Christmas is Coming - Afrikaans

April 1, 2025

Die Hebreeuse woord vir Kersfees is: “Hag Ha nolod,” letterlik: “Die Fees van die Geboorte.” Romeine 14:4-6 sê vir ons dat ons nie mense moet oordeel vir geestelike fees dae wat hulle vier nie, en met dieselfde trant sê Kolossense 2:16-18 vir ons dat niemand ons moet oordeel in die hou van dae nie. Dit is geval van kultuur en verband wat streng tussen jou en die Here is. Vir my maak dit nie saak of iemand kersfees vier nie, maar wat baie saak maak is die teologie van kersfees, “Christmass”- en die Geboorte van Jesus. Wanneer is Hy gebore? Wie weet? Maar dat Hy gebore is, is ‘n feit en ons almal weet dit. Omdat my familie Israeli’s is, vier ons Hanuka. In Joh. 10 vier Jesus Hanuka, die fees van die tempelwyding, toewyding en dit is baie belangrik om onderandere die opkoms van die Antichris te verstaan deur Antiochus Epiphanes en die Makkabeërs. Ons het ‘n Hanuka geselligheid waarheen ons ongeredde Jode nooi, en weereens, in ons huis vier ons nie kersfees nie, ons gedenk die Geboorte. Ons gaan na ons gemeente toe en ons woon ook ‘n sang geselligheid by maar niks meer as dit nie. Kersfees of Christmass is vir ons iets wat met die Kerk te doen het, ons vier Hanuka.

Kersfees en die Laaste Dae.

Wat het kersfees, die Geboorte, te doen met die Laaste Dae? Dit gaan jou verras, want die antwoord is: - Alles. Ons sal nooit die Wederkoms van Christus verstaan voordat ons nie die eerste koms van Christus verstaan nie. Wat met Christus se eerste koms gebeur het gaan basie weer met Sy tweede koms gebeur. Jesus was gebore in die tyd van die Roomse Keiser Augustus, voorheen Octavius. Hy was die eerste Roomse heerser wat in sy tyd vergoddelik was. Dus, toe die Here Jesus die eerste keer gekom het was daar ‘n Roomse

Keiser wat oor die Roomse Ryk geheers het en wat as ‘n god aanbid was. Hierdie heerser het ‘n volkstelling gehou, hy het nommers, getalle aan mense toegeken, alhoewel hy nie die nommers op hulle gesit het nie, het hy nommers aan elke mens in die bekende wêreld toegeken. Daar was eintlik twee volkstellings deur Augustus gehou, beide vir die doel om finansiële beheer oor die wêreld te verkry.

Wanneer Jesus terugkom gaan dieselfde dinge weer gebeur: Ons gaan weer ‘n opgestane Rooms Ryk sien met iemand aan die hoof wat as ‘n god aanbid gaan word. Hierdie halfgod sal mense se hoofde nommer om sodoende ekonomiese beheer oor die wêreld te verkry. Wat met Jesus se eerste koms gebeur het gaan ook met Sy tweede koms gebeur. Kersfees is nie net iets van die verlede nie, dit is ook iets wat in die toekoms weer gaan gebeur, dit is profetiese gebeurtenis.

Die Boek Joel, Openbaring en die Berg Rede vertel vir ons van tekens in die lug en in die kosmos wat Christus se koms sal voorafgaan. Met Christus se geboorte was daar tekens in lug en in die kosmos wat die Geboorte voorafgegaan het. Die Jode was in hulle eie land, maar onder die beheer van ‘n Roomse Keiser. Hoe het hy daar gekom? Deur misleiding, die Roomse generaal. Pompeii het die Jode mislei en in die Allerheiligste van die Tempel ingegaan.

Wanneer jy sien dan iemand anders as die Hoëpriester op die Dag van Versoening in die Allerheiligste ingaan, dan is dit die een of ander beeld van die Antichris. Wat met Pompeii in Rome gebeur het, sal weer gebeur. Al hierdie dinge wat in Europa en die Midde Ooste gebeur is alles dinge wat besig is om die verhoog op te stel.

