoming a Christian in my early twenties, I have wrestled with the question of how our faith applies to contemporary political issues. I started this quest on the left politically after leaving university and working as an English teacher with sympathies for Marxism. I then became a born again Christian in 1970, and joined my late wife Nikki in evangelizing the radical left, by handing out leaflets at their marches and demonstrations in London and attending their meetings to discuss matters of faith and politics with them. ‍ ‍‍ ‍ We had some good discussions with people and hope we made some consider the Christian alternative. However as we looked at Marxism from a Christian point of view and its practice in Communist countries, we understood that behind this ideology there is a strong anti-christian spirit. It denies the existence of God and promotes the idea of human perfectibility by our own effort. This is exemplified in the words of the Internationale, the socialist battle hymn, ‘No saviour from on high delivers, no faith have we in prince or peer, our own right hand the chains will shiver, chains of hatred, greed and fear.’ This Antichrist spirit led to the persecution of Christians in the Communist countries of eastern Europe, the Soviet Union and China. Far from creating the socialist paradise on earth that Lenin wrote about in ‘Socialism and Religion’, it created a society ruled by hatred, greed and fear, controlled by secret police, prison camps and responsible for the death of millions. ‍ ‍ In western society we have witnessed the growth of ‘cultural Marxism’ a movement aimed at infiltrating and changing society from within, rather than fomenting the workers’ revolution. Labour’s Fabian Society, with its (now discarded) logo of the wolf in sheep’s clothing, has been engaged in this process since the beginning of the 20th century. Social change really took off with the permissive society in the 1960s, which succeeded in changing traditional values, especially in the area of sex and the family. It replaced biblical values with a new ‘morality’ that is fundamentally anti Christian. These ideas have permeated large swathes of our society including the education system, the judiciary, the Civil Service, much of the media, mainstream political parties (including even the Conservative ‘wets’ and parts of the established church). ‍ ‍ Melanie Phillips describes the results of this in her book, ‘The Builder’s Stone.’ ‘Having decided that the West was rotten to the core, western elites set out to create a new culture that would usher in the brotherhood of man and eradicate hatred, prejudice, and war. Their Brave New World junked biblical religion with all its constraints on behaviour and revolved instead around self gratification. Everybody had the right to live as they wanted; nobody could say that their way of life was better or worse than anyone else’s; no one had the right to say that their culture was better than any other culture. That was ‘racism.’ At the heart of all this was the doctrine that there was no such thing as objective truth. Everything was relative; everything was a matter of opinion. Because there was no truth feelings became more important than facts. So the West abandoned the codes of morality, conscience, truth and lies, personal responsibility, and duty to others in favour of a culture of the self. In the process it junked its inherited traditions and biblical codes on which western culture was based.’ ‍ Britain changed from being a society that respected values based on the 10 Commandments and the teaching of Jesus Christ to one that discarded them for relative values. Ideas of ‘diversity, inclusion and equity’ became the norm, together with and a form of ‘tolerance’, that is really very intolerant if you oppose it. This ‘tolerance’ means accepting the virtues of multiculturalism and humanism and believing that all gods are equally valid or true (or none are). We must also accept that all lifestyles and family arrangements including homosexual and transsexual ones are just as valid as traditional two parent heterosexual families, with a father and mother committed to each other in lifelong matrimony looking after their own children. ‍ As society accepts this radical change in how we view culture, morality and religion, we are told not to criticize other cultures and world views or imply that they are anything less than equal to the culture, morality and faith derived from the Bible. ‍ All this has not improved society. Instead we have a collapse of values with no central idea to hold it together, just a group of competing ‘communities’ which are often only united in opposition to the traditional values and culture of Great Britain. A good example of this is the ‘red – green alliance’ of radical leftists and Islamists who come together to denounce Israel and campaign