New blog

I have decided to discontinue the Joshua Tree blog. I have created a new blog called Desert Streams . This new blog will include some new features including the ability to chat with me in real-time. I will focus my comments in the same areas: house church, fellowship, technology used for the Kingdom, and life in general.

Desert Streams will be linked off the Phoenix Area House Church website. Come join me at the new location.

World Opinion

With the current war going on between Israel and Hezbollah, world opinion has been against Israel from the beginning. With Hezbollah hiding behind the civilian population of Lebanon, tragedies such as Qana are bound to happen. The world news outlets are very quick to report this. In Dennis Prager's article on world opinion, he brings up some interesting points that we should keep in mind.

Here is a couple of exerpts from the article that are worth noting.

"If you are ever morally confused about a major world issue, here is a rule that is almost never violated: Whenever you hear that "world opinion" holds a view, assume it is morally wrong."

"That "world opinion" at this moment allegedly loathes America and Israel is a badge of honor to be worn proudly by those countries. It is when "world opinion" and its news media start liking you that you should wonder if you've lost your way."

As Christians, we can understand what Dennis is saying.

Jesus said in John 7:7 - "The world cannot hate you, but it does hate Me because I testify about it--that its deeds are evil."; in John 15:18- "If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you."; and in John 15:19 - "If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you."

In addition, we have the hope that Jesus prayed for us in John 17:13-20:

Now I am coming to You, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have My joy completed in them. I have given them Your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world, as I am not of the world. I am not praying that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. I sanctify Myself for them, so they also may be sanctified by the truth. I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in Me through their message.
(Joh 17:13-20)