Jochanan ha Matbiel, Johannes die Doper het gekom in die gees en krag van Elia. Hy was net voor Jesus gebore en hy het ook net voor Jesus sy verskyning gemaak. Die profeet Maleági het dit op ‘n manier geprofeteer, Elia gaan weer kom, die Here Jesus bevestig dit.

Daar was baie valse profete in Israel toe Jesus die eerste keer gekom het, en daar sal weer baie wees wanneer Hy weer kom. Die algemene afvalligheid van die geloof van die mense wat die eerste keer in Hom moes geglo het, is in baie gevalle dieselfde as die afvallige toestand waarin die Kerk nou is.

Die Eerste Koms van Christus.

Kersfees is nie hier nie en ook nie daar nie, maar die Geboorte is baie belangrik. As ons nie verstaan hoedat die Here die eerste keer gekom het nie dan sal ons ook nie die Wederkoms verstaan nie.

Natuurlik is daar verskille, maar die een is ‘n beeld van die ander. Ek het in die laaste twintig jaar baie van my tyd as ‘n evangelis onder die Jode gespandeer aan een vraag:

Hoe was dit moontlik dat vir die laaste 2000 jaar van geskiedenis van voorbereiding vir die Messias se eerste koms, en in ‘n verbond verhouding met God, met al die Skrifte tot hulle beskikking. Hoe het dit gebeur dat so min Jode gereed was vir Jesus se eerste koms?

Paulus sê vir ons dat die duiwel hulle oë verblind het. Daar was 2000 jaar van voorbereiding vir die koms van Jesus, Israel het ‘n Verbond verhouding met God gehad, en hulle het die Skrifte gehad, maar tenspyte van dit was daar net ‘n oorblyfsel wat gereed was vir Sy koms? Dieselfde dinge gaan weer gebeur wanneer Hy weer kom, maar hierdie keer sal dit nie net Israel wees nie maar ook die sogenaamde Kerk. Watter soort Christene gaan in die Laaste Dae gereed wees vir Jesus se Wederkoms? As jy wil weet kyk dan na die soort Jode wat gereed was vir die Here se eerste koms. Die Here sal egter nie weer as ‘n baba kom nie, Hy sal nie weer uit ‘n aardse moeder gebore word nie. Daar is verskille tussen die twee komste, maar die een is ‘n beeld van die ander.

Die Soort Jode wat Nie Gereed was nie.

Wanneer ons verstaan watter soort Jode nie gereed was nie, dat sal ons ook verstaan watter soort Christene ook nie gereed sal wees nie. Blaai na Mattheus se verhaal oor die Geboorte: 2:1: “En toe Jesus te Betlehem in Judéa gebore is, in die dae van koning Herodes, het daar wyse manne uit die Ooste in Jerusalem aangekom en gesê: Waar is die Koning van die Jode, wat gebore is? Want ons het sy ster in die Ooste gesien en gekom om Hom hulde te bewys. En toe koning Herodes dit hoor, was hy ontsteld en die hele Jerusalem saam met hom; en hy het al die owerpriesters en die skrifgeleerdes van die volk bymekaar laat kom en by hulle navraag gedoen waar die Christus gebore sou word. En hulle het vir hom gesê: Te Betlehem in Judéa,

want so is daar deur die profeet geskrywe: En jy, Betlehem, land van Juda, is volstrek nie die geringste onder die vorste van Juda nie, want uit jou sal 'n Leidsman voortkom wat vir my volk Israel 'n Herder sal wees.”

Die Magi, Wyse manne:

Dit is hulle wat niemand verwag het nie, wat gereed was. Wat ons hier sien is dat sommige mense wat gereed was vir Jesus se eerste koms, mense was waarvan hulle dit die minste van verwag het.

