German Officer Defies Hitler to Honor Scripture
My friend’s father was the head of the German army officer’s union, which in English is called the Steel Helmet. Hitler, Hess, Goring, Dr. Goebbels, and many other top Nazi leaders came to my friend’s Bavarian home to negotiate with his father. Hitler desperately needed the support of the German army officers' union to grasp control of the government.
My friend remembers many long and heated discussions around the fireplace between his father and the future leaders of the Third Reich. His father actually agreed with Hitler about many of the reforms that he wanted be bring to Germany. But when he began to grasp Hitler’s “Final Solution” plan for the Jews, he flatly disagreed. He was an evangelical Christian, a Plymouth Brethren who believed in a literal interpretation of prophecy and the covenants God made with the Israelites. In other words, he was a true Premillennialist … in his beliefs concerning Bible prophecy. …
As God swore to Abraham and reconfirmed to his successors, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse …” (Genesis 12:3).
[Hal Lindsey (1929 - ) is an American evangelist and Christian writer, often referred to as the "Jeremiah of his generation" for his keen understanding of biblical prophecy. He is a best selling author, known especially for his book The Late, Great Planet Earth.]
At considerable personal risk and financial loss, he packed up the family, sneaked out what money he could, and came to the U.S.A. He left Hitler’s Germany for one fundamental reason—he believed God’s Word when it said concerning Israel, “For thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you [Israel], for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye’” (Zechariah 2:8, NASB).
Theology matters. Sound doctrine matters. Your view of Scripture and its role in life and practice does indeed matter. May we all uphold and honor the Word of God in such a way that we are emboldened to courageously stand against the torrent of human opinion whenever and wherever it contradicts the teachings of His Word.
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"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right" (2 Timothy 3:16, NLT).
Poster Child of Nazi Party Turns Out to Be Jewish
In 1935 Germany, Hessy Levinson Taft, then six months old, won a photo contest to be the face of the perfect Aryan baby. It is said that out of hundreds of photos, hers was chosen personally by the Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, thus making her the poster child for the rise of the Nazi Party. Her image soon appeared on the cover of the Nazi family magazine Sun in the House, not to mention on posters and placards, and even postcards.
Ironically, Hessy wasn't Aryan at all! Her parents were Latvian Jews.
So how was her photo even entered in the contest?
The photographer who took the photo later admitted that, unbeknownst to her parents, he had submitted it, hoping to mock the Nazis' racial supremacy theory. "He succeeded," says the The Holocaust Chronicle, "beyond his wildest dreams."
The truth of the deception has been known for decades, but it's making new headlines as Taft, now 80 yrs old, recently donated a copy of the magazine cover to Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. "I feel a little revenge," the Telegraph quotes her as saying. "Something like satisfaction."
Click the link to source above to view the magazine cover.
No one wants to be mocked, especially by those you're busy mocking! But that's how God's justice works. Mock Him or His people, and you can count on being the butt of your own joke in the end.
"The LORD mocks the mockers but is gracious to the humble" (Proverbs 3:34, NLT).
Christian Group Protests Israel
The AP reports, "The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) on Friday became the most prominent religious group in the United States to endorse divestment as a protest against Israeli policies toward Palestinians, voting to sell church stock in three companies whose products Israel uses in the occupied territories."
While many in the Jewish community claimed the move was "driven by hatred of Israel," the PCUSA claimed that it was not a statement of a "lack of love" for Israel, but rather a rebuke of the actions of the Jewish state.
Still others see the PCUSA's action as part of a broader movement--BDS ("Boycott, Divest, Sanctions" against Israel)--which has been gaining momentum here in the US. Again, the PCUSA denies the claim.
Other Protestant groups which have acted, at least in a limited way, to divest some of their interests in/support of companies doing business in Israel are the U.S. Quakers, the Mennonite Central Committee, and the pension board of the United Methodist Church.
Oddly enough, some of the most ardent supporters of the action are actually Jewish. Members of the Jewish Voice for Peace--a group which advocates for Palestinian rights-- gathered and prayed outside as the vote was being taken. They were wearing T-shirts which read "Another Jew Supporting Divestment."
As conflict and controversy continue to plague the Middle East, it is natural for members of the Christian community to seek to influence the process toward a peaceful solution. But while some choose to apply financial pressure, the Bible provides us with a different approach--humbly get on our knees and pray.
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Psalm 122:6).
Pray for the promise of Messiah, the Prince of Peace, the be fulfilled.