Tag: israel

Closing Churches: For the Sake of Safety

Roger MitchellLeave a comment

Here’s one example of “foreign” policy in which we can be glad that Donald Trump did what was right. Right?

“Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre was closed by Israeli authorities earlier this month after Iranian missile fragments hit Jerusalem, with restrictions also being placed on who can enter the walled old city – home to all of the most sacred religious sites.

This has resulted in outrage among Christians, however, Israeli officials have said that Al Aqsa Mosque was also closed, and limitations were placed numbers of people visiting the Western Wall – and claimed that all of this was being done as a safety precaution.”

Apparently, after The Man leaned on TPTB over the controversy, Israel rescinded the order and allowed people to once again enter the church. In Israel’s defense, however, it must be noted that the closure was done for “safety’s sake” so that no one would be killed or wounded while worshipping God at the site, one of the most “holy” in all of Christendom. Israel, after all, pays special attention to ensuring that its citizens, visitors, and neighbors maintain good health and are free to come and go as they please.

Notice the heavy application of sarcasm in the last sentence.

“But closure of the Holy Sepulchre for Lent and Easter is basically unprecedented in recent history, and Church leaders say it violates the church’s historic autonomy under an arrangement called the ‘status quo’.”

Wait! What? Unprecedented in recent history? Well, this may be true of that particular building, but it was only a few years ago, 2020, to be exact, when churches in America were “strongly urged” to close their doors at Easter because there was a new, highly contagious, extremely lethal virus making the rounds and, if we didn’t isolate behind our face masks and bedroom doors, millions upon millions of people would have died. Thank God that Donald Trump intervened in that situation as well, protecting America’s citizens, visitors, and neighbors from almost certain harm and horrible death.

More sarcasm, a double helping. I’m on a roll here, people, bear with me.

I had started writing about the Covid Aberration in mid-March, but really got fired up when the “order” came down and countless churches, run by spineless men who didn’t know which King king they worshipped, but picked the one close to hand, especially since their 501(c)(3) tax status might have been questioned. I actually published a Letter to the Editor in a local paper, blasting the decision by churches to follow the “advice” of the State, but it didn’t seem to make much of an impact. However, for me, that was the final straw and I waded into the battle over Covid with full force and strength, and occasionally still do publish work which is not complimentary to the “defenders of the faith”.

Anyway, it seems ironic to me that Trump, who sat in the Oval Office at Easter time in 2020, who presided over the worst, most insulting scam and psy-op in recent years, and who may have actually given the order to close the churches (certainly he approved of the matter, since he has declared that as President, he can do whatever he wants, which means he could have overruled the order, but didn’t), put pressure on Israel to draw back from its heavy-handed tactics against worshippers at this time. After all, this is a “holy” time and no one should be restricted from a full recognition of their right to exercise their beliefs in the way they want to. Especially in Jerusalem, the most holy city in all the world.

Right? Of course, right!

All of this has brought back memory of that earlier time, six years ago, and the remembrance of the craven, obsequious, fearful actions of church leaders everywhere still has the power to enrage me, so I went digging in my archives and dredged up the original article to reprint. Nothing in it has been changed except for one very small editorial comment. I still stand behind my words. You can read the original here.

Corona, Churches, and Easter

April 12th, 2020 is Easter Sunday. It is considered the most important date in history by the Christian religion. It is universally celebrated as the day on which Jesus Christ rose up out of the grave in which he had been placed after his death the Friday before by crucifixion. He had been declared dead, was entombed, and came back to life immortal. This is the message that has been proclaimed for 2000 years.

Today, in America, that message will be muted considerably because churches have been ordered by the State to close their doors because of the Corona virus panic, er, I mean, pandemic.

If the State can tell churches to shut down over a ‘bug’, then this can happen for any reason at all. In fact, history shows that the more totalitarian a State becomes, the more prone it is to shut church doors. America is not immune.

In defiance of this order, churches everywhere ought to throw open their doors, welcome everyone in, and get on with the joyful worship of the One Who was dead, but now lives. Pastors and church boards ought to ‘gird up their loins’ and tell the State where to get off. After all, as the Apostle Peter said so eloquently when called up before the Jewish Court, “We ought to obey God, rather than men.”

Will this happen? Not likely. Today, in America, worship of the State has trumped worship of the King. God help us!

Note: The above was submitted as a Letter to the Editor [paywalled] to the Ravalli Republic, in Hamilton, MT on April 4, 2020 and printed April 5.

I fully expect to receive blowback because of this, but it makes me angry that the US government, our government, can simply issue a ‘guideline’ (thinly veiled threat is more like it) to churches and other places of worship, which is then taken as law by those same assemblies. It is not my intention to disparage or minimize the danger posed by Coronavirus, but I will not be quiet when a governing official (whoever that might be—elected or bureaucratic) orders a church to close its doors. No government should be able to dictate which church can practice its faith, when it can be open, when it must close, how many people can attend, who can attend, how much distance there must be between attendees, etc., ad infinitum.

Most churches today are more concerned with maintaining their 501(c)(3) tax exempt status than with proclaiming the truth. Threaten the run-of-the-mill pastor of today with ‘sanctions’ for disobedience of State rules and he will probably cave, thus watering down the message of the Good News. More than likely, he will trot out the argument that, according to Romans 13, we are supposed to obey the civil authority in everything we do, without ever considering that Christians in Nazi Germany or Stalinist Russia were under the same mandate and subject to the same standard.

Where will we draw the line against the encroachment of the State? If the various churches refuse to stand up to its edicts and dictates, what chance do any of us have?