Hierdie wyse manne het van Persië af gekom, hulle was veldpredikers van die ou tyd se Mede en Perse. Op ‘n manier was daar in die ou tyd se Persië ‘n godsdiens wat oor die eeue verander het, wat genoem was Zoroastrianisme. Hulle was monisties en hulle geglo dat daar net een God is en dat die mens verantwoordelik was vir sy eie sonde. Hulle het geglo dat daar ‘n stryd was tussen die seuns van die lig en die seuns van die duisternis, hulle het met ander woorde basies dieselfde geloof gehad as die Esseners en die Christene. Gedurende die Babiloniese gevangenskap toe Persië Babilon oorgeneem het volgens die profesie van Daniël, het sommige van die Persiese konings tot die geloof van die Jode se God gekom en hulle was alreeds monisties. Daar was ‘n langsame Joodse invloed in daardie gebied. Ons lees byvoorbeeld daarvan in Ester, en van Darius die Meder, sowel as die profesie oor koning Kores deur Jesaja die profeet, meer as 200 jaar voor die geboorte van Kores.

Ons lees in Esra en Nehemia wat daar gebeur het. Al die pad deur die Hasmoniese tydperk tot in die tyd van Jesus het die Perse van die Jode gehou. Tot met die val van die Sha van Iran (Persië) was hulle nog Israel goedgesind. Ek twyfel vir geen oomblik daaraan dat die Prins van Persië, waarteen Daniël gebid het en vir twee weke lank gevas het, dat hy vandag nog daar is in die vorm van Shai –Islam, die Islamitiese fundamentaliste in Iran. Mense in die moderne Christen sirkels hou daarvan om hierdie demone “gebied geeste” te noem wat natuurlik nie ‘n goeie vertaling of ‘n vertolking is nie. Die Griekse woord is “arche,” die Hebreeuse woord is “shadeem.” ‘n Beter woord kan miskien: Gebied heersers of vorste wees, dit beteken ‘n demoniese krag wat oor nasies heers. Daar is vandag baie dwaal

leraars met hulle “binding and loosing” idees wat natuurlik ‘n hoop strooi is, maar wat egter ‘n feit is, is die bestaan van bose magte wat oor volke heers, die Boek Daniël bevestig dit. Die duiwels het ook vir die Here gevra dat Hy hulle nie uit hulle gebied moet wegstuur nie. (Die Gergeséners) Gebied geeste bestaan, as jy die term wil gebruik. In Belfast (Engeland) sien jy oral afbeeldinge va die ou tyd se Keltiese oorlog gode in beide die protestantse en Rooms katolieke woongebiede. Die wyse manne het verstaan hoe om die tekens van die tye te vertolk. Dit is so jammer dat wedergebore Christene vandag nie die belangrikheid van wêreld gebeure en in die Midde Ooste kan verstaan nie.

Hulle is verblind en hulle nie kan sien nie, so as of die Boek Sagaria nie in die Bybel staan nie. Hulle kan nie sien wat in die EEC gebeur nie, hulle verstaan nie die globalisering van die wêreld ekonomie nie, die verwoesting van die omgewings, of enige van die tekens wat die wyse manne verstaan het nie.

Die hele Jerusalem was ontsteld.

Die wyse mane het gekom om die Messias te sien en hulle was nie Jode nie, mense van wie jy dit die minste verwag het, omdat hulle die Ster in die Ooste gesien het. Hulle het na Jerusalem toe gekom, dit is waar Herodes van hulle gehoor het en dit het hom en die hele Jerusalem ontstel. Dit is die stad waar Dawid gesê het die Messias sal kom, dit is ook waar die Tempel was, dit was die fokus punt van hulle identiteit en Messiaanse hoop, maar tog wou niemand wat daar gebly het gehad het dat Hy moes kom nie. So sal jy vandag baie kerke kry met dieselfde houding, ry maar so met die pad langs en kyk na al die kerke wat jy sien en vra jouself, hoeveel van hulle wil regtig hê dat die Here Jesus moet kom? Die Hele Jerusalem was in beroering, O’ ja, hulle het hulle rituele, liturgie, hulle feeste en vakansie dae gehad, maar toe dit begin lyk asof die Here sy verskyning gaan maak was hulle onrustig. Maar die nasionale en godsdienstige leiers was baie meer onrustig. Dink daaraan, en dit gaan nog slegter gaan. Hierdie mense het die Skrifte geken en Herodes wou weet waar die Messias gebore sou word en hulle vertel vir hom wat Miga 5:2 gesê het dat Hy in Betlehem gebore sou word.

