Should we be alarmed about war in the Middle East?

 

World events rush upon us and often take us by surprise. As a Christian, I believe that everything is moving towards the end times and that the events described in the Bible will come to pass. It was thousands of years between the initial promises of a Saviour (Genesis 3:15) and the coming of Jesus of Nazareth, but this, plus the fulfilment of other prophecies (see Daniel 2 and 7, for example), gives me the confidence that God's word will always be seen to be authentic in the end and will always be fulfilled.

I do not know (not being a prophet) how this emerging conflict between the USA, Israel and Iran will turn out, and I do not necessarily agree with everything they have done. However, it would appear that things are gathering pace and Biblical prophecy is nearing fulfilment.

In light of current world events, we all need to be aware that time is running out for all of us. Time is a limited commodity, not just in what we can do in any 24 hours, but also in our lifespan. This means we need to take a relationship with God (or the lack of it) seriously.

High Flight by John Gillespie Magee Jr.

 

Just last week I was looking through a book compiled by Tim Peake where he showed some of the amazing pictures taken while he was on the International Space Station.  As an introduction to the book, Tim quoted the opening lines of the poem “High Flight” and, as I read it I was transported back to my school days when my English teacher Graham “Gunner” Davies used the poem as one of his lessons.

High Flight is a sonnet written in 1941 by war poet John Gillespie Magee Jr. and inspired by his experiences as a fighter pilot of the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II. Magee began writing the poem on 18 August, while stationed outside London, and mailed a completed manuscript to his family on 3 September.

Magee's poem captures the exhilaration of flight and concludes with a sense of reaching toward the divine.

The poem goes like this………

"Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,

I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air....

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue

I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace.

Where never lark, or even eagle flew —

And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

– Put out my hand, and touched the face of God."

Why do we fight?

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As I write this column, the world is reeling from the fallout of another war. I know that, technically, nations prefer to speak about special operations and other expressions that describe their actions. Essentially, these terms aim to mitigate the harshness of the word ‘war’. 

Humans are naturally very vulnerable and need to protect their property, livelihoods and lives. In the case of nations, this often involves territory, intellectual property or routes to and from their markets. We live in an increasingly complex world where attacks on national well-being have moved on from military action to include cyber-attacks and other forms of warfare.

The potential for war is constant - most of us know the current locations - Israel, Gaza, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Israel, USA. In the past fifty years, wars have taken place in the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Vietnam and, sadly, many more locations.

World Events

World events rush upon us and often take us by surprise. As a Christian I believe that everything is moving towards end times and that events described in the Bible will come to pass eventually. It was thousands of years between the initial promises of a Saviour (Genesis 3:15) and the coming of Jesus of Nazareth but this plus the fulfilment of other prophecies (see Daniel 2 and 7 for an example) give me the confidence that God's word will always be seen to be authentic in the end and will always be fulfilled.

I do not know (not being a prophet) how this emerging conflict between Israel and Iran will turn out and I do not necessarily agree with everything they have done in the last few years. I do, however, see that things are gathering pace and Biblical prophecy is nearing fulfilment.

In light of current world events we all need to be aware that time for all of us is running out. Time is a limited commodity not just in terms of what we can do in any 24 period but in terms of our life span. This means we need to take a relationship with God (or the lack of it) seriously.

Let me leave a few verses from the Bible with you that emphasis the urgency of getting your sins forgiven and being right with God before your life in this world ends.

 for He says,

“AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU,

AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU.”

Behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION”

2 Corinthians 6.2

Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Romans 13.11,12

While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.

1 Thess 5.3-8 (this is written to and about Christians)

Please, please, think seriously about you spiritual condition and your need of salvation. This is biggest issue that you will ever consider.

Visit my website www.seekthetruth.org.uk for more information.

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Peace in our times!

Politicians and religious leaders spend a lot of time and effort attempting to bring 'peace in our times'. Lasting peace is elusive and impossible purely by human effort and ingenuity. Most people fail to see that if they don't deal with the underlying causes of unrest, the problem will never be identified, and peace will never be created.

Our approach to producing peace often fails to dig deep enough. Jeremiah, the ancient prophet of Israel, faced this shallow approach to peace. He wrote on more than one occasion, 'Peace, peace when there is no peace?' Jer 6.14, Jer 8.11. People then, as in our day, were looking at life in a very superficial way. They had treated the word of God with contempt by ignoring what it said. The reason there was no peace was the sinful lifestyles of people. The same is true today. We cannot expect to have peace when we break the moral code of God (as nations, families and individuals) and flagrantly ignore the principles that are for our good. Scripture says, 'Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people,' Prov. 14. 34.