We must not be quiet or we will be silenced.

It’s Time to Make a Stand: Christian Zionism is a Dead End

Roger Mitchell1 Comment

“Within the Zionist lobby, everything is extremely rational and carefully calculated—up to the moment when the final act arrives: the coming of the Messiah. That is the promissory note on which everything is built. It is issued against a future event. If that future does not arrive, everything collapses. Christian Zionism is even worse: everything in it rests on pure hallucination (the Rapture, and so on), which cannot come to pass, no matter how much one might wish it.” — Alexander Dugin

I’m going to unload here. I’ve been carrying this for a long, long time and it’s time to shuck it completely.

I subscribe to Alexander Dugin and have a lot of respect for his insights, but I’m not quite sure how to take this. He calls (the Rapture, and so on) pure hallucination, therefore, it cannot happen and, while I agree that he is spot on about the religious belief, nevertheless, I’m not ready to put God in a box. God can do whatever He wants and, if God wants the Rapture to come to pass, it will, no matter the protest from Dugin. Granted, however, he might have just used poor wording and grammar to make his point and, if so, I’ll withdraw my protest.

Not that it matters greatly to me because I don’t think it’s going to happen the way that so many are hoping for.

  1. What happens to the Zionist movement if the expected messiah, Moschiach, does not show up on schedule?
  2. What happens to the Christian Zionist Rapturist Dispensational Evangelical movement if…ditto?

I was born into and grew up in a conservative Baptist family and became well-steeped in the pre-millennial theory that Jesus was coming back soon, real soon (it’s always real soon), to take the true believers out of here (Rapture) and punish the evildoers with a rod of iron for 1000 years. As I recall, we were pre-tribulation Rapturists, but I knew (still know) many people who held to the mid-trib and post-trib opinions. I read Hal Lindsey’s blockbuster book, “The Late Great Planet Earth” at least twice and, by the time I was in my mid-teens, pretty sure that I had it all figured out. I’m not ashamed to admit that for a little while, I considered the possibility that Richard “Tricky Dick” Nixon might be the Anti-Christ and there were a few times when I found myself alone, wondering if the Rapture had occurred without me.

My parents encouraged us (siblings, myself) to think and question, so I did, and eventually in my late teens, became acquainted with the writings of dominion theology authors (Gary North, et al), absorbing the material like a dry sponge soaks up water. It didn’t take much “education” before I made the decision to leave the pre-millennial world behind and embraced post-millennialism whole-heartedly and with vigor. That was close on to fifty years ago and I have not looked back once, never regretted the change of direction, nor entertained any ideas about returning to the “fold” in the hopes of leaving Earth without dying.

One of the main tenets of pre-millennialism (pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib) is that the nation known as Israel must be present in the End Times (that period at the end of the world in which Jesus comes back physically). It is believed that world affairs will be orchestrated so that there will be an immense, ferocious battle between the nations in Israel, with the blood of the slaughtered humans rising as high as the bits in the mouths of the horses. How this would play out in an age of digital warfare where drones and missiles have become the dominant weapon is beyond me, but no matter. Armageddon MUST play out so that Jesus can return to prevent the total annihilation of His “Chosen People” and, by extension, save the Gentile believers as well. Once the battle is over and the Anti-Christ has been defeated, there will be an extended period of peace, 1000 years, after which all Hell and Mayhem will break loose once again, forcing Jesus to conquer Satan once and for all, condemning him and his hordes of demons to the Lake of Fire forever and ever, Amen!

This is a pretty simplistic explanation, but millions and millions of people actually believe this or some variant of it. I have no problem at all with calling it out, as Alexander Dugin did above, as a fantasy, a hallucination of the mind, a false religion. If this hurts your feelings and you want to respond in a Christian manner, well, I allow comments. Click on the button at the top of the page. Heck, if you want to unload on me in a non-Christian fit of rage, go ahead. I can take it.

There are any number of reasons why I reject the pre-millennial Rapture theory, but the main one is that it is a belief of hopelessness. I have heard this expressed untold numbers of times. Evil is getting worse and worse, the Bible guarantees that it will, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it until Jesus comes back to rescue His church from the mess which it is mired in.

“…I will build My church, AND the gates of Hades shall NOT prevail against it.” (emphasis added)

Apparently, the implication of the words in Matthew 16:18 have not been thought out to their logical end, because Jesus does not say that the gates of Hades will be broken down by Him, but by His Church.

This mindset, Rapture escapism, then, is used to excuse personal inaction on any given issue, abortion, for instance. If this issue (or any other) is ever raised in an attempt to galvanize Bible-believing Christians into some kind of action to put a stop to it, they will raise the argument that I just mentioned. Evil is getting worse, the news proclaims it, and this just confirms it, which means all we can do is pray and hope that Jesus shows up soon. Real soon. Does the term “circular argument” resonate with you? Did it ever occur to you to change your “news” source?

Pre-millennial Rapturism is a failed, deficient theology and it will be made evident when the State of Israel, which is the bedrock foundation of Christian Zionism, is beaten and destroyed, disappearing into the dustbin of history, joining other cruel, vicious, murderous empires like Genghis Khan and the Mongols, Pol Pot, Chairman Mao, the Soviet Union, and, of course, the Roman Empire. Which brings me back to the question I raised earlier: When the expected return of the messiah (Jesus Christ, or the Jewish version, Moschiach) does not materialize, what are these people going to do, other than to watch their long-held, die-hard belief system crumble into dust.

Which, as far as I’m concerned, cannot happen soon enough.