Hulle het baie kop kennis van die Skrifte gehad maar geen hart kennis nie. Toe die Here gebore is was dit die laaste ding in die wêreld wat hulle verwag het of wou gehad het. Dink jy dit gaan anders wees met die Wederkoms van die Here?

Satan se Wip: Afvalligheid.

Omtrent elke leuen van Satan wat vandag in die kerk bedryf word is ontwerp vir een doel, en dit is om God se mense se hoop op hierdie lewe en in hierdie wêreld te vestig, per definisie is dit wat afvalligheid beteken, dit is om jou hoop op hierdie lewe en die wêreld te stel.

Die Koninkryk Nou teologie, gebied heersers, die segetog ridders, Calvinistiese herbouers, wat probeer hulle doen? Hulle probeer om die Koninkryk nou op te rig, hulle stel hulle vertroue in hierdie lewe. Voorspoed geloof, geld predikers wat die sonde van Hebsug preek wat hulle geloof noem, hulle noem die aanbidding van Mammon die aanbidding van God! Waaroor gaan dit? Geloof en vertroue in hierdie lewe!

Gerald Coates en Rick Joyner sê die wegraping is ‘n fantasie en ‘n mite, hulle spot daarmee, hulle vergelyk dit met Star Trek se: “Beam me up, Scotty”. Wat is hulle doelwit? Hulle wil die Kerk laat vergeet van die Wegraping en hulle wil mense se hoop op hierdie lewe stel.

Waaroor dink u gaan die ekumeniese beweging? Dit is die oprigting van die broederskap van die mens, weereens ‘n vertroue en geloof in hierdie lewe. Die hele Jerusalem was onrustig met die Here Jesus se eerste koms en dit gaan weer in Jerusalem gebeur wanneer Hy weer kom, en nie net Jerusalem nie maar die hele Israel. Hulle nasionale en godsdienstige leiers wat die Skrifte geken het, wou nie gehad dat Hy moes kom nie, vir 2000 jaar het God hulle voorberei vir Sy koms, die hele doel vir hulle bestaan as nasie en ‘n volk was die Koms van die Here, maar net ‘n oorblyfsel wou gehad het dat Hy moes kom, en dit sal weer so wees met die Wederkoms.

Hulle wat gereed was.

Watter soort Jode was gereed vir die Koms van die Here Jesus? Mirjam: Die bekendste vrou wat nog ooit gelewe het. In Lukas 1:46- 55 het ons die Lied van Verheerliking wat as jy dit in die Grieks lees, sal dit ‘n letterlike herhaling wees van die lied van Debora wat ons in Rigters 5 van die Septuagint kry. Die engel Gabriël, wat die “Magtige van God” beteken. Het gekom en vir Maria gesê dat sy die grootste vrou is wat nog ooit gelewe het. “Die Here is met jou; geseënd is jy onder die vroue. Vers 31: “En kyk, jy sal swanger word en 'n Seun baar, en jy moet Hom Jesus noem.” Haar naam was nie Maria nie maar Mirriam, (Mirjam) dieselfde as Moses se suster. Sy het nie blonde hare en blou oë gehad nie, sy was donker en van ‘n Semitiese afkoms. Sy was ook nooit in plekke soos Medjugorje, Guadalupe, Fatima, of Lourdes nie. Haar naam was Mirjam en sy was ongeveer in haar middel tiener jare toe Gabriël vir haar hierdie verstommende boodskap gebring het.