to ‘globalise the Intifada’. In practice this means a world wide war against Israel and Judaeo-Christian society and a desire to replace it with their version of either Islamism or Communism. However if one of them were to come to power, you can be sure that the Islamist’s would get rid of the leftists or vice versa. In fact that happened in Iran’s 1979 revolution, when Islamist supporters of Khomeini and Communists came together to get rid of the Shah. Then the Islamists seized power, turned on the Communists and wiped them out. ‍ Alisteir Heath wrote in the Daily Telegraph: ‘Ruined by decades of political vandalism, the Britain we knew and loved, a land of stability, pragmatism, and ancient freedoms, is no more. Today’s UK is uglier, impoverished, volatile and disorderly. We’ve lost our level-headedness. Anger and frustration have become our defining emotions. Our institutions have wasted away, and we have been taught to despise our history. The decline of family, community and faith have led to alienation, dependence on welfare and the rise of novel ideologies, mostly secular but also sectarian, turbocharged by social media. While the state becomes unnervingly authoritarian, the air reeks of insurrection and every variety of extremism. The British public’s sense of betrayal is as well-founded as it is dangerous. The machinery of state is incompetent and self-serving, a vehicle for social engineering in the global interest.’ ‍ ‍ ‍ Criticism of this process now risks being classed as ‘hate crime’ with a growing authoritarian society monitoring social media posts and public teaching of alternative ideas in ways which risk shutting down free speech in our society. A Christian teacher Enoch Burke is currently in prison in Dublin after he was suspended from his job and jailed after refusing to accept and teach transgenderism in the school. ‍ ‍ ‍ Nick Timothy, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, got into trouble when he questioned mass Muslim prayer in Trafalgar Square. He wrote: ‘Mass ritual prayer in public places is an act of domination. The adhan – which declares there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger – is, when called in a public place, a declaration of domination. The domination of public places is straight from the Islamist playbook.” He is right in this. Allah hu Akhbar actually means Allah is greater, greater than your God, Muhammad is greater than Jesus and the Koran is greater than the Bible. ‍ ‍ ‍ Tim Dieppe of Christian Concern for our Nation wrote: “The fact that we have mass Islamic prayer in Trafalgar Square at all is indicative of the massive culture change that we have seen in the last few decades. A culture change that was not voted for or ever agreed to by the British people. And, a culture change that can hardly be described as having been entirely beneficial to our culture as a whole. I only need to mention grooming gangs involving mostly Pakistani Muslim men , sharia courts, honour crimes, terror attacks, the assassination of an MP, an attempt to blockade Parliament, mass antisemitic marches through London, a convicted terrorist standing for local elections, sectarianism, and many other examples to make the point. Earlier this month, the Government gave Muslims special protection with the adoption of an official definition of anti-Muslim hostility .” ‍ ‍ ‍ You are not really supposed to question this in public life today. A message circulating on social media is an apt commentary on all this. ‘First they overlook evil, then they permit evil, then they legalise evil, then they promote evil, then celebrate evil, then persecute those who call it evil.’ Soviet dissident Solzhenitsyn wrote: ‘A Communist system can be recognised by how it spares criminals and criminalises its opponents.’ ‍ ‍ ‍ The root cause of all this is the rejection of God and biblical values. The 18th-century French philosopher Joseph de Maistre coined the phrase "people get the government they deserve." David Pawson followed up on this idea, arguing that in democratic societies like ours, the moral and spiritual condition of a nation's citizens is directly reflected in the leaders they elect. If the general public abandons moral truths, they will inevitably vote for governments that reflect those same compromises. David Pawson taught that God may use governmental leadership to judge or bless a nation, depending on the people's obedience. He noted that Hebrew prophets saw wicked rulers as a form of divine judgement on a society that has strayed from God's laws. Therefore a nation's ultimate hope rests on repentance rather than just political change. His conclusion is that Christians should actively stand for moral truth in society. He believed that the church is meant to influence culture upward, and that a decline in national morality inevitably leads to deteriorating governance. ‍ ‍ ‍ Sadly much of the church today has become the ‘salt that has lost its savour’ through compromise with antichristian forces in society and government. It may be too late to save our country and western democracy as social and economic pressures create a collapse of democracy and push us either towards anarchy or dictatorship. ‍ ‍ ‍ Yeats’ poem quoted at the beginning of this article ends with the enigmatic line ‘Some rough beast slouches towards Bethlehem to be born.’ Most likely he is referring to the coming anti-Messiah who is labelled the Beast in the book of Revelation. Many believe his is now waiting in the wings to replace the true Messiah (born in Bethlehem) and bring in the dictatorship prophesied in Revelation 13. The Bible indicates that the Beast or Antichrist will have power for a moment, but it will be short lived and doomed to destruction at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to the earth. Then the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our God and of His Messiah and He shall reign forever and ever (Revelation 11.15) and the ‘government shall be on His shoulder’ (Isaiah 9.6). ‍ ‍ ‍ Maranatha come Lord Jesus. ‍ ‍ ‍ Water, water nowhere and not a drop to drink. (Apologies to the Ancient Mariner) ‍ ‍‍ ‍ While nations worry about supply of oil and gas as a result of the war in the Gulf and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a much more vital commodity for human survival is water. And it is in short supply in a growing number of nations. ‍ ‍ As of 2026, over 25 countries face extremely high water stress, with the most severe crises located in the Middle East and North Africa. This region is home to the world's most water-stressed nations, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, and Libya. India and Pakistan face critical water scarcity due to overexploitation of aquifers and population density. Much of Africa , Somalia and Ethiopia in particular are facing severe shortages due to drought and climate change. Mexico and parts of the United States (particularly Texas and the west coast) are experiencing significant water shortages and declining groundwater levels. ‍ ‍ ‍ Iran is facing a severe, multi-year water crisis as of May 2026, with major cities like Tehran, Mashhad, and Karaj approaching the point where taps could run dry due to depleted reservoirs. Groundwater is depleted across most of the country, and nineteen provinces are experiencing severe drought. The crisis is driven by a combination of climate change and decades of poor water management, including excessive dam construction and inefficient, water-intensive agriculture. China is facing a severe, multi-faceted water crisis defined by extreme scarcity in the north, widespread pollution, and mismanagement, threatening its food supply and economic growth. ‍ ‍ ‍ Several countries are significantly affected by upstream dam construction that reduces downstream water flow, causing, environmental, and diplomatic crises. These countries include Iraq, heavily impacted by dams built on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers by Turkey and Iran, leading to reduced water for agriculture, destruction of forests, and increased sandstorms. Egypt and Sudanface significant water security risks due to the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile. Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Laosare affected of dams built by China on the upper Mekong River ‍ ‍ One country which bucks this trend is Israel. Israel manages its water resources by transforming a chronic shortage into a surplus through large-scale desalination, extensive wastewater recycling, and a centralised national water carrier system. The agriculture sector has shifted away from freshwater, using treated effluent instead. Advanced drip irrigation technologies are widely used to minimise waste. Israel has exported its water technologies to countries around the world, particularly Africa where it has given advice on how to use limited water resources to great effect. ‍ ‍ ‍ Without water no society on earth can survive. Bible prophecies indicate that water shortage and pollution will be a global problem in the last days. Most obviously no water equals no food, so famine is an inevitable result of water shortages. Jesus warned of this as a sign of the last days in Matthew 24.7. Revelation 8.10-11 speaks of something called ‘Wormwood’ falling on rivers and springs of water causing it to become bitter and many to die from drinking it. ‍ ‍ Prophecy speaks of the two great rivers of the ancient world, the Nile and the Euphrates, being affected by a crisis causing the Euphrates to dry up (Revelation 16.12) and the Nile to become contaminated and its waters turn foul (Isaiah 19.5-11). Isaiah 24 speaks of a curse devouring the earth in the last days causing the earth to be ‘defiled (or polluted) under its inhabitants.’ ‍ ‍ ‍ According to the New Scientist, there are massive amounts of water hidden deep beneath the Earth's surface. Scientists have found evidence of a reservoir of water three times the volume of all surface oceans combined, located roughly 250–400 miles underground within the mantle. ‍ ‍ ‍ It may be that the Lord will release this water to replenish and clean up the earth in the Millennial kingdom when ‘waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water.’ Isaiah 35. Zechariah 14.8-9 says, ‘In that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea; In both summer and winter it shall occur. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth.’ Zechariah 14.8-9. See also Ezekiel 47. ‍ Rethinking Russia ‍ Things are not going well for Vladimir Putin in his ‘special military operation’. Four years after invading Ukraine in February 2022, Russia is not making advances and actually losing ground. Russia is losing as many as 25,000- 35,000 casualties a month and over 1.2 million have been killed and wounded since the war began. Ukrainian skills in drone warfare have destroyed large quantities of Russian equipment, tanks, armoured personnel carriers, artillery and rocket systems, helicopters, and naval vessels. ‍ ‍ Russia is spending an estimated 40% of the entire federal budget on the war effort. As a result of this and western sanctions, Russia is increasingly unable to fix chronic infrastructure problems at home. During the bitter Russian winter thousands of people were left without heat, light, or even water. All forms of transport, trains, trucks and planes, are facing logistical problems, making it difficult to transport goods and people across the vast Russian regions. Russia is on the way to an infrastructure collapse that will likely take decades to recover. ‍ ‍ Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov warned the State Duma that Russia's faltering economy risks stoking a 1917-style revolution. He demanded urgent financial and economic measures by autumn to avert a potential economic collapse. This raises the danger of the Russian Federation fracturing. The Caucuses are restive, the far east is looking to China and Siberia is facing an acute problem as a result of melting permafrost, causing buildings, bridges and pipelines to collapse. ‍ ‍ In the present circumstances it is hard to see how Russia could lead the Gog and Magog invasion of Israel (Ezekiel 38-39). Some have said that it is more likely that Turkey is the lead power in the War of Gog and Magog. They say that Meshech and Tubal are not Moscow and Tobolsk, but regions of modern Turkey. Erdogan’s Turkey is backed by an Islamist world view hostile to Israel, seeking the recovery of its Ottoman Empire. He has his eyes on taking control of Jerusalem. Turkey is possession of a large land army already stationed in the region, some of it occupying part of Syria. ‍ ‍ The alternative is that the War of Gog and Magog is some way off, possibly part of Armageddon, giving time for Russia to recover from its present distress. We wait and see, but meanwhile spare a thought and a prayer for the people of Ukraine and Russia, suffering as a result of Putin’s futile war, oppressed by his corrupt dictatorship and facing an economic and social collapse caused by his failed policies. ‍ ‍
By David Passmore May 25, 2026
Trump's Visit with Xi Rubin Rothler LLB, LLM The tempest path of Sino-U.S. tensions came to a head during Trump's first term in office with the outbreak of Covid. Many commentators believed that the deterioration in relations was in terminal decline and that a major confrontation in the straits of Taiwan was fast looming. Trump held China responsible for the spread of Covid, insisting that he would pursue reparations. The election of Biden halted this commitment. Biden sought a non-confrontational policy towards Beijing. In the aftermath of the disastrous premature withdrawal from Afghanistan handing that country over to the Taliban and the Russian invasion of Ukraine under his watch, Biden became too preoccupied to assertively engage with China. Chinese State media portrayed Trump's visit as being rather unremarkable in the context of other foreign dignitaries lining up to meet Xi, pointing out that just a week later Putin would arrive in Beijing. China manifests that it is winning the trade war that Trump began in 2018, beating America at its own game of capitalism. They frame the U.S. as being in a position of weakness because China is able to source whatever products they buy from the U.S. elsewhere like oil from Canada, and soybeans from Brazil. The oil, soybeans and 200 Boeing's Xi agreed to purchase from Trump were presented as a mere gesture to placate Trump as China has already bought 350 Air Buses in the last year. China would have the world