Gary North had a saying. “You can’t beat something with nothing.” Since the Rapture theory is “something”, what that means is that, in order to beat it, I’ve got to have a superior philosophy, a better argument, otherwise, I have failed. I’m going to have to explain why I am so confident in my own beliefs and why I have an unbending faith in the future, in time and on Earth, without the physical return of Jesus Christ.

Let me just give you a taste, something to chew on.

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” — Jesus Christ (John 16:7)

The Helper (Holy Spirit) would not come as long as Jesus was here, but has been present since He went away. What does it say about the power of the Spirit, Who is God, to overcome evil if Jesus has to come back to do the job Himself? If this is what you believe, then you are basically saying that the Spirit of God is not up to the task and must have help to finish the work.

Think about it.

I’ll be back.

America’s Moral Obligation to Defend the World and Attack Iran

Roger MitchellLeave a comment

I can remember discussions with my father when I was young and learning to form and assert my own opinions. In one of those, he brought out the argument that America had a responsibility to police the world because the US was the premier power of righteous morality (or something to that effect) and if we didn’t keep things in order, the world would soon end up in a chaotic maelstrom of Communist rule, headquartered in Moscow, Russia. At the time, as I recall, the Viet Nam war (Domino Theory) was still in full swing and, due to his experiences during WW21, it is understandable why he might be of that opinion.

Just the other day, a local chat group I participate in blew up into an intense, mildly rancorous debate because one of the members said that Donald Trump had to attack Iran and the main reason given for the “required” action was that 40, 000 Iranian citizens had been killed in the recent street protests. Needless to say, his viewpoint was severely questioned and the argument raged for some time with no clear resolution of the issue. Given that “Jeff” is a conservative Christian Zionist, it is understandable why he might think that way.

The US had a responsibility to make the world safe. The US had to attack Iran to stop the government there from killing its own citizens. These are nearly identical positions which bespeak that America has some (nebulous, unproven) God-given duty to ensure that the rest of the world behaves itself and to “straighten it out” if necessary, like a young boy facing a whipping for some misbehavior. Fifty years apart, they only prove that deeply held beliefs across a wide spectrum of society take a long time to change.

That line of thinking is dying out in America and it is fairly evident that most of the rest of the world has kicked it to the curb. Today, the US is widely seen, not as a shining knight on a white steed administering justice, liberty, and the American way, but as an overbearing, monstrous, murderous bully, intent only on getting its way, pushing its way into arguments which do not concern it, and beating the living daylights out of small, weak countries. Because, we can. Because, as Donald Trump famously said when asked if there were any limits on his actions as President, “Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me. I don’t need international law.” Because, his Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth openly states about the war, “Death and destruction from the sky all day long…This was never meant to be a fair fight, and it is not a fair fight. We are punching them while they’re down, which is exactly how it should be.” Because, as Michael Ledeen put it twenty some years ago, “Every now and again the United States has to pick up a crappy little country and throw it against a wall just to prove we are serious.”

“I define my own limits.” “Kick them while they’re down.” “Beat up somebody smaller and weaker than you are so others will notice.” These are the attitudes which rule American foreign policy today. Morally righteous behavior has nothing to do with it. God-given authority has nothing to do with it. In fact, the current administration has made it quite clear that it will no longer be held accountable by the standards and norms (internationally accepted) which ruled the interactions between countries. Supposedly ruled, I should say, since strong countries like the US have always forced the issues and never hesitated to use violent force whenever it was deemed “necessary”. From here on out, it’s the Law of the Jungle, and woe betide anyone who gets in the way of the rampaging 800 pound gorilla. Power exercised for the sake of power, and the collateral benefit is that great wealth is gained thereby.

As professing Christians, believers in the gospel of Jesus the Christ, disciples of His teachings, obligated to follow and obey His commands, it should be apparent that waging war by an ungodly State (US) goes against everything we are expected to adhere to, especially when said war is in the “service” of an anti-Christian, atheistic, murderous regime (Israel) which is absolutely opposed to Christian belief and actively persecutes those Christians (along with believers in other religious orders) who live within its jurisdiction. There is nothing Christian at all with the popular policy that “We have to kill them over there, so that we don’t have to kill them over here.”

For those who would disagree with this (and they are legion), I ask this. Where is it written that we MUST employ violent force to destroy anyone who gets in the way of “national interests”? Where is it written that “service” to our country overrides our obligation to the Prince of Peace? Where is it written that we are given the option between the way of the world and the narrow way to life? Where is it written that the US is an exceptional nation simply because we have been blessed materially with a scope of riches and power which history has never seen before? Where is it written that we can, like Donald Trump said, do whatever we want. Where is it written that we will never be called out for our behavior and reap the consequences of our actions?

In the current situation, there is a blatant hypocrisy which causes extreme discomfort and cognitive dissonance in those who refuse to face the truth. Enormous outrage is vented against Iran for killing 40, 0002 people, its own citizens, and action is demanded to impose “justice”. Yet, nary a peep is heard from these same people about the ongoing genocide in Gaza which has demonstrably and visibly slaughtered at least 75, 000 persons, most of them women and children. In addition, nothing is ever mentioned about the “sanctions” imposed on the Palestinians (Iraqis, Cubans, etc.) which have (and will) result in the deaths of many, many more due to lack of food, good water, and adequate health care. In fact, many of those who express anger at the Iranians for their “crimes against humanity” often, at the same time, profess to believe that the State of Israel, as the chosen people of God must be supported, idolized, and excused without restriction or accountability.