Wat het hierdie grootste vrou wat nog ooit gelewe het gesê toe daar aan haar gesê is wat sy is? Vers 46-47: “En Maria het gesê: My siel maak die Here groot, en my gees is verheug in God, my Saligmaker;” Hierdie vrou noem God haar Saligmaker, haar Redder, sy erken dat sy gered moet word van haar sondes. As die beroemdste vrou wat nog ooit gelewe het ‘n Redder nodig gehad het, waar kom ek uit? Nie een is regverdig nie, nie een nie,- want almal het gesondig en dit ontbreek hulle aan die heerlikheid van God-” (Rom. 3:23)

Die woord: “Theotokos- Moeder van God,” is nie in die Griekse Nuwe Testament nie. Daar is aan haar gesê dat sy die moeder van die Messias, wat Sy mense van hulle sonde sal red sou wees, waarop sy gesê het: Ek verheug my in God my Saligmaker. God Almagtig sou in haar Vlees word, en al wat sy kon sê is dat sy gered moes word. As hierdie beroemdste vrou wat nog ooit gelewe het gesê het dat sy ‘n Redder nodig het, dan glo ek haar. Ek glo nie sy sou gelieg het nie, maar al het sy ‘n leuen vertel dan sou God nie hierdie leuen in Sy woord gesit het nie, so wie sal ek glo? Maria self, of die leuen van die Sondelose Bevrugting waar daarop aanspraak gemaak word dat Maria ‘n sondelose vrou was? Wat hier gebeur het is dat daar ‘n verchristeliking van Minerva, Diana van Efese ens. plaasgevind het, en die toepassing daarvan op Maria in die vervulling van die

profesieë van Esegiël en Jeremia.

Die Madonna met die baba was oorspronklik afgelei van die Tammus aanbidding met wie Esegiël betrek was. Jeremia waarsku ons teen die aanbidding van die Hemel Koningin.

Die betekenis van ‘n “Persoonlike Redder.”

Mirjam sê sy het ‘n Redder nodig. God het ‘n Mens geword en Hy neem my sondes en plaas dit op Sy Seun, die Messias, en God neem Jesus se regverdigheid en plaas dit op my.

Hoekom het God ‘n Mens geword om my plek in te neem? Toe ek ‘n jong Christen was het ek hierdie uitdrukking van: Jesus is my (persoonlike) Verlosser, gebruik. Ek het nie verstaan wat dit alles beteken het nie. Ek het gedink dat Hy my persoonlike Redder was omdat ek persoonlik Hom aangeneem het, maar dit is net die helfte van wat dit beteken.

Wat dit in totaliteit beteken is dat al was ek die enigste persoon wat nog ooit gesondig het, dan moes Hy nog deur Mirjam gebore word en na die kruis gaan en uit die dood opstaan net vir my. Vir my alleen; Hoekom moes God vir my sterf, ek wat ‘n kokaïne verslaafde was?

Hoekom moes God ‘n Mens word en vir my sterf? Hoekom het Hy uit die dood opgestaan om vir my die ewige lewe te gee? Miskien kan ons dit van Mirjam verstaan, maar tog sê sy, sy het ‘n Redder nodig. Die godsdienstige mense dink nie hulle het ‘n Redder nodig nie, hulle het mos hulle rituele en feeste. Die duiwel kry meer mense in die Hel met godsdiens as met al die verdowing middels en immoraliteit, dobbel en alkohol saam. Per argument was die twee mense wat die meeste invloed op mense gehad het albei Jode. Carl Marks en Jesus Christus.

Daar is ‘n groot verkil tussen hulle en dit is dat beide op die teenoorgestelde ente van die spektrum is behalwe op een punt: Godsdiens is die grootste bedrog wat nog ooit in die geskiedenis teen die mensdom gepleeg is want die Evangelie is nie ‘n godsdiens nie maar ‘n verhouding, ‘n leefwyse. Maria het gesê sy het ‘n Redder

nodig. Sy was ‘n tiener meisie wat nie behep was oor Brittany Spears' se video’s, of oor haar persoonlike voorkoms nie, haar uitroep was dat sy ‘n Redder nodig het. Dit was die soort Jood wat gereed was vir Jesus se eerste koms. Ek hou van Mirjam, ek is lief vir haar en ek dink sy is wonderlike mens en ek kan nie wag om haar te ontmoet nie. Maar ek wil niks te doen hê met die blonde leeghoofdige meisie wat Maria geword het deur die sogenaamde Kerk nie.

