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Interested to go? I recommend this tour.
https://www.celebratemessiah.com.au/israeltour2026 Affordable. Profound. This is really an UPDATE on my previous post, “Stop Equivocating" Senator Jonathan Duniam answers ACL's questions about the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Act 2026, which was passed this January. Key points:
The bigger story now is that since 2022, the federal government has underfunded and degraded the capacity of ADF, AFP, ASIO, Home Affairs, National Security Committee (chaired by the PM!), to police bad actors who violate these values. (NB: Greens would make it worse by their recent election policy, “No discrimination in immigration.”)
National Security’s capacity to act must be restored, to detect, interfere, intercept national security threats as they used to. This is the real story from which Labor’s legislative push has distracted us since Bondi. Reported by ADF, AFP, Home Affairs leaders, in The Australian newspaper. - Paul Scanlon (a former ADF tactical assault group commander and a veteran of several deployments with Australian special forces, in The Australian, Jan 9-10, 2025) - Mike Pezzullo, who was secretary of the former Department of Immigration and Border Protection 2014 to 2017, then the Department of Home Affairs 2017 to 2023 (The Australian, Jan 18-19, 2026.) As long as we’re talking about controversial laws, we’re overlooking the culpability of the government over National Security! The other big story is that Labor and Greens keep trying to limit free speech - especially regarding Christian morals, as per their Socialist views against the church & family. - Labor offered no defence when the Australian Law Reform Commission denied Christian schools the right to employ Christian staff; - Labor introduced the Misinformation & Disinformation Bill with loopholes to shut down whatever they determine is untrue; - Labor introduced the first draft of the Hate Speech with loopholes that would have threatened free speech on contentious issues. I say, I don’t trust Labor to safeguard free speech and civil discourse, I think they are trying to undermine it, to control us in their way of Socialism. My previous post applies to how we, and national security, must be free to talk about national threats. Yep, here in Australia, in very plain sight. Please don't be sucked in by ABC & Nine. The Australian and Sky have it right. Today I received a good statement from Never Again Is Now, contrasting the difficult facts with the simplistic falsehoods: "The announcement that Iran is behind at least two, and probably more, of the antisemitic attacks in Australia comes as no surprise to anyone who understands the ideology and methodology of the Iranian regime.
"In the days ahead there will be two ways to understand and frame these events. "The first way frames this as proof that we don’t have any internal problems with antisemitism and social cohesion here in Australia. This was all a result of foreign interference. And all the rallies that we see each week are solely a result of Australians uniting behind their horror at the atrocities being perpetrated in Gaza, against innocent Gazans, by the genocidal, criminal Netanyahu regime. "To understand events in these terms is catastrophic error, which continues to show the naivety of Australians and the success of the Iranian propaganda and terror campaign against Israel, Australia and Western Civilization. "The second way to understand these events is to see them as unmistakable proof of what many of us have been saying since October 7, 2023: Israel is our ally fighting an existential war against our common enemy Iran and its Jihadist proxies. The war in Gaza is simply the most openly violent front of the broader war that Iran and the Jihadists are waging against western civilization, including Australia. What Israel is doing in Gaza is responding to the literal invasion of its territory by an Iranian proxy. What Australia is doing is responding to an incursion into its territory by Iranian proxies. The difference is a matter of degree, not of kind. "The Prime Minister rightly said at his press conference that Australians, “want killing in the Middle East to stop, and they don’t want conflict in the Middle East brought here”. "What the Prime Minister, and all Australians need to understand, is that the path to both these outcomes runs through Jihadist Islam, and its chief sponsor, the regime in Iran. "Killing in the Middle East will stop when the Iranian proxy, Hamas, is defeated, and every Jihadist group in the Middle East realises that Israel cannot be defeated militarily. The greatest advance towards peace in the Middle East has been the defeat, by Israel, of Hezbollah, and the destruction, by Israel and the USA, of Iran’s nuclear program. "In this context, it is hard not to think that the Albanese government's decision to recognise Palestinian statehood plays straight into the hands of the Iranian regime and will do nothing except prolong the bloodshed. "This issue of Palestinian statehood can be resolved only once the Palestinians, and the Iranians, and every other group in the region abandons the religious fantasy of eliminating Israel. Peace will only come through military strength. Any weakening of