The teaching of Jesus simply does not matter in our world and can be relegated and confined to the weekly show known as “church” which passes for holiness today. “Thou shalt not kill” is relative. “Love your enemies” is conditional on how we feel about them. “Do good to those who hate you” means that we do “good” to them, but do it first. Kick them while they’re down.

Where is the concept of sacrifice for others out of a spirit of love, as exemplified by Christ and taught in the New Testament? How can we square the order of the true Commander-in-Chief3 with the way we live according to our own word? When will this change to better conform with what we profess to believe? Why do we continue to hold onto this contradiction and refuse to acknowledge it, except that we, again like Donald Trump, cannot bring ourselves to admit we are wrong and to repent of our sins?

Think about it.

  1. He was stationed on a light cruiser, USS Helena, which was sunk somewhere in the South Pacific. Incidentally, he and all four of his brothers were in active combat operations and all of them came home without serious injury. I take that as a REAL blessing of God. ↩︎
  2. This is an unproven claim which has been broadcast widely by the mainstream news, but is almost certainly inflated from the real number. It has been reported that many of the deaths which occurred, both civilian and law enforcement, were due to random sniper fire at riots which may have been orchestrated by Israeli (Mossad) and US (CIA) intelligence. ↩︎
  3. Not Donald Trump, BTW, who only holds that title as relates to the military. It does not transfer over to civilians. ↩︎

Wars begin. And they end.

Roger Mitchell1 Comment

Ho hum! Yawn! Another week of killing them over there so we don’t have to kill them over here.

It’s beginning to look like The Man, Mr. Donald J. Trump himself, is desperate and flailing about for any means of extricating the US from this ill-conceived and extremely stupid conflict he got himself into. Reading alternative news sources (not the Major Media Machine) gives me the understanding that the war is not going at all the way it was intended to when Trump and Older Brother Benjamin started it. A quick in-and-done result is long gone and Iran sounds resolute about not stopping until the menace of future attacks is completely obliterated and never to be attempted again.

Never is a very long time.

  • Strait of Hormuz passage subject to Iranian consent, none given to ships with US and/or Israeli ties.
  • Despite very public “begging”, many EU members have refused to join Trump’s “coalition of the willing” to reopen the Strait. Coalition of the Willing, of course, is a throwback to George H.W. Bush’s drive to wreak havoc on Iraq in the 1991 Gulf War.
  • Why have 5000 Marines been ordered into the region? Boots on the ground? But, to effect a successful ground invasion would require multiple times that pitifully small number, perhaps on the order of 500, 000, which the American public will not tolerate without just cause, such as, a mushroom cloud rising over an American city. Shades of the Iraq war in 2003 under Bush’s son, Dubya.
  • US Navy ships pulling back beyond the range of Iran’s missiles for no apparent reason, although rumor has it that one aircraft carrier has been struck.
  • Oil refineries throughout the region burning. Oil prices spiking daily. The world is beginning to feel the effects as evidenced by Denmark’s driving population encouraged to stop driving. Just stop, will you?
  • Trump sounding more and more erratic, not only in speech, but also on his own Truth Social.
  • Scott Bessent summoned abruptly to the Oval Office while in the middle of an interview, returning two hours later appearing very shaken and incoherent. One possible reason why:
  • Rumors flying around that Netanyahu has been killed in the heat of battle. Brought down by a random shot. No official confirmation at this time, but speculation is growing. If this proves to be true, that would be reminiscent of another of Israel’s leaders being taken out in the same manner, but 3500 years or so earlier: Ahab.

Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” The battle increased that day; and the king was propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians, and died at evening. The blood ran out from the wound onto the floor of the chariot. Then, as the sun was going down, a shout went throughout the army, saying, “Every man to his city, and every man to his own country!” So the king died… (1 Kings 22:34-37a)

History, it is said, does not repeat but rhymes, and it would be ironic (and rhythmic) if the war was ended because Dear Leader Bibi was indeed killed. Which brings us to the quote by Machiavelli seen at the top. Wars start whenever at the discretion of the leaders. They end when they end and usually for reasons unknown, unforeseen, and unanticipated at the initiation of the action.

When the first shot of battle is fired, the plan goes out the window.

God! What Do I Do Now?

Roger Mitchell3 Comments

This is a recent photo taken at the White House which has been spread far and wide in the also-recent revelation that members of the military have been subjected to “religious” persuasions and pressures from superior officers, presumably following the example and advice of the Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth. It reminded me of the painting which showed George Washington and Abraham Lincoln praying over George W. Bush while laying their hands on him. But, I guess that’s what warmongers do for each other.

The controversy began after an anonymous non-commissioned officer contacted the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) on behalf of several soldiers in a unit stationed outside the Iran combat zone. The individual wrote that a commander urged personnel to view the war as “all part of God’s divine plan,” while citing passages from the Book of Revelation. According to the complaint, the officer told troops that “President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth.” — The Cradle

I am not concerned whether this is true, although it certainly would be in keeping with the character of the head honchos who have visited the latest military destruction on Iran. Understanding so-called Biblical “prophecy”1 from a Zionist, evangelical, and dispensational point of view, it is not hard to believe that Earth is indeed “in the last days” as foretold by Revelation, just prior to the return of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who will rule and reign from Jerusalem for 1000 years, forcing everyone to bow and scrape to His authority on pain of being bopped by a Rod of Iron for disobedience, rebellion, and disbelief. Days of peace, indeed!