Sagaria en Elisabet.

Mirjam het ‘n familie en ons lees daarvan in Luk. 1:5-6: “Daar was in die dae van Herodes, koning van Judéa, 'n sekere priester met die naam van Sagaría, uit die afdeling van Abía; en sy vrou was uit die dogters van Aäron, en haar naam was Elisabet. En hulle was altwee regverdig voor God en het in al die gebooie en regte van die Here onberispelik gewandel.”

Nou, onthou dat die Sanhedrin, die leiers, was korrup, dit was ‘n bedrogspul. Dit was Hinn, Copeland, en Hagen. So was dit met die eerste koms van Christus. Maar tenspyte van al die populêre verdorwenheid en die skynheiligheid van die leiers, was daar enkelinge tussen hulle wat regverdig was.

Ek ken enkele pastore in die Assemblies of God wat baie hartseer is oor wat in hulle denominasie gebeur. Ek ken Anglikaanse leiers in Engeland wat baie hartseer is oor wat in die Kerk van Engeland aan die gebeur is, ek ken ook Baptiste wat deur dieselfde dinge gaan. So sleg as wat dit is en wat dit nog gaan word, gaan daar mense soos Sagaria wees wat nog regverdig, toegewy en opreg gaan wees. Dit maak nie saak hoe korrup die stelsels en die leiers gaan wees of gaan word nie, hierdie mense gaan nie saam met hulle stem nie.

Daar is nie baie van hulle nie maar hulle is daar en dit is die soort Christen wat gereed sal wees vir die Wederkoms. Kom ons kyk verder.

‘n Arm man se Offer.

In Luk. 2:24 sien ons dat Maria ‘n paar duiwe as ‘n offer vir haar gebring het, sy het ‘n arm man se offer gebring. (Lev. 12) Daar is ‘n

leuenprediker in Amerika, John Avanzini, wat vertel het dat Jesus se familie ryk mense was en nie arm mense nie. ‘n Persoon het hom in die openbaar gevra dat as dit die geval was, hoekom het Maria die arm man se offer gebring? Sy antwoord was dat die inleiers haar moes uitlei, sy het die verkeerde vraag gevra.

Simeon.

Luk. 2:25-26: “En daar was 'n man in Jerusalem met die naam van Símeon; en hierdie man was regverdig en vroom en het die vertroosting van Israel verwag, en die Heilige Gees was op hom. En aan hom was dit deur die Heilige Gees geopenbaar dat hy die dood nie sou sien voordat hy die Christus van die Here gesien het nie.” Onder die Ou Verbond was die Heilige Gees net vir sekere mense in sekere tye soos vir hoëpriesters, konings, profete en sekere ander persone. Hulle het die Heilige Gees in ‘n sekere manier ontvang en eers na Pinkster het Hy gekom vir almal wat tot die geloof gekom het. Die Gawes van die Gees het net fundamenteel deur persone gewerk wat die gawes ontvang het. Vers 27: “En hy het deur die Gees in die tempel gekom; en toe die ouers die Kindjie Jesus inbring om met Hom te handel volgens die gebruik van die wet, (Die besnydenis) - het hy Hom in sy arms geneem en God geloof en gesê: Nou laat U, Here, u dienskneg gaan in vrede volgens U Woord, omdat my oë U heil gesien het, wat U berei het voor die oë van al die volke-- 'n lig tot verligting van die nasies en tot heerlikheid van u volk Israel.” Hierdie man, Simeon, was met die Heilige Gees vervul en hy het die belofte ontvang dat hy nie sal sterf voordat hy die Messias gesien het nie.

Simeon was al oud en afgeleef maar hy het geweet dat hy nie sal sterf voordat hy Jesus gesien het nie, volgens die Nuwe Testament het hy die gawe van geloof gehad.

