“The year that shattered the Middle East” A reflection on crisis and the power of faith

We continue to pray for peace in the Middle East. Please seek the face of Jesus and pray for peace in the world.

Denison Forum

Dr. Jim Denison

Despite the horrors of war and the tragic loss of life that have ensued, the past year has seen significant progress for Israel:

• The Israeli people are more unified in fighting their enemies: fully 80 percent support the current offensive against Hezbollah, for example.
• The IDF has largely decapitated Hezbollah and destroyed many of its missiles, significantly degrading what had been Iran’s strongest proxy in the region.
• Israel’s army chief said yesterday that Israeli forces had defeated the military wing of Hamas. The terror group’s hoped-for “axis of resistance” against Israel has not come to its defense.
• Iran has been largely ineffectual in its attacks on Israel, staging two missile launches that caused little damage to the Jewish state.

However, there is also cause for grave concern:

• Nearly forty-two thousand people have been killed in Gaza, and around 70 percent of the area’s housing stock has been destroyed. Over half of Gaza’s population has lost a relative; some three-quarters have been displaced at least three times during the war.
• Palestinians’ support for violence in the West Bank has grown from 35 percent in September 2022 to 56 percent in September this year.
• The ongoing wars are significantly harming Israel’s economy: GDP is shrinking year-on-year; the prolonged absence of so many reservists is harming businesses; and railway stations have been forced to close for lack of security guards.
• The threat of terrorism persists: On October 1, more Israelis were killed by two Palestinians who attacked a commuter rail station in Jaffa than were harmed by 180 Iranian missiles. Hezbollah rockets hit Haifa, Israel’s third-largest city, early this morning and launched another attack on Tiberias.
• Israel’s direct conflict with Iran could escalate into a regional war that eventually involves the US on its side and China, Russia, and North Korea with the Iranians. As Israeli forces degrade its proxies, Iran may turn to developing nuclear weapons in response.
• The conflict could spawn terrorism in the US as well: The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are warning that a “variety of actors” could commit acts of violence here in response to today’s anniversary. The Rest of The Story Here
• LIVE UPDATES! Israel marks 1st anniversary of Oct 7 massacre under heavy rocket fire | IDF expands ground operation in southern Lebanon

• FROM AI: Billy Graham believed that world peace could only be achieved through a spiritual dynamic at its core, and that the world cannot be reborn until people are born again and at peace with God. He believed that the greatest warfare in the world was between mankind and God, and that peace was possible only when people surrendered to Jesus Christ. 

  Here are some of Billy Graham’s thoughts on world peace: 
  • The world doesn’t give peace: The world fights for peace, but it doesn’t have any peace to give. 
  • Peace comes from Jesus Christ: Jesus gives peace to those who put their trust in Him. 
  • Peace with God: To have peace with God, one must repent of sin against Him and walk a new direction. 
  • The basic cause of war: The basic cause of war is the inherent sinfulness of human nature. 
  • The nature of man: World peace will only come when the nature of man has been transformed. 
  • The Lausanne Congress: Graham believed that the outcome of the 1974 Lausanne Congress may have been his most enduring legacy