Demand a Little Charity for Cuba

   If people are dying in Cuba, starving, why would we not step in and try to save them? Let's allow our charities to go there, contribute, and save a few lives. Lift the embargo just that much.
   If we worry that the government will take the aid items before they reach the people, then let us administer the relief ourselves, not through their government. And, if we think Cuba won't allow the aid, then let us demand that they do, not by threatening to chase a few rockets at them if they don't let us in, but just with a plea for humanity, just by saying, "Cuba, your people are suffering, and we can help. In the name of humanity, you let us in. You must."

Of All Miracle-Performers, None has Equaled Savior

   There will be told stories of miracles being performed, by Elisha, and Matthew Cowley, and Joseph Smith, and Moses . . . and many others.

   But not too often is told a story of an evil spirit being removed, save that it was the Savior, Himself, who did it. There must be such stories, but, sitting here now to write this, I cannot recall any.

  Only those of the Savior.

  Beyond those performed by the Savior, though there may be some, none come to my memory, not from the Old Testament, not from the New and not from the modern-day church.

  This one is wonderful: 

   "And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit: and he cried out,

   "Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know who there art, the Holy One of God.

   "And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.

   "And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.

   "And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him."

   Perhaps we find in this story a key to explaining why there are so few stories of unclean spirits being removed. "What new doctrine is this?" they asked. If they were asking such a question, it surely shows it was, indeed, not common that evil spirits were removed. These people Christ ministered to were studied. They had scriptures. Apparently, there was no mention in their scriptures of evil spirits being removed, for to them, this was a new doctrine.

   You are also familiar with the scripture where the disciples tried to remove a spirit, but were unable to, and Christ was asked why they were not able to, and said that that kind came out but by prayer and fasting.

   It is not a common thing for evil spirits to be removed. And, yet, our Savior did it routinely, regularly and often. Of all miracle-performers the world has known, none has equaled the Savior, Himself.

Bless the Starving People of Cuba, and Send Them Aid

   For 21 years, the UN has been tapping on our arm, asking the U.S. to end its trade embargo on Cuba. The UN passes non-binding resolutions. This year, 188 countries voted for ending the embargo. Only Israel and the tiny Pacific island of Palau voted to support the U.S. in the embargo.
   It's time. If only in part. If we do not completely lift the embargo, that would be fine, as long as we lift it enough to allow aid to get into the country. I just viewed a picture, taken in January 2010, I believe, of three who starved while in a psychiatric hospital in Havana. Altogether, 26 people, I believe, died at that time from starvation in the hospital.
   If people are starving there, let us help, not with U.S. foreign aid, but with aid from the Red Cross or other service organizations. Let us take relief to them. If we have erred for 51 years by not giving relief, and letting people die, let us give it now. If their people are under the rule of communism, that is a bad thing, a punishment upon them. But, why should we add to their punishment? If it is the government we would hurt, why hurt the people?

http://www.stabroeknews.com/2012/news/breaking-news/11/13/un-urges-end-to-u-s-cuba-embargo-for-21st-year/

 Those Who Misspend Freedom Responsible for America's Decline

   Who is responsible for America's decline? Those who misspend freedom. 
   Some use it to purchase lives of laxity. Some find in it leeway for corruption. Some use it to borrow unwisely from future generations.
   The rise and fall of nations is determined, to some degree, by what freedoms they choose to value. If they see freedom at the right to riotous living (to taking drugs and such), they will become a lazy and unproductive society. But, if they see freedom as the right to better themselves (to gain an education and such), they will be more inclined to prosper.

'Tis a Matter of What is Right and Wrong in Israel

Whether Israel should be the land of the Jews, and whether Gaza, and the West Bank, and Golan Heights should be governed by Israel -- those are, to me, not so much matters that should be decided by ancient history.

Though ancient history is often cited, and though Jerusalem is central to the Jews, and Christians, and Muslims, and though I, myself, am thoroughly convinced the Bible is God's word and if it says Israel will cut its enemies in pieces, then that is exactly what will happen -- still these are not the foremost reasons for determining what is done in the Middle East.

Rather, we must use our own judgement. We should reduce the Israel situation to what is right or wrong. We should throw out all the ancient history everyone cites and reiterates. (Well, maybe not throw it out, but let right and wrong be the lead determinant in what is done.) 

This Event didn't Get Much Attention

The Hamas-Israeli conflict has received more and more attention as the week has gone by, but one of the most notable occurrences of the whole thing still hasn't attracted much attention. We all know how missiles out of Gaza have long been considered to be practically homemade. Well, that was about to change. Sophisticated made-in-Iran Fajr-5 rockets were stockpiled in Gaza. The hope was that they would be tie-breakers in a conflict with Israel. They were to be day-of-judgement weapons, saved for a special effort. Then, even as that moment was about to be unveiled, Israel destroyed virtually all of them in a matter of minutes. Perhaps Hamas will quickly replace them, I do not know. But, if the link below is correct, the stockpile they had was decimated.

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/01/11/extensive-hunt-down-and-eliminat.html?utm_source=outbrain

Southern Israelis Live in Fear of Missiles

About 1,600 missiles have rained down on Israel in 2012, making it a very common thing for the people in the southern section to run for bomb shelters. Though most of them have come in November, hundreds came in the previous months. It has become a way of life, for Israelis -- a way of life that would  be tolerated by how many other nations? Perhaps as much as 1 in 5 Israelis lives in daily fear of the missile attacks. I do not know if Israel responded to any of the missiles until just this past week. That is a notable thing, a lot of tolerance and turning of the other cheek.

"I don't know any country that would show restraint for as long as Israel did during the attacks on the south," said Israeli President Shimon Perez a few days ago.


http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2012-11-17/news/fl-readers-view-hamas-israel-20121117_1_rocket-and-mortar-fire-rocket-attacks-hamas

http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/terrorism/terrisrael-11.html

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/commentary/letters/2012/11/19/361407/Rockets-bomb.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel,_2012