History’s shadows will never find rest / Until the wanderer finds love and care
Category Archives: Society
Film review: Hillbilly Elegy
J.D. Vance’s memoir was extolled as bringing enlightenment to ignorant elites who no longer understood white working-class America, providing an explanation for how Trump won over the resentful victims of decades of growing inequality. In the subversive interpretation of Howard’s film version, Hillbilly Elegy is a timely elegy for American democracy.
Foreword to Finding God in Suffering
For young and mature Christians alike, Siu Fung draws on Christ, Paul’s and his own experience, offering a rich blend of suffering and sustainable spirituality for the long haul. But he also draws on the global experience of suffering Christians in poverty and persecution as a great encouragement to western readers.
Winning the Spiritual War Part 03: Slaying the Giants
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places – Ephesians 6:12 (ESV).
In Part 01 we were introduced to the topic of spiritual warfare. We learned from Scripture that the Christian life is a walk of faith. It also is a constant fight. It is not a battle we have chosen but it is one we must fight to win.
Strong temptations are often more a sign of great grace, than of little grace.
The forces of darkness do not rest and neither should we. Souls and nations are at stake. So the sooner we understand the problem and take up our spiritual equipment, the better off we will be.
The changes, challenges, conflicts and chaos we see on Earth are merely the proxy war of what is happening in the heavens. Deal with the heavenly adversaries and it will bring a breakthrough here below.
If you want to read Part 01, click this link:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/winning-spiritual-war-kameel-majdali-fk6be
OR http://majdali.blogspot.com/2024/05/winning-spiritual-war.html
In Part 02, we will look at the practical side of how to fight in spiritual warfare and win.
- Watch and Pray: This is a constant command for last days living (Matthew 26:41; Mark 13:33, 35, 37). Here Paul tells us to pray in the Spirit and watch with perseverance at all times. Ephesians 6:18: Pray in the Spirit always and watch continuously with perseverance for the welfare of all saints.
The divine command to ‘watch and pray’ means that prayer should be a regular part of your lifestyle (see 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18).
It is a healthy exercise to memorise and invoke each weapon when entering into a deep time of prayer.
If you want to read Part 02, click on one of the following links:
OR: http://majdali.blogspot.com/2024/06/winning-spiritual-war-part-02-practical.html
In Martin Luther’s hymn, A Mighty Fortress, it says
The Prince of Darkness grim
We tremble not for him.
His rage we can endure.
For lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.
Slaying Giants
David and Goliath: The story of David and Goliath is a metaphor for spiritual warfare. This famous story found in 1 Samuel 17 is not just for Sunday school but serves as a template for all believers today. David, youngest son of Jesse of Bethlehem and future king of Israel, was willing to do what neither his brothers, king, or army of Israel were not: confront the Philistine giant Goliath of Gath. This monster of a man was well-armed and an experienced soldier. David was a teenage shepherd with only a slingshot and five smooth stones. Each stone represents an essential character trait that helped this adolescent underdog come out on top. All references are from 1 Samuel.
First Stone – Conviction: David heard the taunts and insults of Goliath and asked: ‘Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God (17:26)? It’s time we live by our convictions. Breaking News: The ‘new normal’ is not ‘normal’ but abnormal; it’s time for a ‘Davidic pushback.’. Living by your convictions will bolster your integrity and credibility. It is a powerful weapon in the spiritual war.
Second Stone – Courage: God told Joshua repeatedly to ‘be strong and of a good courage.’ It is a divine command to be obeyed. The basis of our courage is the presence of God with us. David encouraged his people: ‘Let no man’s heart fail him for fear’ (17:32-36).
Third Stone – Faith (17:37): The basis of David’s faith that he would be victorious over Goliath was God’s past faithfulness. Through God’s enablement, young David slew a lion and a bear. These victories help him confess by faith that Goliath was following in the steps of the slain lion and bear.
Fourth Stone – God’s Name (17:45): David called out Goliath by saying the giant was going to battle with a sword, spear, and shield – not to mention his hardened and experienced ‘big body.’ Yet young David had a far more powerful weapon: the name of the Lord. God’s Name, rightly utilised, will bring down giants and save the soul (Acts 4:12).
Fifth Stone – The Anointing: This is the final and indispensable tool (16:13). Though relatively young, the prophet Samuel anointed David, son of Jesse, to be the next Israelite king after the reign of Saul. After he was anointed with oil, the Holy Spirit was on David from that time onwards. Though his anointing spawned the animosity of King Saul, David had continuous power to slay giants and adversaries for the rest of his life and God protected him from all harm and danger.
The great spiritual battle of our day can only be fought and won by the spiritual weaponry God provides His church. It’s time to report for duty.