A simplistic approach to achieving peace will never be enough. The Bible predicts a day when a man who is outstanding in his ability to solve global problems and bring peace to the world will rise on the world stage. This man will ultimately create and manage a system without any reference to God and the law of Moses. The world will be seduced and convinced that he is the man they have been waiting for. But he is not the real deal. The peace he offers will be built on a shaky foundation and quickly collapse. Listen again to the prophetic words of scripture - 'When they say, "Peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape,' 1 Thess. 5.3. World leaders currently are struggling to cope with the issues of war, social change, poverty etc, so it is easy to see why this leader will be so compelling and convincing. But, his peace deal will be deceptive and not based on the true moral values set by the creator, God.

Peace

Throughout the world, many people today yearn and hope for peace, writes Bert Cargill of St Monans Gospel Hall. Our attention and concern centre on Ukraine and the Middle East just now, but there are more wars in the world than we realise, some lasting for years. Much high-level diplomacy and complex negotiations continue, with repeated efforts to get opposing sides to agree even to a ceasefire. Still, in the meantime, we can pray while we wait to see the final outcomes. But it’s a just and lasting peace that’s needed, not just a patch-up without dealing with the root causes of the conflicts.

 

For too long now, we have looked with sadness and dismay at scenes of destruction, brutality and suffering. The causes lie deep and are as old as history. The Bible reminds us that it is all rooted in man’s selfishness, jealousy and pride. If we are honest enough to look within, that’s something each of us can be guilty of, a refusal to “love our neighbour as ourselves”, as Jesus said, even to love our enemies. That is how He loved us, and He still loves us despite our failures and sins: “God commends His love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5.8). There is no greater love than this! 

 

We can refuse this love or receive it with gladness. If we receive it, we will enter a real and lasting peace with God. Those who accept Jesus as their own Savior and Lord are “justified by faith, and have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5.1). Peace between warring nations seems so challenging to achieve, but here and now, we can have peace with God for ourselves.

All photos courtesy of Unsplash

Ukraine - lessons for life

 

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In February 2022, Ukraine quickly came to dominate news reports worldwide. People who disagree about all kinds of things are united in sorrow at the heart-breaking turn of events and in sympathy for the men, women and children who are suffering so much. Many have worked hard and given generously to help alleviate their plight.

The sad comment of one Ukrainian MP was that “history is just repeating itself time and time again, and I don’t understand what is wrong with us humans and humanity, why we don’t learn from the lessons.” That is true, and in His Word, the Bible, God tells us that we should take heed to and learn from events in the world. We will consider three obvious but vitally essential lessons from the current situation in Ukraine, which will be for your eternal blessing if you pay heed to them and act upon them.

WW2 - Channel Islands

The only part of the British Isles occupied by Germany in the Second World War was the Channel Islands. This brought hardship and repression to the islanders.

On the Island of Alderney the Germans had spread untreated human sewage on the fields. They were warned of the grave danger of doing this, but to no avail.

A boy went to play in the fields, and he became very ill and died. Facilities for the people were very minimal. This meant that the boy’s mother had the distressing task of laying him out for burial. There was a group of men brought over from Guernsey by the Germans as labourers. They kindly made the coffin for the boy.

The funeral service was arranged, but a priest was needed. The mother, in her sorrow, had no alternative but to go to the German military to ask for someone to take the funeral. They agreed to provide somebody.

Operation Mincemeat

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In a cemetery in Aberbargoed stands a memorial stone. On it is the inscription, “In recognition to the allied war effort by Glyndwr Michael of Aberbargoed”. But who was Glyndwr Michael and what did he do?

Glyndwr Michael was a homeless tramp who had died from eating rat poison.  The poison had caused pneumonia and he had died without any known relatives to mourn him.

So the question remains, “What did this penniless, insignificant man do to contribute to the war effort in 1943?”

The answer is found in an enigmatic inscription on the top of the memorial stone.

“Y dyn na fu erioed”.

Below is the English translation.

“The man who never was”.

Glyndwr Michael was, unknowingly, instrumental as one of the greatest deceptions named Operation Mincemeat which was carried out by British Intelligence to fool the enemy.  His body was acquired by the Intelligence service who then created a wholly fictitious person by the name of Major William Martin (Royal Marines).

A hole in the world?

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The Eagles, an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971, are one of the world's best-selling bands of all time, having sold more than 200 million records.  One of their songs, "Hole in the World" begins like this:

There's a hole in the world tonight.

There's a cloud of fear and sorrow. 

There's a hole in the world tonight.

Don't let there be a hole in the world tomorrow.

Even if we are optimists and constantly look for the best, it does seem, at least at times, that there is a hole in the world. We live in a day of almost unrestrained violence. Children can be snatched from homes and killed at school. Bombs and missiles are exploded in public places. There is war in Ukraine, Gaza and many other less publicized places. No community, no race, no nation is immune to, nor protected from a growing culture of violence. It is as if there is a hole in the world. Now, more than ever, we need to learn a different way, for the path we are following leads to a dark and dangerous wilderness.

