Thank you for writing this Substack. I'm a new subscriber and can't remember how I found you. I think your link was in the comments section of another article. You have put together some things I've been struggling with for quite some time. I listen to my God-given gut instincts and things haven't made sense for me. You help clarify what I've been struggling with regarding what I read about the current and ongoing global happenings.
I've had to leave the current Christian Church. Lebanon used to be a 95% Christian population. I bought a book written by Bridgette Gabriel called Why They Hate. I wanted to understand her perspective since she lived in Lebanon. Her family immigrated to the US. Some sources say Iran has about 1/3rd of their population is Christian. Some sources say about 1/3 of Palestine is Christian. I can't site those sources since I didn't write them down. If this is true, why are we not hearing this from the pulpits? What I hear from the Christian pulpits is rah rah rah Israel and rah rah rah war.
About a decade and a half ago I bought The One-Year Bible and I read it every year from Genesis to Revelation. God did make a covenant with Abraham regarding Abraham's descendents. Shoot. I'm probably misspelling that word, but you get my drift. God also made a land covenant with Abraham regarding the land he was about to give him and his family. According to Dueteronomy, the land covenant was conditional upon Israel's obedience. Israel blew it. That is well documented in the Old Testament. Israel was called upon to look after and protect widows and orphans, etc. The Israel we have today is not the Israel of God. Just look at Gaza. The nation of Israel was given the blueprint for civilization at Mt. Sanai. We call it the Ten Commandments. They were to take this blueprint to the surrounding nations according to Psalms--can't remember where that is, and I'm in the middle of trying to type this out. Instead, the nation of Israel became just like the surrounding nations in their worship and actions. God kept his word. Israel did not.
So in closing, thank you again for this Substack. What you are saying makes sense. Keep writing. I wish I could support you financially, because you are worth it. I am an old lady or as my Granddaughter says--I am a priceless antique. I survive on social security. If that changes I will happily contribute to your work. In the meantime I forward your email Substack to my friends and relatives. God Bless you and I look forward to your future publications. Karen Moore.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this beautiful message. And forgive my delay, I wanted to respond with the same depth and sincerity you honored me with. Your words aren’t something I could answer casually. They deserved care.
What you shared truly moved me. To know that my work helped bring clarity to things your God-given intuition has been sensing for years, that is the greatest encouragement a writer can receive. And the fact that you forward my pieces to friends and family means a lot. You are already supporting this work in the most meaningful way.
Now to the important questions you raised and you raised them with honesty, courage, and discernment that many pastors today no longer show.
You mentioned leaving the Christian Church because what you heard from the pulpit no longer aligned with Scripture or conscience. You are not alone. Many believers today feel the same grief. And your reflections on covenant theology are exactly right:
Biblical Israel’s covenant was conditional.
God remained faithful. The people did not.
There’s also nothing related to Israel state today to the people of Israel (Jacob) who’s the son of Isaac and Rebecca.
To understand this better, I always recommend reading Israeli historians — not outsiders — because they had access to the archives opened in the early years of the state, and they wrote honestly about what they found:
• Ilan Pappé — The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, Ten Myths About Israel
• Shlomo Sand — The Invention of the Jewish People, The Invention of the Land of Israel
• Avi Shlaim — Genocide in Gaza: Israel’s Long War on Palestine
Their work shows clearly:
The people described in Scripture and the political leadership ruling today are not the same lineage, culture, or covenant community.
Every Israeli prime minister to date comes from Ashkenazi European roots, not the descendants of Abraham of the Middle East.
And your instinct about Middle Eastern Christians is correct.
There are ancient Christian communities in Iran, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine, many tracing their lineage back to the earliest centuries after Christ. That story is rarely told in American churches because it disrupts the political narratives that have replaced theology.
I actually just posted a short video for you from Jason Jones he's also American but visited Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, during Christmas. He explains beautifully how many Palestinian families—Christian and Muslim—descend from the original communities that lived in and around Judea during and after the life of Christ.
These are not strangers to the land. These are its heirs.
Thank you again for your kindness, your encouragement, your prayers, and your courage to think for yourself. You are not just a “priceless antique,” as your granddaughter says — you are a witness to truth in a time when truth is costly.
Thank you for your kind words and your thoughtful reply. Thanks also for the reading recommendations. I'll look for those on Amazon. I didn't find the video from Jason Jones, but will check your Substack in case I inadvertently overlooked it.
You boil things down to the bones and then offer your readers the meat. But we can still see the framework, the architecture. I like that. I'll keep forwarding as long as you keep writing. Blessings. Karen Moore.