believe that it is only semi-conductors where America has the edge. Here China hints that it is not likely to buy H200 Invidia Chips because it would mean that China will always lag behind the U.S. in building their AI tech. China's major contention and concern is that the U.S. may impose export controls to contain China. China's strategy instead is to invest massively on indigenous innovation. China wants to become an innovation powerhouse that will export its own Chips to the Global South. China is fast catching up with America's lead in AI with the launch of Deep Seek and they claim similar progress with Chip making. China is now ostensibly only eight months behind the U.S. on Large Language Models. Running contrary to this narrative Trump insists that China is desperate to trade with America. China's economy has now peaked. Emblematic of this stagnating growth is rising youth unemployment. China is no longer America's biggest trading partner. Trump has shifted manufacturing back to the U.S. and Trump believes that China can't revive its economy without America. Lined up to meet Xi with Trump were the heads of some of America's biggest Tech Corporations. Corporations like nvidia seek a relaxing of export controls for Chips as they want short term profits, ignoring the risk that China will reverse engineer this technology. More broadly, China and the U.S. are playing a geopolitical chess game spanning the globe. Trump outmaneuvered China in Latin America with the removal of Maduro from power in Venezuela. China is exploiting its influence on Iran in order to get Trump to refrain from taking more active steps towards the defense of Taiwan. Indeed, Trump didn't say anything about Taiwan during his visit. Trump's instincts are of a transactional approach towards alliances, where he is only willing to underwrite defense assistance if allies pay up as an insurer would. It is also important to note that saber rattling the Taiwan card also serves the CCP agenda to distract internal dissent concerning the state of the Chinese economy. Most imminently Trump needs China to pressure Iran to open the Straits of Hormuz and get oil prices down before the midterm elections. China has largely insulated itself from the Gulf energy impact due to stockpiles. Trump would also like China to stop providing Iran with GPS for its missiles. Other Chinese weapons systems and technology sold to Iran have failed to perform well against U.S. and Israeli military hardware. Matters boil down to a leverage between whatever Trump can do on Taiwan, China can do on the strait of Hormouz with Iran. Human Rights concerns, espionage and the alarming rate of Chinese acquisition of U.S. land have been placed on the back burner for the time being.  (Author is an Israeli American lawyer academically qualified in British and in U.S.A. law, and a graduate of the School of Oriental & African Studies, London. He is a Jewish believer in Jesus and is currently based in Israel).
By David Passmore May 17, 2026
Moriel & Jacob Prasch request prayer for Phil Malone and family “Please keep me and my family in prayer. My mum passed away on 13th May at the age of 93. It's a time of mourning, but may it be a time for the Gospel of Christ to be preached to my unbelieving family, especially my brother.”
By Mea Fredrickson May 13, 2026
Moriel & Jacob Prasch request prayer for Sister Joanne Rizzetto, wife of Pastor Dave Rizzetto of Church of The Open Door in New York City. Joanne has developed painful complications and adverse side effects from medications following knee surgery. May The Lord intervene for healing and give guidance to her physicians. Lord, we humbly ask you to intervene in the life of our dear sister. We know you can do all things and that you hear our prayers and consider your servants. Please put a stop to the adverse reaction. Restrain and reverse its effects and restore our sister so that she can continue to serve you in the ministry that you have called them to. We do glorify Your Name. We don't ask as those who treat you as our debtor, but as those who have tasted your goodness and found such mercy and compassion at your feet. Grace and peace and mercy be with Joanne and Pastor Dave.
By David Passmore May 5, 2026