I like the way of Azim Khamisa and Ples Felix, two men who experienced first hand a cloud of fear and sorrow. One deadly evening in 1995, 14-year-old Tony Hicks shot and killed a 20-year-old college student and pizza deliveryman in San Diego, California. Tony and several other gang members ordered pizza and, when it was delivered, Tony was told by his gang to shoot the young man, Tariq Khamisa, who delivered the food.

Armistice Day

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The Armistice of 11 November 1918, signed at Le Francport near Compiègne, ended fighting on land, sea and air in World War I between the Allies and their last remaining opponent, Germany. It came into force at 11:00 a.m. Paris time on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a defeat for Germany, although not formally a surrender. Sadly 2,738 men died on the last day of the war. 

In November 2014, when I was in London with my wife and daughter (who incidentally celebrates her birthday today), we visited the major art installation "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" at the Tower of London. We viewed in the early evening when the floodlit display of poppies was at its eeriest. It marked one hundred years since the first full day of Britain's involvement in the First World War. Created by ceramic artist Paul Cummins, with stage designer Tom Piper, 888,246 ceramic poppies had progressively filled the Tower's famous moat over that summer. Each poppy represented a British military fatality during the war. The poppies encircled the iconic landmark, creating a spectacular display visible from all around the Tower and a location for personal reflection. 

A refugee’s gratitude

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Recently many news outlets published a story about a man, Eric Schwam, who died at the end of last year, at 90 years of age, and whose entire estate was bequeathed, not to his family or friends, or to an organisation, but to an entire village: Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, in southern France. The reason: he was an Austrian Jew, who had arrived there with his parents as a 12-year-old in 1943, fleeing from the Nazis. 

The people of the village hid them in the village school, where they remained, undiscovered, until the end of the Second World War. Mr Schwam intimated that the bequest (reckoned to be about two million euro) was "in gratitude for the welcome he received 78 years ago".

Remembrance Sunday

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Today is Remembrance Sunday and throughout the UK the now familiar ceremony of the two minutes silence is being observed just as it is every year. 

This year perhaps it has been a little less well attended due to circumstances, but there is still the call to remember as people wear poppies in support of those who have served in armed conflict.

As we reflect upon past conflicts it is true to say that such conflicts often bring out the best and the worst in people. There are many tales which tell of terrible atrocities and others which speak of great heroism. One such heroic tale that has emerged from the Second Word War is that of two young men called Bob and Jack. 

World War 2 Artefacts

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As a young boy, I was always fascinated by a few artefacts from World War II that were dotted around my grandparents’ house. These included large brass shells that had been polished and transformed into umbrella stands, some wooden boxes, an old army belt and an actual incendiary bomb that had been made safe.

I was always fascinated by history and would ask my grandfather to tell me stories from his experiences during the war. Even as a young boy I recognised that he had told me stories reluctantly and that these stories had been somewhat sanitised for my hearing.

My grandfather believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour. As a Christian, at the outbreak of World War II, he didn’t want to fight and possibly be taking the lives of enemy soldiers and in effect ushering them into eternity, which they may not have been prepared for. He believed, as the Bible teaches that there are two eternal destinations, Heaven for those that accept God’s forgiveness and Hell for those who refuse the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour.

To avoid being put into this position, he decided to join up early so that he would have a choice where he served. He chose to join the Medical Corp, so that he wouldn’t have to carry arms. 

One of the first jobs he was given to do was just outside Bristol on the Downs. As the bombers flew over from Germany to bomb Bristol, they would send the first wave to drop incendiary devices to light the way, pointing out the targets to the second wave of bombers. He along with a few others were asked to light fires on the Downs to deflect the bombers away from the city, thus saving lives. Obviously, he with his comrades were in great danger. They had to dive into a bunker pulling sandbags over the door while bombs dropped around them.

My grandfather served as part of the Medical Corp in many areas, such as North Africa and Italy, he received many medals for bravery. He did this not carrying guns, but stretchers, pulling many soldiers from the battlefield. His faith in Jesus Christ had taught him to show love to those who had not shown love to him. In fact, he knew that our sin had made us enemies of God. God was not our enemy, we were His!

How did God react to our hostility? Did He treat us as an enemy?  No not at all, the Bible says that while we were still sinners, doing the very thing that God hates… Christ died for us.

Another Christian relative of mine found himself guarding a German war hero, this man had been awarded an Iron Cross by his country for bravery. Some of the other guards treated him badly, but my relative showed him kindness. As a result, he reacted with gratitude and cut a part of the ribbon from his Iron Cross and gave it to him.

God’s love is immense! Jesus Christ died taking the punishment that we deserved.  He expects us to react with gratitude, trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour and allowing Him to lead in our lives.

In the box among my grandfather’s medals is the piece of ribbon that was given, it obviously had great significance to those involved.

When we read the Bible and think of how much God has loved us, how do we react? Do we reject Him or do we worship Him and trust in Him for what Jesus Christ has done on the cross for us?

Messages with Meaning written by Stuart Scammell for 542day and published with permission