Thank you for writing this Substack. I'm a new subscriber and can't remember how I found you. I think your link was in the comments section of another article. You have put together some things I've been struggling with for quite some time. I listen to my God-given gut instincts and things haven't made sense for me. You help clarify what I've been struggling with regarding what I read about the current and ongoing global happenings.
I've had to leave the current Christian Church. Lebanon used to be a 95% Christian population. I bought a book written by Bridgette Gabriel called Why They Hate. I wanted to understand her perspective since she lived in Lebanon. Her family immigrated to the US. Some sources say Iran has about 1/3rd of their population is Christian. Some sources say about 1/3 of Palestine is Christian. I can't site those sources since I didn't write them down. If this is true, why are we not hearing this from the pulpits? What I hear from the Christian pulpits is rah rah rah Israel and rah rah rah war.
About a decade and a half ago I bought The One-Year Bible and I read it every year from Genesis to Revelation. God did make a covenant with Abraham regarding Abraham's descendents. Shoot. I'm probably misspelling that word, but you get my drift. God also made a land covenant with Abraham regarding the land he was about to give him and his family. According to Dueteronomy, the land covenant was conditional upon Israel's obedience. Israel blew it. That is well documented in the Old Testament. Israel was called upon to look after and protect widows and orphans, etc. The Israel we have today is not the Israel of God. Just look at Gaza. The nation of Israel was given the blueprint for civilization at Mt. Sanai. We call it the Ten Commandments. They were to take this blueprint to the surrounding nations according to Psalms--can't remember where that is, and I'm in the middle of trying to type this out. Instead, the nation of Israel became just like the surrounding nations in their worship and actions. God kept his word. Israel did not.
So in closing, thank you again for this Substack. What you are saying makes sense. Keep writing. I wish I could support you financially, because you are worth it. I am an old lady or as my Granddaughter says--I am a priceless antique. I survive on social security. If that changes I will happily contribute to your work. In the meantime I forward your email Substack to my friends and relatives. God Bless you and I look forward to your future publications. Karen Moore.
Karen Moore,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this beautiful message. And forgive my delay, I wanted to respond with the same depth and sincerity you honored me with. Your words aren’t something I could answer casually. They deserved care.
What you shared truly moved me. To know that my work helped bring clarity to things your God-given intuition has been sensing for years, that is the greatest encouragement a writer can receive. And the fact that you forward my pieces to friends and family means a lot. You are already supporting this work in the most meaningful way.
Now to the important questions you raised and you raised them with honesty, courage, and discernment that many pastors today no longer show.
You mentioned leaving the Christian Church because what you heard from the pulpit no longer aligned with Scripture or conscience. You are not alone. Many believers today feel the same grief. And your reflections on covenant theology are exactly right:
Biblical Israel’s covenant was conditional.
God remained faithful. The people did not.
There’s also nothing related to Israel state today to the people of Israel (Jacob) who’s the son of Isaac and Rebecca.
To understand this better, I always recommend reading Israeli historians — not outsiders — because they had access to the archives opened in the early years of the state, and they wrote honestly about what they found:
• Ilan Pappé — The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, Ten Myths About Israel
• Shlomo Sand — The Invention of the Jewish People, The Invention of the Land of Israel
• Avi Shlaim — Genocide in Gaza: Israel’s Long War on Palestine
Their work shows clearly:
The people described in Scripture and the political leadership ruling today are not the same lineage, culture, or covenant community.
Every Israeli prime minister to date comes from Ashkenazi European roots, not the descendants of Abraham of the Middle East.
And your instinct about Middle Eastern Christians is correct.
There are ancient Christian communities in Iran, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine, many tracing their lineage back to the earliest centuries after Christ. That story is rarely told in American churches because it disrupts the political narratives that have replaced theology.
I actually just posted a short video for you from Jason Jones he's also American but visited Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, during Christmas. He explains beautifully how many Palestinian families—Christian and Muslim—descend from the original communities that lived in and around Judea during and after the life of Christ.
These are not strangers to the land. These are its heirs.
Thank you again for your kindness, your encouragement, your prayers, and your courage to think for yourself. You are not just a “priceless antique,” as your granddaughter says — you are a witness to truth in a time when truth is costly.
God bless you.
And I promise: more writing is coming.
With gratitude,
-- Phantom
Thank you for your kind words and your thoughtful reply. Thanks also for the reading recommendations. I'll look for those on Amazon. I didn't find the video from Jason Jones, but will check your Substack in case I inadvertently overlooked it.
You boil things down to the bones and then offer your readers the meat. But we can still see the framework, the architecture. I like that. I'll keep forwarding as long as you keep writing. Blessings. Karen Moore.