Wednesday, February 8, 2012
The Cross In The Desert: The holocaust: " a picture is worth a thousand wor...
The Cross In The Desert: The holocaust: " a picture is worth a thousand wor...: "The holocaust is a myth," proclaims Iranian President Ahmadinejad." This is a bold statement to make in a world saturated with hatred and ...
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
The holocaust: " a picture is worth a thousand words."
"The holocaust is a myth," proclaims Iranian President Ahmadinejad."
This is a bold statement to make in a world saturated with hatred and racism. The question is, is that an accurate statement? Does the claim correspond to the facts of history? First of all, what does the word "myth" mean anyway? The dictionary defines the word myth as, quote, "a fictitious story, person or thing."
So the question becomes, is the holocaust really a myth that is denied by the facts of history?
When the allied and Russian troops marched into the death camps of Auschwitz and Treblinka, was it a myth when they discovered thousands of dead and deformed bodies lying on top of each other in gruesome piles? Are you seeing a myth when you take a tour of the holocaust museum in Washington d.c. and are confronted with the thousands of pictures and documents graphically revealing what life was like in the death camps?
Can you honestly proclaim that the holocaust was a myth when you hear the heart-wrenching testimonies of the survivors whose lives have been scarred forever?
The holocaust is anything but a myth! It was a devastating reality of evil, hatred and intolerance that brutally claimed the lives of more than six million Jews.
In my new book, "The Promise: We will meet again," I take the reader on a journey with Hannah and Rachel, two young Jewish girls whose incredible friendship was put to the test by the darkness and the horrors of the holocaust. In the end, The Love of God triumphed over the hatred and cruelty of the Third Reich.
The Old cliche, "a picture is worth a thousand words," I think will demonstrate that the statement, "The holocaust is a myth," has no basis in reality or history. Please take a few minutes to watch this short video and I think you will agree that a picture is indeed worth a thousand words.
This is a bold statement to make in a world saturated with hatred and racism. The question is, is that an accurate statement? Does the claim correspond to the facts of history? First of all, what does the word "myth" mean anyway? The dictionary defines the word myth as, quote, "a fictitious story, person or thing."
So the question becomes, is the holocaust really a myth that is denied by the facts of history?
When the allied and Russian troops marched into the death camps of Auschwitz and Treblinka, was it a myth when they discovered thousands of dead and deformed bodies lying on top of each other in gruesome piles? Are you seeing a myth when you take a tour of the holocaust museum in Washington d.c. and are confronted with the thousands of pictures and documents graphically revealing what life was like in the death camps?
Can you honestly proclaim that the holocaust was a myth when you hear the heart-wrenching testimonies of the survivors whose lives have been scarred forever?
The holocaust is anything but a myth! It was a devastating reality of evil, hatred and intolerance that brutally claimed the lives of more than six million Jews.
The Old cliche, "a picture is worth a thousand words," I think will demonstrate that the statement, "The holocaust is a myth," has no basis in reality or history. Please take a few minutes to watch this short video and I think you will agree that a picture is indeed worth a thousand words.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
A campaign of Hatred
(Genesis 12:3)
""Israel must be wiped off the map!" "The holocaust is a myth. They invented the myth of the massacre of the Jews and placed it above Allah, religions and the prophets"
Iranian President Ahmadinejad is busy conducting a campaign of hatred toward Israel. These and many other declarations of hate have been made by him in speeches since he was elected President in 2005. According to Ahmadinejad, the goal of their recent nuclear buildup is to "pave the way for the reappearance of the twelfth Imam, The Mahdi " who will make Islam the dominating force and religion in the entire world.
Thousands of years ago, God speaking through the Prophet Zechariah, prophesied that, "Behold I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, and in that day, I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people." (Zechariah Chapter 12, verse 3)
This prophecy has certainly come true. The focus of the world is upon the nation of Israel as she fights for her very existence against terrorists who are determined to wipe her off the face of the earth. In Genesis 12:3 God outlines His response to the treatment of other nations against His chosen people. I will Bless them that bless you and curse them that curse you." Its that simple!