If, a big IF, Donald Trump has been set up in the Presidency by God Himself to usher in Armageddon and “light the signal fire” so that Jesus can find His way here, then he is certainly holding up his end of the responsibility. It makes me wonder, however, if this isn’t the wrong way to look at the situation. More than likely, instead of showing Jesus the way, Trump, his coterie of sycophantic yes-men and women, Lindsey Graham and his neoconservative ilk, and the world’s foremost arch-criminal, James Moriarty Benjamin Netanyahu and the entire leadership structure of Israel, are manipulating the actual sequence of events, literally forcing an appearance by Jesus to put an end to the fighting lest all mankind be killed and the Earth destroyed forever. And, if Jesus should somehow not show up, well, they win by default and take His place.

Shall we do evil so that good may come? Yeah, for sure, as long as the good comes to me.

Of course, that might be a little too far-fetched, so I’ll rescind the assertion and apologize to anyone whose feelings were hurt and whose beliefs were bruised. It is far more plausible to see things as Alexander Dugin explains in a well-written expose of Zionist thought.

“…Zionism is Judaism’s heretical rebellion where Jews declare themselves God, seize the Holy Land by force, and plunge tradition into apocalyptic upheaval.“

Well, Donald Trump hasn’t yet declared himself God, but he thinks of himself as The Supreme One. It wasn’t long ago that, in answer to a question about restraints on his behavior, he replied,

“…Trump insisted, just “one thing” that can curtail his desire for global supremacy: “My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.” — from an article on People

Add to that, his statement that, as President of the US, he can do whatever he wants, and you get the idea that he really thinks he is above the law, not just international law, but the Law Itself. The Highest Law. The one which says, “Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not lie, unless you’re on the campaign trail or at war.”

All this is to raise a question, however. Who or what were those people, including Donald Trump, praying to as shown in the photo above? If he cannot be stopped by anyone once his mind is made up and if he can act in any manner he wants, then why does he feel the need to seek guidance from a “higher” authority? Considering that he also is rumored to have said that he is not a Christian, that he hates his enemies, and that he has no compunction nor regrets about destroying others for his own sake (unarmed, hard-working fishermen in the Caribbean, e.g.), I am confident in stating2 that he does not worship the same Prince of Peace that I (and millions of other Americans) do. Maybe he recognizes and serves some other nefarious character who encourages him to indulge his god-like powers, you know, kill, steal, and destroy. I’d be willing to bet that all of the people in that photo think of only one thing–power and how to gain more of it, which is about as far from true Christianity, selfless sacrifice in the service of others, as anyone can get.

One of the ironies of the American War between the States, the War of Northern Aggression, the Civil War as some call it, is that the people on both sides of the conflict, both Union and Confederacy, believed that they were right, that their cause was just, and they prayed to the same God to give them victory over their enemies–the others, those over there. The same god, the same religion, the same belief structure, yet they expected God to pick and choose sides, to favor one while hurling lightening bolts at the other. Kind of like the internecine wars the Greek gods on Mount Olympus would involve themselves in and with just about the same results–a lot of dead people and widespread destruction.

Since, as human beings created in the Image of God, aren’t we all one big family? Brothers and sisters? Related to each other? Yet, in this current war which Trump and Netanyahu deliberately started, whose god is going to triumph? The stronger side? The more resilient force? The ones who don’t run out of ammunition first? The one who punched first or the other who punched back? Far be it from me to predict how God is going to act, but I am sure of this.

“God resists the proud…” (James 4:6)

Interestingly, I typed this exact phrase into my Brave browser which produced this response.

God resists the proud — a declaration rooted in Scripture, most directly found in James 4:6, which states, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” The Greek word used, antitasso, conveys a military image of deliberate, strategic opposition — God actively arranges circumstances to confront and humble those who exalt themselves. 

This resistance is not arbitrary but a response to pride rooted in self-reliance, arrogance, and a refusal to acknowledge God’s sovereignty.  As seen in Proverbs 3:34 (quoted in James), pride leads to divine opposition because it excludes God from one’s life. Psalm 10:4 describes the proud as those who “make no room for God,” and their self-sufficiency blocks true relationship with Him. 

Yet, the message is not only warning — it is an invitation. God’s resistance is not final rejection, but a call to humility.  Those who humble themselves, acknowledging their dependence on God, receive His grace. As James 4:7-10 urges: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” 

In essence, God opposes the proud to bring them to humility, so they may receive His grace and be restored.

Not bad for AI. Wouldn’t it be ironic if Iran was playing the role of antitasso?

  1. I have a close friend who calls it profit-cy, which, for those who make money off other’s misery, fits far better. ↩︎
  2. “By their fruits you will know them.” — Jesus Christ (Matthew 7:20) ↩︎

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream: A Modern Parable

Roger MitchellLeave a comment

“These were the visions of my head while on my bed:

I was looking, and behold,
A tree in the midst of the earth,
And its height was great.
The tree grew and became strong;
Its height reached to the heavens,
And it could be seen to the ends of all the earth.
Its leaves were lovely,
Its fruit abundant,
And in it was food for all.
The beasts of the field found shade under it,
The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches,
And all flesh was fed from it.”
(Daniel 4:10-12)

Sounds great, right? Such a nice dream to have. Peace, prosperity, and plenty for everyone. “Oh, beautiful, for spacious skies…” But, wait, as the TV commercials blare incessantly, there’s more.

“I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven.
He cried aloud and said thus:

Chop down the tree and cut off its branches,
Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruits.
Let the beasts get out from under it,
and the birds from the branches.
Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth,
Bound with a band of iron and bronze.”
(Daniel 4:13-15a)

Whoa! Wait a minute! What happened to the nice, pleasant picture I was seeing? This is ugly and I don’t like it.