Die Gawe van Geloof.

In die Nuwe Testament lees ons van die mate van geloof. Ons word gered deur genade en geloof en sonder geloof is dit onmoontlik om God te behaag, en alles wat nie in geloof gedoen word nie is sonde maar afgesonder hiervan is daar die Gawe van Geloof en nie almal van ons het hierdie gawe nie. Dit is die kapasiteit om absoluut op God

te vertrou vir dinge wat nie spesifiek in die Skrifte geskrywe staan nie maar wat die Heilige Gees aan jou geopenbaar het.

Die meeste mense met hierdie gawe is voorbidders, dit is hierdie mense wat waarlik deur gebed vir ander kan intree, wat glo en weet en wat nie wensdenkery is nie, en wat ook nie vertrou op die futiliteit van hulle eie denkes nie, maar wat vashou aan die belofte wat hulle deur geloof weet dat dit wat hulle ontvang het waarlik van God af gekom het. Dink aan hierdie ou man, vervul met die Heilige Gees begeer hy die versoening van Israel, en al wat hy wou sien is die Koms van Jesus, dit is al waarvoor hy gelewe het.

Anna.

Nie net was daar hierdie ou man nie, maar daar was ook hierdie ou vroutjie.

In Luk. 2: 36-38 lees ons: “En daar was Anna, 'n profetes, die dogter van Fánuel, uit die stam van Aser. Sy was op baie ver gevorderde leeftyd en het van haar maagdom af sewe jaar lank met haar man saamgelewe; (Vergeet hierdie Britse Israelisme en Armstrongisme. Hierdie mense het hulle stam identiteite behou tot in tweede en die derde eeu.) en sy was 'n weduwee van omtrent vier en tagtig jaar. Sy het nie weg gebly van die tempel nie, en met vaste en gebede God gedien, nag en dag. En sy het in dieselfde uur daar gekom en die Here geprys en van Hom gespreek met almal in Jerusalem wat die verlossing verwag het.”

Vir baie jare is dit al wat hierdie ou vroutjie gedoen het, sy het gevas en gebid, sy het God in Sy huis gedien. Sy kon nie ophou om mense van Jesus te vertel nie, almal wat uitgesien het na die verlossing van Israel. Die wêreld vind jong vrouens aantreklik, maar God sien dit anders, lees die Boek Spreuke- God vind ouer vroue in ‘n geestelike wyse aantreklik. Hier is ‘n ou dame wat haar hele lewe toegewy het aan gebed en om God te dien en uiteindelik vertel sy die mense van Jesus. Dit was die soort Jood wat gereed was vir die eerste koms van Jesus en dit is ook die soort Christen wat gereed gaan wees vir die Wederkoms van Jesus.

Getroue Herders van gister.

Maar dan is daar in Luk. 2:8-11 sommige herders: “En daar was herders in dieselfde landstreek, wat in die oop veld gebly en in die nag oor hulle skape wag gehou het. En meteens staan daar 'n engel van die Here by hulle, en die heerlikheid van die Here het rondom hulle geskyn en groot vrees het hulle oorweldig. En die engel sê vir hulle: Moenie vrees nie, want kyk, ek bring julle 'n goeie tyding van groot blydskap wat vir die hele volk sal wees, dat vir julle vandag in die stad van Dawid gebore is die Saligmaker wat Christus, die Here, is.”

Wat opgevolg word in vers 14 in die Latynse Vulgaat deur: “Gloria in excelsis Deo” - 'Ere aan God in die hoogste Hemele.” Die Hebreeuse woord vir wagter en herder is dieselfde en dieselfde geld ook in Grieks. Hierdie mense was wagters wat hulle kuddes opgepas het, hulle was nie huurlinge nie. Daar kom ‘n groot geestelike duisternis aan die einde van hierdie eeu: “Wagter, hoe ver is dit in die nag?