Will Lebanon miss its golden opportunity? Rubin Rothler LLB, LLM Converging new facts on the ground have transformed the political landscape in Lebanon. With Assad removed from power in Syria, a vital lifeline of arms supplies for Hezbollah originating in Iran has diminished. Hezbollah suffered considerable losses in its last round of fighting with Israel. The decapitation of its leadership with the targeted pager attack inflicted a severe blow. Hezbollah's new leader Naim Qassem is a weak substitute for the charismatic Nasrallah who was assassinated by Israel in 2024. Hezbollah in its frail state foolishly fell into line with Iran's instruction to join the fighting against Israel following the recent American-Israeli war with Iran. This was contrary to the wishes of the Lebanese government which was fearful of the inevitable destruction that would be wreaked by the Israeli response. The differing attitudes to Israel amongst Lebanon's population is reflective of its ethnic composition. The predominant groups in order of plurality are Christians, Shia Muslims and Sunni Muslims with a smaller minority of Druze. The major concern of most Christians in Lebanon is the dire state of their economy. They have no appetite to further their plight by invoking Israel's rage. During the colonial inter war period the French envisaged the demarcation between Lebanon and Syria as carving out enclaves for Christian and Druze control. Within Lebanon there would be a shared government that by convention would have the Executive power split between a Christian President, a Sunni Prime Minister and Shia Speaker of Parliament. The Christians in southern Lebanon (particularly Maronite Catholics) saw themselves as being anthropologically descendants of ancient Phoenicians as opposed to an Arab identity where the Arab Christians were largely Eastern Orthodox. The schism between the Maronites and the Arab Eastern Orthodox dates back to the time of the Crusades. The Maronites were culturally French, speaking French as their main language and held precedence in much of the Lebanese economy. The first threat to Lebanese stability and cohesion was settled by the U.S. Eisenhower administration in 1958 which landed Marines in an amphibious operation. A repeated attempt at this by the Reagan administration in 1983 ended in a military disaster for the U.S. due to suicide bombings by Iranian controlled terrorists. Israeli efforts to bring in stability during the Lebanese Civil War in conjunction with its Lebanese Christian allies led by Major Saad Haddad likewise came to calamity when the Sabra and Shatila revenge attacks took place following the assassination of Lebanese leader Bashir Gemayel. The ''Good Fence'' policy of an Israeli friendly free Lebanon zone in Southern Lebanon eventually ended badly following Menachem Begin's second incursion into Lebanon called ''Shalom HaGalil'' aimed at stopping the PLO rocket attacks on Israeli border communities like Metulla, Kiryat Shmona, Naharya, Rosh Hanikra, Tzfat and Carmiel. The proxy Israeli occupation from the Israeli border to the Litani river became an imbroglio that many in Israel viewed as Israel's Vietnam with widespread domestic protest and a collapse of morale within the IDF. Eventually Israel absorbed Christian war refugees from Lebanon, while the Vatican and most of the Christian world turned their backs on the Lebanese Christians. Lebanon was then saddled with two states within a state. The first was in the aftermath of Black September in 1970 when King Hussein of Jordan defended his Hashemite throne and government from Yasser Arafat's attempt to take over Jordan due to Jordan having a 70% Palestinian Arab demographic majority. The Jordanian legion drove tens of thousands of its pro Arafat Jordanian citizens into Lebanon, creating a population base for the first state within a state under Arafat. However the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and other factions had their niche interests. Courtesy of the Israeli Air Force Arafat relocated what he saw as his government in exile to Tunisia. This was a missed opportunity by the Lebanese government to assert its autonomy and full territorial control by making a Camp David type peace with Israel inclusive of economic and mutual security provisions. Instead an Iranian backed Syrian intervention replaced Arafat's state within a state with a new one that morphed into Hezbollah. The fall of the Assad regime and the Israeli counter-offensive against Hezbollah re-presents Lebanon with the opportunity that it once lost. The predominantly Christian controlled Lebanese military could and should operationally coordinate with the IDF, to obliterate and remove Hezbollah as the Israelis relieved Lebanon of Arafat's state within a state. Such a rapprochement would likely have strong American and possibly French and British support, allowing Lebanon to be at a non-combative peace with Israel along the lines of Egypt and Jordan, and now some of the Emirates. The natural comradery of the Lebanese Druze community with the Israeli Druze and the pro-Israeli Druze of Syria would additionally re-enforce a regional harmony, as would the Maronite Christian community in Israel with their co-coreligionists in Lebanon.  (Author is an Israeli American lawyer academically qualified in British and in U.S.A. law, and a graduate of the School of Oriental & African Studies, London. He is a Jewish believer in Jesus and is currently based in Israel).