“In the tender grass of the field,
Let it be wet with the dew of heaven,
And let him graze with the beasts
On the grass of the earth.
Let his heart be changed from that of a man,
Let him be given the heart of a beast,
And let seven times pass over him.”
(Daniel 4:15b-16)

Him? Who’s him? And what has he done to deserve this? Well, I’m glad you asked.

“All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. The king spoke, saying,

‘Is not this great Babylon,
That I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power
And for the honor of my majesty?‘”
(Daniel 4:28-30)

And, boom! Just like that, in fact, as the next verse says, “While the word was still in the king’s mouth…”,

The entire chapter tells the story. You’ll have to read it yourself to get the full report, but, in a nutshell, Nebuchadnezzar apparently went crazy insane and, within an hour, he was driven out of the palace, away from the city and civilization into the open fields where he spent the next seven years without any of the comforts of home, eating grass like an ox, completely senseless. The good part, however, is that after his ordeal, his right mind was restored, he gave credit where it was due, and he returned to his throne and picked up the affairs of the kingdom where he had left off seven years earlier.

“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar,
praise and extol and honor
the King of heaven, all of
whose works are truth, and
His ways justice. And those
who walk in pride He is
able to put down.”
(Daniel 4:37)

Now, I’m going to take this at face value. I see this as an historical account of an event that actually happened. I’ll leave it up to the scholars, historians, and argumentative skeptics to sort it out as to whether there’s more to the story than is recorded here. However, actual or imaginary, the lesson remains: proud, arrogant men (and women) can be taken down and humbled. This speaks volumes to the current phenomenon known as Donald John Trump, President of the United States, who, like Nebuchadnezzar, cannot resist bragging about himself and lifting himself higher and higher on the pedestal of his own vanity. I fear for him. If the story of Nebuchadnezzar is true and given to us as a lesson and a warning not to get too big for our britches, then The Don is skating on very thin ice.

When Nebuchadnezzar lost his mind, the world continued on as before with other leaders stepping in to fill his place. This would, of course, happen if Trump was taken out. The continuity of succession guarantees that JD Vance immediately becomes president and the system carries on. However, unfortunately for the rest of us, Americans and the rest of the world, Trump has access to weapons which Nebuchadnezzar could not have even dreamed about and may have the same mentality as Israel does with its Samson Option–if we’re going to lose, we do it bigly, no matter who or what we have to destroy. Suicidal madness is not restricted to “lone wolf” gunmen who shoot up schools, rock concerts, or nightclubs. It might be, just possibly might be, that Trump would resist the humbling process so strongly that nuclear weapons would be unleashed with devastating, world-wide consequences. All to avoid having to admit making a mistake and confessing to a sin of pride.

On the other hand, perhaps all this is the result of my own fevered imagination, by reading too much into the situation, and by taking too much Scripture on too much faith to mean that it means what it says. For instance:

“I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a native green tree. Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.” (Psalm 37:35-36)

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)1

“Try as much as I can, I am unable to call to mind anyone at present who does not spread himself more than Donald Trump. When it comes to calling attention to himself, he has no equal. In his world, there is only One and He knows it. Reminds me of Nebuchadnezzar, who was also compared to a tree and was cut down to size. See Daniel 4 for the story.”2

The war against Iran which Trump and Netanyahu have unleashed may well become the straw which finally breaks the camel’s back. We would be wise to contemplate the possibility. Selah. Pause. Consider.

  1. See also–Isaiah 14 and Genesis 11 for similar pronouncements ↩︎
  2. https://poorrogersalmanac.com/2025/07/10/officially-confirmed-epstein-didnt-kill-himself/ ↩︎

Looking Ahead to the New Year: Viva 2026!

Roger Mitchell1 Comment

Today is January 1, 2026, the beginning of a new year, and the possibility of any number of good things happening. After all, we just finished the season of wishing others a “Merry Christmas”, which connotes peace and good will toward others in a spirit of love, even toward our enemies. Or maybe, just not hating our enemies quite as much as we normally do.

Or perhaps, even more likely, since Christmas is over for another year and we can put those warm, fuzzy feelings behind us, the next year will be one of Hell breaking out on Planet Earth. There is ample evidence for this extrapolation.

  1. The Ukraine/Russian war which is threatening to engulf all of Europe.
  2. The ongoing Israeli massacre of the Palestinians in Gaza and the destruction of the Middle East.
  3. The next chapter of the Israeli/Iranian war, which might destroy the Middle East.
  4. The potential of the US attacking Venezuela in an effort to force a regime change, so that “we” can get “our” oil back.
  5. The strong suspicion that China is about to assault Taiwan.
  6. The rise of BRICS in opposition to the “international rule of law” as interpreted by the West.
  7. Financial turmoil on a scale never seen before and the recent nearly vertical rise in the price of gold and silver.
  8. The increasing belief that the Day of the Dollar is just about over and that a new system, the Great Reset is imminent.
  9. CBDC’s, digital surveillance, and social conditioning are about to destroy any residual semblance of privacy and freedom, all with the assistance of AI controlled data centers which are going to suck up every last available bit of electricity and fresh water.
  10. COVID. Climate change. The whole Woke monstrosity.
  11. Etc., etc., etc.,…

Oh, yes, there is good reason to believe that 2026 will not be all sugar, spice, and an extended vacation in a tropical paradise. Why, it’s almost enough to make me want to go to bed, cover my head with a pillow, and never come out again. And yet, and yet…

“In the world, you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33

For those who have put their hope and faith in Jesus Christ, the Word, and His word, the troubles we face here can be met with courage and fearlessness because we understand that He is watching over His creation, His Church, with the ultimate intention being that it will reflect all the glory which is God’s alone. No matter what happens to us, it is done with His permission and/or blessing. There is nothing which can touch us unless He allows it and even the “bad things” are meant to steer us toward greater humility and trust.