FINISH
The Shooting of Donald Trump: Who’s To Blame?
Part One of Two Parts
It was only a matter of time. This dreadful event had been predicted and prophesied. Prayer alerts went out to pray for supernatural protection. Then, on Saturday night, July 13th 2024, at an outdoor campaign rally for Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, several shots rang out. Pandemonium briefly ensued, and three men in the audience were hit. One of the men, Corey Camperatori, 50, an ex-fire chief, an enthusUS Election,iastic churchgoer and a family man, was fatally wounded while using his body to shield his wife and daughter. The other two were seriously injured but expected to recover. A bullet hit Trump but grazed his right ear; he missed death by millimetres.
What was at stake was more than the life of a prominent politician. America’s future hung in the balance with the prospect of civil war not far away.
Unfortunately, assassinations and attempted assassinations are not a new phenomena. Four US Presidents were assassinated: Abraham Lincoln (1865); James Garfield (1881), William McKinley (1901), and John F. Kennedy (1963). During the 1980s, three leaders were credited for the peaceful conclusion of the Cold War: US President Ronald Reagan, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and Pope John Paul II. Yet all three faced assassination attempts that almost succeeded; in 1981 both Reagan and the Pope were shot and wounded – though not fatally. Margaret Thatcher was almost blown up by an IRA bomb at a hotel in Brighton, England in 1984.
The shooting of Trump raised a lot of questions, including why did the Secret Service not take action sooner against the gunman, whom they observed for up to thirty minutes before the shots rang out. It is as if they waited for him to shoot before they shot in return. In order to solve a problem, you need to understand the cause. However, in this article, we will address the question: Who is to blame for the shooting at the Trump rally? The answer will not be as simple as it sounds. It seems that there are four sources of culpability.
Killer One – The Shooter: As of this writing, there’s limited information about the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, age 20. He was a loner and frequently bullied at school. Crooks was a registered Republican but gave a one-time donation to a left-wing cause. He did not appear to be active on social media (this is highly unusual for a Gen Z person). His motive for shooting Trump is not yet known. Crooks, who was positioned on a rooftop 150 metres from Trump, was killed on the spot by the authorities.
In one sense, it is an open and shut case: Crooks is to blame. But did Crooks act alone? Or was he part of a bigger plan?
Killer Two – Hateful Rhetoric: Ever since Trump launched his political career in 2015, he has been the subject of abusive, hysterical, and violent rhetoric (Mr. Trump is no shrinking violet and could return the insults to the sender – but never has he suggested censorship, violence, or personal destruction. In recent times, his temperament has been calm, peaceful, and conciliatory) Whether his critics or opponents have been politicians, media personalities, or high-profile entertainers, there have been numerous comments about violence and even the murder of Trump. Defamation leads to demonisation, which leads to thoughts and actions of violence and elimination. This kind of talk is dangerous for the subject of verbal abuse as well as the person giving it, as we are about to learn.
Ms. Comperatore Meeder, sister of Corey Comparator, said she held media outlets “very much responsible” for her brother’s death because of the way she believes they have depicted Mr. Trump and his supporters.
‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue’ — Proverbs 18:21. Words can kill and words can heal.
Killer Three – Fallen Human Nature: The universal cause of deadly violence is relatively simple. It comes from our fallen human nature, also known as our ‘carnal self-life’ and ‘old man sin nature.’ This is succinctly described in James 4:1-2: From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2. Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
Do you hear what James is saying? The cause of fighting, war, and killing is simple – it comes from lust in the human heart. Greed, avarice, and covetousness are lethal, major sins. The Bible is replete with examples of this kind of deadly attitude that leads to deadly action. What’s even more tragic is that people who would normally be friends and allies end up destroying each other because of lust and greed.
- Cain and Abel: They were brothers and did a lot of fun and positive things together. Yet Cain murdered his brother because God accepted Abel’s sacrifice but not his. It was the first of millions of murders to come.
- David and Uriah the Hittite: Uriah was an honourable individual and one of David’s mighty men. He had a great relationship with his king. David normally was honourable, too, but covetousness led to him committing adultery with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, while her husband was out of town fighting the king’s battle. Then he had him murdered to cover his tracks because he impregnated Bathsheba. Up to five of the ten commandments were violated by David by his sin.
- Ahab and Naboth: Ahab, king of Israel, had lands and palaces but they were not enough. He wanted more; covetousness is never ever satisfied. Naboth’s was Ahab’s neighbour and his vineyard was right next to the royal palace at Jezreel. Ahab offered to buy the vineyard but Naboth refused to sell it. So what did Ahab do? Thanks to Jezebel’s intervention, Naboth was murdered, his children may have been too, and he seized the vineyard. This heinous action earned the stinging rebuke of the prophet Elijah and a declaration of severe judgment was made against both Ahab and Jezebel.