By David Passmore May 5, 2026
PASTOR JOHN ANGLISS It is with profound sadness that we learned of the temporary separation from our friend and brother Pastor John Angliss. We look forward to being reunited with John in the millennial reign of Christ and indeed in God's Eternal Kingdom. Jacob Prasch visited John a few weeks ago in the UK while John was in hospice care having been diagnosed preterminal in his illness. While medically correct, it was of course a misdiagnosis. John is now cancer free and is alive and well in the presence of Jesus awaiting us in glory while his mortal body is being renewed for resurrection and immortality. In the meanwhile, during this temporary season of bereavement we do request prayer for his beloved wife Mary and for his congregation, The Ark Fellowship in England near Reading, England. Because he has recently arrived in the USA and is scheduled to address the Moriel Canada branch conference in Winnipeg, Jacob Prasch will regrettably not be able to attend the memorial service in Britain. Our condolences however are very much with Mary and our brethren in the UK who like us knew and loved Pastor Angliss. John was one of a minority of faithful voices who upheld a traditional biblically based Pentecostalism in the era of counterfeit revivals and apostasy that overtook most of British Pentecostalism. John was a faithful friend of Israel & The Jews standing on the prophetic purposes of God for Israel and the salvation of the Jews. John was a loyal friend to Moriel and Jacob Prasch and a colleague of David Pawson and Derek Prince, both of whom likewise stood by God's promises to Israel. John was also a founding leader of CMFI - the Christian Ministerial Fellowship International, former pastor of Three Mile Cross fellowship , and former board member of Focus On Israel (a Pentecostal Ministry to the Jews). While this separation is temporary, John's eternal gain will be our temporary loss. O GRAVE - WHERE IS THEY VICTORY, O DEATH WHERE IS THY STING ? Hosea 13:14 / 1 Corinthians 15: 55-57
By David Passmore April 28, 2026
We made it this far: Israel at 78 Rubin Rothler LLB, LLM Since the last anniversary milestone of Israel at 75, we have been embroiled in relentless wars. Citizens had little respite to enjoy this year's festivities, coming on the heels of a lull in fighting on the Iranian and Lebanese fronts. We are constantly waiting for a breakthrough on the horizon that will normalize our relations with our neighbors and secure our position on the world stage. It is acutely exhausting to be the focus of the world's attention. But also there is a sense of inevitability accompanying the Zionist project. Specifically that Israel is destined to be central in the wider region and global affairs. Why is this? Is it due to it being a western transplant? Being geographically positioned on the crossroads of three continents? Religious believers would point to prophetic fulfillment. It is short sighted to only look at how our problems are rooted in today’s' reality. Greater forces are at work that will dictate the direction that Israel is heading. The Jewish diaspora will likely find itself in a growing precarious position that will lead to increasing Aliyah (immigration to Israel) and will perhaps ferment the emergence of a second Jewish commonwealth that will not need to heed international pressure in the same way that todays' polity finds itself doing. In this light it is interesting to ponder how our posterity would view our predicament and gains. And I frame matters in these terms with intentionality. We are enmeshed in a seemingly intractable conflict with the Palestinians, and yet Israel has made great gains particularly in the technological fields. There is a current of thinking that perceives Israel's way out of its quagmire is by making itself indispensable to technological advancements. We don't know how tomorrows' world will be shaped by the rapidly advancing AI revolution but so far Israel has proven to be uniquely adaptable and innovative to technological change. This has proved to be a boon to Israel's economy, as have offshore natural gas discoveries being developed in concert with Greece, Greek Cypriot and American energy interests that are geographically and strategically removed from any Straits of Hormuz shipping impediments that strangle the Persian Gulf deposits shared by Qatar and Iran. On another note we should contextualize the situation. How different are Israel's challenges from other nations? Is Israel any less stable than other countries (particularly in the region)? Israel doesn't find itself uniquely challenged to define its identity (most European countries do also, particularly in light of immigration). Nor does the government experience any more volatility than other comparable democracies. Israel's real problems lay in the nature of how its Jewish citizens desire to govern themselves. It is arguable whether the judicial reform protests that occupied public discourse in pre-October 7th Israel would have led to serious civil strife. But it is without doubt that this impasse was allayed by the external attack. The underlying tensions remain unresolved and there are many ways that they could play out. It has been framed as a battle for Israel's soul. Israel's enemies predict that Zionism is imploding and that the State won't survive another 5-10 years. Supporting this claim, they point to Israel's increasing alienation and growing pariah status on the international stage. Our Prime Minister has been indicted for war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Even public opinion in our staunchest ally the U.S. has turned sharply against Israel. With 80% of the Democratic Party being anti-Israel in a growing climate of anti-semitism we have even witnessed the shift of Alan Dershowitz to the Republican Party which must be seen as emblematic of a trend. There is apprehension in Israel of a post-Trump America dominated by the Democrats. However, these seeming incontrovertible facts may be offset by other measures of fortitude. This may be partially countered by the high investment by Silicon Valley in the Israeli Hi-tech sector, making Israel an asset for purposes of Research and Development in America's AI race against China. New opportunities for economic relations have also been opened with Arab nations through the Abraham Accords and with the powerhouse India. Furthermore, it is difficult to imagine a world in which Israel's technological prowess will not carry the sway of western decision makers in the long run. Israel's 78th anniversary is a moment to take pause and not catastrophize what the future may behold. The entire world is currently in a state of transformation and Israel is not an outlier in this context.  (Author is an Israeli American lawyer academically qualified in British and in U.S.A. law, and a graduate of the School of Oriental & African Studies, London. He is a Jewish believer in Jesus and is currently based in Israel).