There are only three ways we can respond to the troubles around us:

  1. Returning evil for evil as the world does. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. What’s in it for me. I’m looking out for #1. Kill them all, let God sort them out. Money, money, money. He who dies with the most toys, wins. Eat, drink, and be merry, because tomorrow we die.
  2. Self-control. Love your neighbor as you love yourself, including your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Do not retaliate, but forgive. Seek peace with all. Beat your swords into plowshares. Make a positive difference in your own world because you believe in the future.
  3. Disengage. Distance yourself completely from society. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, but especially do nothing to restrain evil. In essence, admit defeat and commit suicide. Because it’s hopeless.

In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl wrote these timeless words.

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms–to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way…The way in which a man accepts his fate and all the suffering it entails, the way in which he takes up his cross, gives him ample opportunity–even under the most difficult circumstances–to add a deeper meaning to his life. It may remain brave, dignified, and unselfish. Or in the bitter fight for self-preservation he may forget his human dignity and become no more than an animal. Here lies the chance for a man either to make use of or to forgo the opportunities of attaining the moral values that a difficult situation may afford him. And this decides whether he is worthy of his sufferings or not.”

In everything we experience this next year, we have a choice. Go through it as a willing ambassador of Christ, knowing we are His, or go through it as an animal, forgetting or refusing to admit that we are made in His Image.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord…” — 2 Timothy 1:7-8a

As Christians, we have the power and ability to influence our world for the better. We ought not squander the opportunity. Be blessed as you go out and have a Happy New Year in His Name.

Victimization: Running Out of Steam

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I like to think of myself as caring and compassionate, especially toward those who are beaten down and needy through no fault of their own. I have no problem with slipping a Benjamin into the hand of an elderly widow or young mother who I am certain is not able to pay her electric bill. Yet, there are some things which simply cause me to rebel, to resist. One of these is the claim by some that they are eternal victims and that everyone must excuse their behavior because…

Well, you know.

Blacks in America are pretty good at this. They (or their ancestors, or perhaps only some) were made slaves by white people centuries ago and, due to that unfortunate tidbit of history, ought to have everything handed to them on a silver or gold platter today. Never mind that the ones who enslaved them (or their ancestors, or perhaps only some of them) were probably also black. Never mind that the term, Slav, which classifies a middle-European race, likely sprang from the fact that white people from that region were probably also “slaves”. Never mind that the black ancestors who were enslaved have long been dead, as have been their “masters”, and that there is no connection between myself and a black man in San Francisco or Atlanta as a result of that specific situation. Everyone knows they are victims and must be compensated.

Enough of that! Let’s get to the real meat here.

Earlier today, I watched a short “news” brief by ABC on the retaliation by Iran because of the Israeli strikes on that country on June 13. Friday the 13th. Exactly sixty-one days after President Donald (Cap’n Warp Speed) Trump had told the Iranians they had sixty days to conform and comply with his nuclear “negotiations”. If they didn’t, well, at least he warned them of the terror and suffering that was to come.

Anyway, ABC had a reporter on the ground in Bet Yam, a community which had received numerous missile strikes from the Iranians. (Where the heck is Iron Dome when you need it?) One of the complaints was that children, at least two, had been killed. Let’s be real clear about this, at least two Israeli children had been killed from the missile strikes and, for that, we ought to be outraged. Yet, there was not a word about the thousands of Palestinian children who have been coldly slaughtered in the name of “security” and “Greater Israel”, even though it is (and can be) completely documented. Nothing said at all about the Iranian children who died as a result of Israel’s aggressive action.

No! NO, NO, NO! Our children are dying!! Ours, not theirs. We ought to be the ones who are sympathized with, pitied, and something must be done about it!!!

Pat Benatar had something to sing about this. “I’m going to harden my heart…”

Truth is, I have trouble with ginning up any sympathy for the Israeli claim, because I know that the Israeli State is killing, has killed, an untold number of Palestinian or Iranian children. I can have pity for them, but…that’s about as far as it goes. The problem is that they have been claiming to be “victims of circumstance” for as long as I can remember, at least since the “oppression” in Egypt during the time of Moses, some 3500 years ago. How long does one have to be a victim before it becomes embedded into the DNA and bloodline?

Remember Pinnochio? The fox and the cat?

Is this wrong? Do I have a bad attitude? Am I in need of a readjustment in some camp somewhere?

I can, and do, feel sadness at the violent deaths of two Israeli children, but I also recognize and understand that this is payment received for the evil, violent, murderous behavior exhibited, pursued, and acted upon, by decades of Israeli leadership and society, which knew (know) only one thing: violence for the sake of power is to be pursued to the ultimate end, which is death. All that matters is that we win, no matter how much it costs, nor how many others have to die so that we can achieve our goal, our end. If some of those who die are our own, well…collateral damage.

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” — Jesus Christ, as recorded in Luke 6:38.

Sin, Crime, and Complicity

Roger Mitchell2 Comments

This is nothing more than a flash of inspiration experienced just the other day. Take it for what it’s worth.

Jesus said that if a man looks at a woman lustfully, then it is the same as if he had engaged in adultery with her. Think about her in a sexual manner and it is equivalent to bedding her physically. In other words, your thoughts define you as much as your actions.