- Jesus and Judas: Judas Iscariot knew Jesus well; he was one of the Twelve Disciples. He heard every discourse, witnessed every miracle, and saw the love and power of God in action. Yet because he loved money so much he betrayed the Lord for thirty pieces of silver. His betrayal kick-started the Passion of Christ, starting with Christ’s arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane.
In Part Two, we will learn the identity of the fourth killer – the worst of them all. Plus we will look at the New Testament for some needful perspective.
TO BE CONTINUED
A Winter’s Sight
Snowflakes tickle the tops of the trees, / Snow-kissed, sun missed, blanketed in the frigid snow.
Book Review: Eve’s Return
Eve’s Return is an in-depth, comprehensive, at times challenging, but deeply invitational reflection on how we live together in community. Andrea leaves more than enough imaginative room to draw out the parallels and disconnections to our own reality.
Winning the Spiritual War Part 02: The Practical Side
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places – Ephesians 6:12 (ESV).
In Part 01 we were introduced to the topic of spiritual warfare. We learned from Scripture that the Christian life is a walk of faith. It also is a constant fight. It is not a battle we have chosen but it is one we must fight to win.
The forces of darkness do not rest and neither should we. Souls and nations are at stake. So the sooner we understand the problem and take up our spiritual equipment, the better off we will be.
The changes, challenges, conflicts and chaos we see on Earth are merely the proxy war of what is happening in the heavens. Deal with the heavenly adversaries and it will bring a breakthrough here below.
If you want to read Part 01, click this link:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/winning-spiritual-war-kameel-majdali-fk6be
OR http://majdali.blogspot.com/2024/05/winning-spiritual-war.html
In Part 02, we will look at the practical side of how to fight in spiritual warfare and win.
Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ—2 Timothy 2:3 (KJV)
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses — 1 Timothy 6:12 (ESV)
A good starting place is the Book of Ephesians, Chapter Six. This is a wonderful, inspiring, exceeding blessed epistle. It tells of our great inheritance in Christ (chapter one), that we are seated in heavenly places (chapter two), that we may measure the immeasurable love of God (chapter 3), equip the saints to serve through the five-fold ministry (chapter four), be filled with the Spirit (chapter five). No criticism, no correction, and no condemnation – all good. Then you come to the final chapter, Ephesians 6 – and we are commanded to be strong in the Lord and put on the whole armour of God. There are various reasons for this but the main one is when you dwell in the heavenly places, you are more likely to have spiritual conflict than down on planet Earth.
Hannah Whitall Smith, author of the best-selling Christian classic The Christians Secret to a Happy Life, wrote these words in 1870:
… the Christian life is to be throughout a warfare; and that it is to be especially so when we are “seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:6, and are called to wrestle against spiritual enemies whose power and skill to tempt us must doubtless be far superior to any we have ever heretofore encountered. As a fact, temptations generally increase in strength tenfold after we have entered into the interior life, rather than decrease.
The Whole Armour of God – Ephesians 6:10-18
The stakes are high. Though we may have an interpersonal conflict on earth – something we need to minimise or avoid – all of this is child’s play compared to the true conflict in the heavens. Our real battle is against principalities powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places (v. 12). This list may sound like a formidable array of enemies but remember that ‘… greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world’ (1 John 4:4). We are well equipped to fight and win through the whole armour of God.
Note that the exhortation to be strong in the Lord and the power of His might is more than a polite suggestion; it is a divine command and we must do it now.
The Armour of God: Piece-by-Piece
- Belt of truth: Truth is our most potent weapon. Its powerful light dispels the darkness of lying and deception.
- Breastplate of righteousness: Christ’s righteousness is downloaded to our hearts by faith (Philippians 3:9). The breastplate protects our inner being.
- Gospel of peace on your feet: Keeping our feet on the gospel road is a key weapon against the kingdom of darkness.
- Shield of faith: Hold up high this shield because it will extinguish all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
- Helmet of salvation: This protects the battlefield of our minds.
- Sword of the Spirit: This is the Word of God – a weapon used to great effect by Jesus when tempted in the wilderness. Reciting the phrase, ‘it is written,’ followed by a Scripture quote, was enough to drive the devil away.
It is a healthy exercise to memorise and invoke each weapon when entering into a deep time of prayer. In intercession, remember to praise, thank, and worship God for who He is and for what He has done, as well as what He will do in answer to your prayer.
To Be continued.