By David Passmore April 23, 2026
Please click this link:https://mailchi.mp/christianconcern.com/action-alert-street-preaching-22-04-26?e=f1df30be3f
By David Passmore April 14, 2026
A critical juncture in NATO'S future Rubin Rothler LLB, LLM NATO was originally established in 1949 to keep the Russian hordes at bay from toppling those European countries not forked over to the Soviet sphere of influence at the Potsdam conference. Europe lay in ruins. Britain had passed on the torch of global hegemony to the U.S. by tacitly acquiescing to the decolonization of its Empire when Churchill and Roosevelt agreed terms of the Atlantic Charter for the post-war new world order in 1941. So from its start NATO was very much an American driven endeavor. American money with the Marshall plan was propping up western European economies and its military might was forming the bulk of their defensive capabilities. The lopsided nature of this dynamic has informed how tensions have persisted and recently erupted in the Alliance. During the Cold War the U.S. felt obligated to shoulder the costs of underwriting Europe's security in light of the broader interests to keep the Soviet's in check. Following the fall of the Iron Curtain European complacency became a sticking point with the 'peace dividend' further exploiting American largesse. European NATO allies spent ever smaller percentages of their GDP on defense expenditure at U.S. expense. Now in a multi-polar world U.S. and European perceived threats are less aligned. This was first tested in the aftermath of September 11th when for the first time NATO elected to trigger its article 5 collective defense protocol. And since then the U.S. has sought to continue to expand the traditional theatre of operations beyond Europe's borders. No longer is Russia perceived by America as being a proximate existential threat to its interests, but rather containing Chinese expansion in the Pacific arena. Parallel to NATO a discrete 'five eyes' intelligence sharing alliance comprising the Anglo-sphere (the U.S., U.K., Canada and New Zealand) emerged. This stands at the center of the U.S. – U.K. 'special relationship'. A relevant question would be can this signals intelligence (NSA-GCHQ) partnership persist should the U.S. withdraw from NATO? Conventional thinking would have led one to believe that with Brexit the U.K. would naturally pivot towards closer U.S. relations but under Starmer the U.K. is distancing itself. European powers misrepresent the present conflict as an aggressive, rather than defensive U.S. adventure while they themselves are more likely to be at risk. In this the Starmer government resembles the Labor party led committee for nuclear disarmament in the 1980's. It opposed the Thatcher supported deployment of U.S. cruise missiles in response to the Soviet SS20's pointed at Britain's cities. The British left branded their response to Soviet strategic escalation to U.S. aggression. This time however there is for the moment no Thatcher to bring common sense into an equation dominated by emotionally driven ideologies in the face of an aggressor with definite aims. In terms of the Russian-Ukraine conflict we are reverting to the old question dating back to the Napoleonic war era: to what extent is London happy with the European nations fighting it out alone for dominance of the continent. Britain was never willing to accept a single power in control. Many variables will dictate what kind of world emerges from the current conflicts in Ukraine and Iran. How will power be extracted from potential gains? What will be the strategic impact of this? What is sure, in the age of Trump this pattern of reliance on U.S. muscle is becoming quickly exhausted. Dating back to the Roman Empire, a factor in the decline of major powers has always been astronomical military spending, a budgetary demand that the U.S. under Trump is no longer willing to shoulder alone. (Author is an Israeli American lawyer academically qualified in British and in U.S.A. law, and a graduate of the School of Oriental & African Studies, London. He is a Jewish believer in Jesus and is currently based in Israel).