Posted by George Morrison

If you use chemicals you return to the “weapons of mass destruction” beloved by George Bush during his time as President of the USA. The difference this time is that there seems to be evidence of their existence from the carnage in Douma.
The Syrian-American Medical Society said more than 500 people were brought to medical centres with symptoms “indicative of exposure to a chemical agent”. It said this included breathing difficulties, bluish skin, mouth foaming, corneal burns and “the emission of chlorine-like odour”.
It appears that bombs filled with toxic chemicals were dropped on Douma, in the Eastern Ghouta region, near the capital Damascus, by Syrian government forces. The gas, being heavier than air, seeped into the underground shelters where many were taking refuge from the bombing. The current death count is 70 but this is guesswork. Those suffocated can be counted. Those contaminated face a lingering fate.
The US, UK, and French rocket attacks this morning came a week after the chemical attack. They were aimed at alleged chemical plants. The intention was to be precise avoiding hitting the Russian military who are there to assist the Syrian army. The objective was to make Assad think twice before he used chemicals again. It was not to interfere with the war Assad has been conducting against ‘terrorists’ over the last seven years. In it he has not only been aided by Russia but by Iran and Hezbollah. None of them could be termed friends of Israel, their next door neighbour who is busy repelling the Hamas inspired stone-throwing on its Southern border.
There are many agenda’s operating here. Russia requires an ally and a Mediterranean Sea base for her ships. Bashar al Assad wants to cement his dictatorship. Iran wishes her ally, the Hezbollah, to have a good base to wipe out Israel. The West need to appear strong in the face of the new threat of chemical warfare posed by the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury last month.
So what is God’s agenda? To work this out you need to listen to Jesus and take a long look at Israel. “Tell us,” asked the disciples “when will you come back”? After warning them against false ‘Christs’ he spoke of, among other things, wars involving nations against nations (St Matthew Chapter 24 verses 4/14).
The Prophet Ezekiel foretells the destruction of Israel’s pagan oppressors (Chapter 38 verses 21:39/6) and St John writing from Patmos envisages the end times as the pagan armies’ surround Jerusalem and ‘fire came down from heaven and consumed them’ (Revelation Chapter 20 verses 8/9). The believer in Jesus is part of the new Israel of God – “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
Take it to heart and make it your own this great statement of St Paul written in Galatians Chapter 6 verses 14/16.