Israel’s military capacity will simply delay the achievement of peace. "With regard to importing foreign conflicts into Australia it is clear for all to see that Iran, and its proxies are operating in Australia. The war is here, and it is nothing less than a war of civilizations. The Palestinian cause has become the Trojan horse by which the Iranian backed Jihadists are dividing and undermining western civilization. The “free Palestine” movement is in fact the vanguard of the Jihadist and Marxist takedown of western civilization. "The Prime Minister and ASIO are to be commended for their actions with regard to the Iranian Ambassador and the IRGC. Now we need them to show the same insight and resolve with regard to Iran’s remaining proxy in Australia, the “Free Palestine” movement. "Yours in making antisemitism unthinkable, Mark Leach Founder Never Again Is Now This is the kind of Christmas message I would have given if I'd thought of it! Well done Mark Fairley. From me to you all, may your Christmas be full to overflowing! Also, given the year Israel has had, I thought it worth sharing this reflection through Jewish eyes, that made mine overflow - again. Especially the crescendo moment "the great I AM!" Shalom Shalom. I'm well overdue for an update on Cheers Neighbours’ Network. Plans about whose auspices Cheers come under have changed since last time (long story), but there is light on the horizon maybe with Worldview Aus who I now work for. WVA is still finding its organisational feet, and there's no urgency, but it's good to have insurance, childsafe training etc. And the connection between Cheers & Worldview Australia is strong as ever.
I visited Israel in May 2024, yes during the current war. We visited the Nova festival site, and Kfar Aza, a kibbutz attacked on October 7. I could have kicked a footy into no-man's land from where we stood. And yes we heard live rounds, rockets & rumbles. We saw and heard evidences of what happened. It's bad, evil. And I slept in earshot of jets & rockets in the north. But to understand that day, and this war requires more context than most news reports supply. The context is bigger than Oct7, includes centuries before 1948, and is literally of Biblical proportions. I'm still digesting what to say theologically and pragmatically. But meanwhile I can offer these reflections: 1) Here's a good list addressing many of the common myths & memes about Israel & Palestine. 2) Here's a good way to consider the ideologies at play. Compare, "what would happen the next day if Hamas surrendered?" with, "what would happen the next day if Israel surrendered?" The obvious answers tell us who is responsible for the war, and its drawn out outcomes. 3) Christians really care about Gazans' suffering from the many evils attacking them, most especially the spiritual and ideological powers driving Hamas. Radical Islam has been the aggressor/colonizer since the 8th century, asserting that any land that has ever been under Muslim rule can never be given back (hence 'river to the sea'), colonizing Palestinia from Israelis living there after the fall of the Roman empire. Then after the fall of the Ottoman empire, the land was contested again, until post-WW2 when it was legally returned to the reconstituted Israel via multiple international laws. And boundaries were further adjusted legally through multiple defensive wars. 'Occupied territories' is Islamic nomenclature since Palestine is not a country, and Israel is the only actual country willing & able to claim or run it, even offering a two state solution to do so. So for Gazans, ultimately only grace, the Way, Work & Person of Jesus, can fix radical Islam and bring peace in the middle east, both spiritually & practically. A change of heart is needed, from Mohamed to The Messiah. It's not so unrealistic, since Jesus is a key figure within both Judaism and Islam, and considered rightly could fulfil both religions in a unifying way. 4) Christians also care about Jews, and about Jerusalem coming to faith in The Messiah. Just as Israel has blessed us Gentiles with the knowledge of God, the Law, & the Messiah, so we are to return the favour - that they may receive the Messiah. Only when Jerusalem welcomes Jesus will He return to them, as He said, "For I tell you [Jerusalem], you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’" (Mt23:39) 5) So there is no reason to hate a race, Palestinians or Jews, because this is not a racial battle (we are all one race anyway, and Palestinian blood is largely Jewish since the 8th century muslim colonization!) Many Palestinians, including millions of Arab Christians, disagree with Hamas.  So there is no reason to hate "Palestinians" or "Arabs." The problem is the spiritual worldview of radical Islam held by Hamas - Hezbollah, Al Qaeda, ISIS, Taliban, Boko Haram, Muslim Brotherhood, and Islamic Revolution in Iran. Israel is warranted to disarm such continuous clear & present attackers. But also we pray for Palestinian Christians to win over their brothers to a better worldview, and to new spiritual life in the True Isa. 6) Likewise there is no reason to hate Israelis for now trying to disarm their attackers. Race-based anti-Semitism is to be guarded against. Rather we pray for a change of worldview, towards recognising Jesus their Messiah.