In the violent climate of intolerance and anti-semitism, I recently published my new book, "The Promise: We will meet again." The Promise is the story of Hannah and Rachel, two young young Jewish girls whose friendship endures the darkness and horror of the holocaust. Its a story of the triumph of love and faith in spite of the cruelty and hatred of the Germans. The Germans tried to wipe out the Jewish race and failed. God preserved them to prove that any nation whose foundation is built on cruelty and hatred will crumble. His promise to curse them that curse Israel became a living reality to Germany.
The amazing irony in all of this is that my Iranian friends are reading my new book, "The Promise." Unlike their President, they are tolerant and open-minded and desire to understand the horrors of the holocaust that Ahmadinejad dismisses as a myth!
God will certainly bless my Iranian friends for their kindness and sympathy towards the Jewish people. They are not like their President whose goal and ambition is to wipe Israel off of the map.
I encourage you to read my new book, "The Promise: We will meet again." I believe that you will conclude that the holocaust was anything but a myth. It was the darkest hour of Israel's existence but God triumphed in the end and brought beauty out of the ashes of their suffering.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
"Iran's crimes against children"
"The world should not be silent in the face of these executions.."
Hadi Ghaemi/dir,Int'l campaign for human rights in Iran
On Auguts 15, 2004, Atefah Sahaaleh was publicly hanged on on a boom crane in her hometown in Neka, Iran. The judge, Haji Rezai, who carried out the execution himself, was quoted as saying, "This will teach you to disobey!" Atefah was only 16 years old.
Iran is a signatory state to the International covenant on civil and political rights. Article 6.5 states that, "sentence of death shall not be imposed for crimes committed by person below 18 years of age."
Aricle 37 of the CRC (Covenant of the rights of a child) explicitly states, "Neither capital punishment nor life imprisonment without possibility of release, shall be imposed for offenses committed by persons below 18 years of age."
Yet in defiance to the international law and covenants, Iran continues to execute minors below the age of 18 for drug related crimes and crimes against chastity. The United Nations special rapporteurs on Iran have condemned the public executions of juveniles as a violation of their international obligations and is calling for a moratorium against this practice. Although the total number of child executions is unknown, as least three have been accounted for in 2011.
Iran continues to shock the world with its increasing number of human rights violations. Hundreds of journalists, political prisoners, filmmakers and accused spies fill their prison system. Most of them are denied access to lawyers and fair trials.
Hadi Ghaemi, Director of International campaign for human rights in Iran,summarizes the plight of Iranian children in a powerful proclamation:
"The world should not be silent in the face of these executions. Children are the most vulnerable members of society, the majority of these child offenders were either framed or suffer psychological illnesses and have no access to fair trials."
We must not remain silent, but speak out against the gross injustices and crimes against Iran's children. Atefah Sahaaleh was only 16 years old when she was publicly hanged. Will there be others? It's up to you and me!
Hadi Ghaemi/dir,Int'l campaign for human rights in Iran
On Auguts 15, 2004, Atefah Sahaaleh was publicly hanged on on a boom crane in her hometown in Neka, Iran. The judge, Haji Rezai, who carried out the execution himself, was quoted as saying, "This will teach you to disobey!" Atefah was only 16 years old.
Iran is a signatory state to the International covenant on civil and political rights. Article 6.5 states that, "sentence of death shall not be imposed for crimes committed by person below 18 years of age."
Aricle 37 of the CRC (Covenant of the rights of a child) explicitly states, "Neither capital punishment nor life imprisonment without possibility of release, shall be imposed for offenses committed by persons below 18 years of age."
Iran continues to shock the world with its increasing number of human rights violations. Hundreds of journalists, political prisoners, filmmakers and accused spies fill their prison system. Most of them are denied access to lawyers and fair trials.
Hadi Ghaemi, Director of International campaign for human rights in Iran,summarizes the plight of Iranian children in a powerful proclamation:
"The world should not be silent in the face of these executions. Children are the most vulnerable members of society, the majority of these child offenders were either framed or suffer psychological illnesses and have no access to fair trials."
We must not remain silent, but speak out against the gross injustices and crimes against Iran's children. Atefah Sahaaleh was only 16 years old when she was publicly hanged. Will there be others? It's up to you and me!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
"Fear not, For I am with you."