Wagter, hoe ver in die nag? (Jes. 21:11) “Kom Hy in die tweede of die derde nagwaak? (Luk. 12:38) “Hy kom soos ‘n dief in die nag.” (1 Tes. 5:2) Werk terwyl dit nog lig is want as die nag kom kan niemand werk nie. (Joh. 9:4) Maar daar sal die getroue wagters en herders wees wat al is dit hoe donker, getrou sal bly.

Getroue Herders van vandag.

Ek het eenkeer met ‘n Engels gebore pastoor van Zimbabwe gesels waar vreeslike dinge gebeur, toe ek hom vra hoe dit met hom gaan het hy gesê hy is baie dankbaar vir al die gebede en hy vertel toe vir ons hoe sleg dit in Zimbabwe gaan en dat die meeste geleerde blankes en swart mense besig is om die land te verlaat en die wat nog daar is ook besig is om ‘n ander heenkome te soek. Ek wou hom die volgende dag weer sien maar hy het vir my gesê dat hy terugkeer na sy skape toe, “my skape is daar” het hy vir my gesê. Hier was ‘n wit man wat sy lewe toegewy het om swart mense te help wat besig is om aan vigs te sterf. Ek ken ook ‘n goeie Christen dokter wat ‘n baie goeie lewe in Amerika kan geniet wat saam met hom daar is.

Hoekom vlug hulle nie? Hierdie is ‘n gevaarlike plek en dit gaan nog

slegter word. Hulle is wagters, herders. Daar is twee soorte Jode wat gereed was vir Jesus se eerste koms en dit is die soort Christen wat gereed sal wees vir Hom wanneer Hy weer kom.

Wie is besig om gereed te maak? Herodes was baie ontsteld en die hele Jerusalem saam met hom. Die Sanhedrin was omgekrap. Die teoloë het hulle hare uit hulle koppe getrek. Hierdie soort mense sal nie gereed wees nie, by hulle is dit ‘n rare verskynsel. Maar individuele leiers soos die Sagarias, of Josef die pleeg vader van Jesus, ‘n regverdige man, en ‘n tiener meisie wat sê: “Ek het ‘n Redder nodig,” of die wagters wat waak oor hulle kuddes, of die ou vroutjie wat haar lewe gewei het aan gebed en om die Here te dien, wat mense van Jesus vertel het, of die ou man wat met die Heilige Gees vervul was en wat gewag het op die koms van die Here- dit is ‘n ander verhaal - hulle is die soort Jode wat gereed was vir Jesus se Eerste Koms en dit sal ook die soort Christene wees wat gereed sal wees vir Jesus se Wederkoms. My gebed vir julle en julle families, vir myself en my familie is, wanneer ek na al hierdie Jode kyk wat gereed was vir Jesus se Eerste Koms, is dat deur die Genade van die God van Israel, ons onder diegene sal wees wat gereed sal wees vir die Wederkoms van Jesus. My liewe broers en susters, moet nie ‘n fout maak nie, waak: Kersfees Kom! My geliefde Kers lied is: Hark the Angels Sing. Die musiek was gekomponeer deur Felix Mendelssohn, ‘n Jood, en die woorde is geskryf deur Charles Wesley, ‘n Heidense Christen, dit is een van grootste samewerking waarvan ek van weet. [Hark, the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King! Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled! Joyful all ye nations, rise, Join the triumph of the skies, With th'angelic hosts proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem! Hark, the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King!

Staying the course amidst isolation

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).

Signs of the Times - Tony Pearce

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. ‍ ‍

Trumps visit with Xi

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).

Prayer request for Phil Malone

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.”

Please Pray for Joanne Rizzetto, Pastor Dave Rizzetto's wife

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.

Will Lebanon miss its golden opportunity?

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).

Pastor John Angliss

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

We made it this far: Israel at 78

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).

Council attempts to shut down and censor local church’s evangelism efforts.

By David Passmore • April 23, 2026
Please click this link:https://mailchi.mp/christianconcern.com/action-alert-street-preaching-22-04-26?e=f1df30be3f

A critical juncture in NATO's future

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).