7) Jesus is key to peace in the Middle East. He is a key figure in the traditions of all three Abrahamic faiths. But conversion is unlikely because most of the traditions in the Middle East are legalistic, from Hasidic Jews, to Orthodox Christian traditions, to Islam. Even if the traditions themselves are not meant to be so legalistic, most adherents hold to them unquestioningly, because to question is to defy not only the tradition but their own families, their ancestors, tribal allegiances, histories, and very nations. It would be seen as a whole-of-life betrayal, a treason. And yet Jesus' way can resolve all of this because He is the Way and means of mercy and grace, to forgive and to give new life, to break down the walls of partition and give all of us unity in Himself. This may only happen sufficiently when He reveals Himself at the end of the Age, but even so it can still happen on the daily, personal and inter-personal level, for those with ears to hear. May God give such grace to people from all sides. Update Oct 7 2024: Greg Sheridan's brief article names realities not commonly reported. Part 1 and Part 2. Konstantin Kisin's comparisons with any other country is 11 minutes well considered, also. The upcoming Creation Ministries tour of Israel will be much better than the three trips I've done, and not so much more expensive, plus proper hotels! The reason I'm seriously considering it is the destinations! The tours I've run major on the life of Jesus. But this tour will confirm much more than those events. You'll see in person that the Biblical historical descriptions are confirmed by the locations and archaeological finds. In addition to the main Jesus-related places I've taken others before, this tour visits:
Check out all the details here: israel2023.creation.com Maybe I'll see you there...  Christians benefit from a closer look at the Biblical Fall Feasts, because, among other things, they foreshadow Christ's work in days to come. We have hindsight to help us see how Christ fulfilled Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and Pentecost. We need foresight to see how he will fulfil Trumpets, Atonement, and Shelters.
This helps us understand why there are two New Years in the Jewish calendar: the religious-year cycle of teaching starts with Trumpets, but the calendar-year starts just before Passover. Some people start their spiritual lives at the beginning with Creation and the Old Testament (Jewish), but some start with Jesus the Passover lamb (Christians).
The religious annual cycle begins with Creation, the First era:
Whether you start with Creation, or start with Christ, the Feasts commemorate the whole of history, from the very beginning to the very end of the age.
 Pippa at Garden Tomb: He is not here... He is Risen I returned to Israel in March 2017 (having first visited in 2013) to personally show 18 Aussies the Core Sites of the Core Stuff - where the key events occurred that founded Christianity on solid, historical foundations. As tour leader, I had less time to process the journey, but on the upside I could take the tour where I wanted to go in the time available. We squeezed a lot in - maybe too much if you count that one time I forgot lunch! But it was worth it!  It became a presentation, CSI: Christ Scene Investigation. We personally investigated how the sites agree with the texts of the Core Stuff. We saw for ourselves:
 The Core Sites of the Core Stuff of the Christian faith |
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