Pretty stark, and I am absolutely guilty of the commission of this particular sin.

Now, let’s expand that to the conflict in Gaza, in which the Israeli State is attempting to completely destroy the Palestinian people who lived there. No holds barred. Kill them all. Let God sort them out. There are only three choices here for those not caught up in the actual “blood and guts” scene:

  1. Recognize that the way Israel is acting is wrong and must be brought to an end.
  2. Recognize that the way Israel is acting is right and support policies that push the effort forward.
  3. Do nothing. Have no opinion. Don’t even think about it.

Many people world-wide, more and more every day, adhere to #1, as I do. Pressure is building which is going to force an end to the slaughter and mayhem. God speed the day! And, there are many who simply cannot be bothered to consider what is happening because they are too caught up in their own world to care about anyone else. And, there are those who cheer and applaud what is being done without any regard to the wanton loss of life and the destruction of the Gazan population.

Unfortunately, many of this last set are Americans who call themselves Christian, yet perceive the events as biblical prophesy unfolding in history. God said it. I believe it. That settles it. As if there was no room for contemplation and admission of error. I know what I think and nothing is going to change my mind. Don’t even bother to try.

Returning to my opening statement, let me paraphrase the admonition from Jesus in this way.

If, if, you have a desire and a passion to see the Palestinians killed, tortured, raped, maimed, crippled, starved, and displaced by the Israeli State, then, for you, it is the same as if you had personally pulled the trigger, dropped the bomb, activated the flame-thrower, stopped the food trucks, destroyed the water-purification facilities, wrecked the hospitals, and forced the inhabitants into the desert with nothing more than the clothes on their backs and what they could carry. If, if, you support the most current “genocide” out of a belief, then you have committed the crimes listed and probably more.

After all, thinking about the act is the same as doing it, in God’s eyes. At least that is how I read it.

Now, if I am right about this, then there are millions upon millions of American Christians, some of them close to me, who are absolutely guilty of the same things which Israel and its chief benefactor and enabler, the United States, are doing. Yes, if this is the way you think, then you are complicit in these horrors and will be convicted, sooner or later, in some way or other, of the charge laid against you.

“But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” — Matthew 5:28

Straight from the lips of the Master. Without ambiguity or equivocation. Take it for what it’s worth.

The Drive to War, Next Phase: Part 2

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More questions concerning the bombing of the Saudi oil processing facility at Abqaiq. See my previous post for the beginning of this discussion.

If the Houthis, on whom the Saudis have been waging war for over four years, performed this operation, then there is no need for more speculation. It was a straight-forward military tactic to inflict injury on an opponent in a war. End of story. If it brings the Saudis to a point where they are willing to negotiate an end to the war, then more power to the Houthis. In fact, hit them again. Harder, this time.

But, if the Houthis did not do this, then why did they say they did? Why was that declaration immediate unless they knew in advance that it was going to happen? If they knew in advance that it was coming, then who told them? If someone else told them and they agreed to claim responsibility for it, then what was promised to them for their cooperation? Furthermore, if someone else was responsible for the attack, what was their rationale and purpose behind it?

Perhaps the Houthis actually did execute a high-tech, perfectly synchronized, flawless attack on an enemy’s territory which was supposedly “protected” by the most modern defensive weapons available. Or not. I am highly skeptical. My inclination is to think that another party is involved here. This has all the earmarks of a false-flag designed to persuade and coerce the US (and the American people) into waging yet another Middle-East war. So far, I haven’t seen any evidence presented which makes me think I ought to change my mind. I simply don’t believe the official narrative.

It is easy to focus on the question of who did it and try to pinpoint the perpetrator. The far more important one, though, is who benefits from the action. Cui bono? Merriam-Webster defines the phrase as, “: a principle that probable responsibility for an act or event lies with one having something to gain.” No matter what, the party which would gain the most by having the US attack Iran is unquestionably the state of Israel, with Saudi Arabia tracking closely behind it.

Politically speaking, it is not in Israel’s interest to have widespread peace breaking out in the neighborhood. If this did happen and the antagonistic parties started working out their disagreements civilly and peacefully, then the police state in power in Jerusalem would have less justification to maintain their policies of brutal repression and the continual drive for military dominance and superiority. Where’s the money in that? If the US attacked and destroyed Iran, Israel would have no viable competition left to challenge its dominance in the region.

Neither is it in the Saud’s interest to negotiate a cease-fire with the Houthis, since that would infer a catastrophic defeat of the Kingdom by a vastly inferior foe. This perception alone might be enough to cause a “regime change” and a course correction within the government of the House of Saud, something which the powers-that-be are not willing to tolerate. If the US attacked and destroyed Iran, the price of oil would go up astronomically, conferring an immediate financial benefit on the Saudis which they desperately need. That is, if anyone else could afford to buy it.

Considering this, it’s easy to imagine that either the Israelis or the Saudis (or both) orchestrated this singular event, in the hopes that the US would then jump in and destroy Iran or that it would draw attention away from the fact that the war in Yemen is going badly for Saudi Arabia. Neither of these is far-fetched. The kicker is that if the US doesn’t respond in the hoped-for manner and refuses to attack Iran, then the whole operation has been a colossal failure on the part of the perpetrators. One can hope.

I would like to believe that the Houthis actually did execute this attack and that they can use it (and more like it, if necessary) to drive the Sauds to the negotiating table. Ending the war in Yemen by inflicting severe injuries on the Saudi apparatus is a desirable benefit. My gut instinct, however, tells me differently.