"Fear not, For I have redeemed you. I have called you by My name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire you shall not be burned
and the flame shall not consume you.
(Isaiah 43: verses 1-2)
My new book, "The Promise: We will meet again," is a living testimony to this incredible promise of God.
Hannah and Rachel are two young Jewish girls growing up in the Warsaw Ghetto during the German occupation. Their lives are turned upside down by the cruelty, hatred and murderous acts of Nazis. The Nazis invade their city, build a wall around it and begin a cruel campaign of starvation, murder and oppression of the Jewish inhabitants. Realizing their only hope for survival is escape, Hannah's family decides to go into hiding. Hannah must now say a tearful goodbye to her best friend Rachel. They meet together at the ruins of a synagogue and make a pledge to each other that if they survive the holocaust, that they will search for each other after the war is over.
The Promise is about the incredible providence of God guiding Hannah and Rachel's lives in the midst of the Nazi extermination of the Jewish race. It is a book of hope and survival and love. In every situation Hannah resists the cruelty and hatred of the Germans by trusting in Hashem(Hebrew word for God) . She does not stand by and watch her people suffer but courageously becomes involved to protect them from the oppression of the Nazis.
This book will take the reader on an nonstop adventure of survival, hiding from the nazis, and enduring the harsh and brutal circumstances of the Auschwitz death camp. Hannah gives us all hope and determination to survive and overcome in the darkest of circumstances, trusting in the promises of God. God has promised to be with His people in every circumstance and tells us not to fear. Hashem was with Hannah in her every circumstance and kept his promise. There is a very happy ending to my book, "The Promise." The ending will demonstrate that God is with us through our suffering and pain and that he truly does keep his promise.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire you shall not be burned
and the flame shall not consume you.
(Isaiah 43: verses 1-2)
My new book, "The Promise: We will meet again," is a living testimony to this incredible promise of God.
Hannah and Rachel are two young Jewish girls growing up in the Warsaw Ghetto during the German occupation. Their lives are turned upside down by the cruelty, hatred and murderous acts of Nazis. The Nazis invade their city, build a wall around it and begin a cruel campaign of starvation, murder and oppression of the Jewish inhabitants. Realizing their only hope for survival is escape, Hannah's family decides to go into hiding. Hannah must now say a tearful goodbye to her best friend Rachel. They meet together at the ruins of a synagogue and make a pledge to each other that if they survive the holocaust, that they will search for each other after the war is over.
The Promise is about the incredible providence of God guiding Hannah and Rachel's lives in the midst of the Nazi extermination of the Jewish race. It is a book of hope and survival and love. In every situation Hannah resists the cruelty and hatred of the Germans by trusting in Hashem(Hebrew word for God) . She does not stand by and watch her people suffer but courageously becomes involved to protect them from the oppression of the Nazis.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Christianity is a love relationship with God
"God is Love" (1 John 4:16)
This short little affirmation tucked into the 16th verse of John's first epistle sums ups the nature of God. God is loving, compassionate, merciful and forgiving. The God of the Bible pursues us with his irresistible love. The length, width, height and depth of His love cannot be measured. It is unfathomable!
This short little affirmation tucked into the 16th verse of John's first epistle sums ups the nature of God. God is loving, compassionate, merciful and forgiving. The God of the Bible pursues us with his irresistible love. The length, width, height and depth of His love cannot be measured. It is unfathomable!
The Scriptures declare that, "God demonstrated his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," (Romans 5:8) God put His love on display two thousand years ago. His love was not mere words or sentimental feelings, but an open display on a wooden cross where He gave his life so that we might live.
The Bible is filled with pictures of God's irresistible love. The tender care of a shepherd for his sheep. And when he loses one, He searches everywhere until He finds the lost sheep and then rejoices. The picture of a Merciful father who pursues his wayward prodigal son and when he finally finds him, he runs to him and throws his arms of love around him in forgiveness.