Middle East At War? Insights from Zechariah 12
We have been exploring the topic of today’s Middle East war and how it compares with end-time prophecy. One of the prophetic signs Jesus predicted in the days before His second coming was ‘wars and rumours of wars’ (Matthew 24:6). Tragic as it may be, on the positive side it is part of the birth pangs of the coming kingdom.
One of the key prophets regarding the last days and Armageddon is Zechariah, He gave some great prophecies of the first coming of Jesus (like the triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey and His betrayal for thirty pieces of silver). Here is a key prophecy about the events leading to the second coming of Christ:
Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. 3And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it — Zechariah 12:2-3 (KJV).
When Zechariah prophesied these words twenty-five hundred years ago, Jerusalem was a humble walled village at the fringe of the Persian Empire.
In 1867 Mark Twain, the American novelist, visited Ottoman Palestine. His visit inspired the runaway bestselling travel book Innocents Abroad. His description of Jerusalem was anything but flattering:
Renowned Jerusalem itself, the stateliest name in history, has lost all its ancient grandeur, and is become a pauper village; the riches of Solomon are no longer there to compel the admiration of visiting Oriental queens; the wonderful temple which was the pride and the glory of Israel, is gone ….
If you told Twain that one day in the future, this ‘pauper village’ would modernise, grow and become the epicentre of international controversy and conflict, he would have laughed you out of the room! Yet, this is precisely what the prophetic word declared: Jerusalem will increase in stature, and size and become a global obsession.
Cup of Trembling: Zechariah 12:2
Here is God’s declaration regarding the nations and Jerusalem. He will make the Holy City a ‘cup of trembling.’ The Hebrew word for ‘trembling’ is ra’al, which means to ‘shake, reel, quiver, and/or tremble.’ This is more than mere intoxication. It is as if those who drink from the cup will become senseless and lose control. It is dangerous to be unhinged and helpless.
Who is going to drink from this poisonous cup? The text says ‘all the people round about.’ This could mean the immediate Arab neighbours of Israel (and we addressed this issue in our article on Psalm 83). Yet there is an even more devastating invasion and it does not involve the next-door neighbours – Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 38-39. To answer the question of who is drinking this cup, remember they will be besieging Judah and Jerusalem when the cup is offered. So in theory, the invaders could be near or far, neighbours or regional nations. They will wage a massive invasion and get stunned with senselessness.
The Burdensome Stone – Zechariah 12:3
At the Western Wall Tunnel in Jerusalem is an amazing sight: a larger-than-life single-cut stone called the ‘Western stone.’ It is 13.6 metres (45 feet) in length, 3 metres (10 feet) in height, and approximately 3.5 metres (11 feet) in width. The estimated weight is 570 short tons! How would you lift such a stone into its place? We would be scratching our heads today, let alone two millennia ago in the days of Herod the King.
Jerusalem is like that immovable stone Now we come to the heart of the whole matter, God declares that, ‘in that day’ — the day that the nations besiege Judah and Jerusalem, He will make Jerusalem an even ma’amasah, meaning a heavy, un-moveable, and burdensome stone. Humanly speaking, it is an unsolvable problem. Not only will the stone not budge, but those who try to make it do so will be injured. In this verse, it says that those who burden themselves with this stone ‘shall be cut into pieces.’ This is despite the fact that ‘all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.’ The nations are coming to Jerusalem – first for war (12:30), then for peace (14:16).
This is an incredible picture. As we learned earlier, there is nothing about Jerusalem that should make it the object of global attention and armed conflict, at least in the natural. It is neither large, strategic, nor well endowed with natural resources. It does not make sense (and a sip from the cup of trembling will lead to madness).
Jerusalem has key powerful stakeholders beyond just the Israelis and Palestinians, including the US, UN, EU, the Vatican, the Arab and Muslim world, Russia, and others. It is the subject of no less than sixty United Nations resolutions. It is a hot topic in any Middle East peace conference. It continues to evoke emotions and strong rhetoric on all sides. The push for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine has embedded in it a two-Jerusalem solution as well. Will the holy city be partitioned again, like it was from 1948 to 1967? The world community is demanding this outcome, more than ever. If they don’t get what they want by peaceful means, will armed conflict be next? Watch and pray (Mark 13:33, 35, 37).
When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory – Psalm 102:16.
The growth and modernisation of Jerusalem, plus the international controversy and conflict over it, were prophesied long ago. They are a milepost along the road telling us that the footsteps of Messiah are at the door.
Parts of this article are drawn from the book The Burdensome Stone: Jerusalem in the Last Days by K. Majdali, Melbourne: Teach All Nations, 2019.
God Had Fun
God must have had such fun making you! / With layers of heart in your fingertips / Everything you touch, stitched / With your care and courage.