These are pictures and illustrations wonderfully painted in the teachings of Scripture. Jesus, the master storyteller loved to paint pictures of God's love in his teachings. He was grieved by the heavy burdens of the law put on the Jewish people by the religious scribes and Pharisees. They painted the picture of a stern and demanding God expecting his people to live up to an endless list of standards. Instead of putting more religious demands on people, Jesus held out his arms of compassion, inviting sinners to himself, saying, "Come to me, you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
Are your resting and trusting in the perfect righteousness of God as a gift or are you trapped on a performance treadmill trying to earn the love and grace of God? On the Day of Judgment God will not ask you how many times that you prayed or fasted. Instead he will ask, what did you do with My Son?
Christianity is a love relationship with God. It is based on an invitation to rest in the love and forgiveness of Jesus. Religion or relationship. Which will you choose?
These are pictures and illustrations wonderfully painted in the teachings of Scripture. Jesus, the master storyteller loved to paint pictures of God's love in his teachings. He was grieved by the heavy burdens of the law put on the Jewish people by the religious scribes and Pharisees. They painted the picture of a stern and demanding God expecting his people to live up to an endless list of standards. Instead of putting more religious demands on people, Jesus held out his arms of compassion, inviting sinners to himself, saying, "Come to me, you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
Are your resting and trusting in the perfect righteousness of God as a gift or are you trapped on a performance treadmill trying to earn the love and grace of God? On the Day of Judgment God will not ask you how many times that you prayed or fasted. Instead he will ask, what did you do with My Son?
Christianity is a love relationship with God. It is based on an invitation to rest in the love and forgiveness of Jesus. Religion or relationship. Which will you choose?
Sunday, November 20, 2011
No Compulsion of religion
"There shall be no compulsion of Religion"
(The Quran: Surah 2:256)
Pastor Yousef is on death row in Iran for converting from Islam to Christianity. The remarkable irony of his sentence completely contradicts the teaching of the Quran. The Quran explicity states that "there shall be no compulsion of religion."
How can this be? How can the government of Iran hold to the teachings of the Quran and at the same time sentence a Christian pastor to death, when their own holy book says that religion cannot be forced on anyone?
There is a serious contradiction here.
Pastor Yousef has been in prison for over a year and has suffered both physical and psychological torture. He has endured grueling interrogations and tactics in an attempt to make him recant his faith.
Yet the Quran declares that there is no compulsion of religion.
The government has arrested thousands of protesters since the 2009 bloody election and will not allow them to disagree, speak out or assemble a rally. There is no freedom of conscience, assembly, speech or religion in a country that claims the authority of the Quran.
Yet in the Bible, we are given a choice! Jesus says in Revelation 3:20, "Behold. I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him and he with me."
This is clearly an invitation in contrast to the harsh tactics employed by the Iranian government to recant one's faith.
God invites you and me to have a love/relationship with him. We have a choice that is not coerced. We are invited to come freely on our own without being forced against our wills.
Pastor Yousef should be given the same opportunity and not be punished to death for his choice.
I agree with the Quran. "There is no compulsion in Religion." Let's Pray that God opens the eyes of the government leaders to believe their own book.
(The Quran: Surah 2:256)
Pastor Yousef is on death row in Iran for converting from Islam to Christianity. The remarkable irony of his sentence completely contradicts the teaching of the Quran. The Quran explicity states that "there shall be no compulsion of religion."
How can this be? How can the government of Iran hold to the teachings of the Quran and at the same time sentence a Christian pastor to death, when their own holy book says that religion cannot be forced on anyone?
There is a serious contradiction here.
Pastor Yousef has been in prison for over a year and has suffered both physical and psychological torture. He has endured grueling interrogations and tactics in an attempt to make him recant his faith.
Yet the Quran declares that there is no compulsion of religion.
The government has arrested thousands of protesters since the 2009 bloody election and will not allow them to disagree, speak out or assemble a rally. There is no freedom of conscience, assembly, speech or religion in a country that claims the authority of the Quran.
Yet in the Bible, we are given a choice! Jesus says in Revelation 3:20, "Behold. I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him and he with me."
This is clearly an invitation in contrast to the harsh tactics employed by the Iranian government to recant one's faith.
God invites you and me to have a love/relationship with him. We have a choice that is not coerced. We are invited to come freely on our own without being forced against our wills.
Pastor Yousef should be given the same opportunity and not be punished to death for his choice.
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