by Christian Friends of Israel
“For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion.” (Isaiah 34:1)
“…for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations…” (Jeremiah 25:31).
The escalation of anti-Semitism in today’s world should be a wake-up call to Christians who love Israel and the Jewish people. This profound and frightening upsurge from nation to nation, campus to campus and even church to church should be like an alarm bell going off in our spirits. The sound is familiar for those of us who have lived long enough to remember WWII or to have studied about it in our lifetimes. We’ve heard “never again” will we allow this ugly hatred of the Jewish people to happen as it did during the last world war, and yet now we are faced with the reality that hatred for Israel and her people is now the highest since that time.
Have we, as Christians formed an alliance of support through prayer? Are we using our voices to speak up, educating the masses, especially in the Christian world? Have we spoken about how it rouses the anger of the God of Israel toward those involved in such hatred for His People? The New Jerusalem Bible translation puts it this way: “For this will be Yahweh’s day of vengeance, the year of retribution in Zion’s lawsuit.” (Jeremiah 34:8). Do we dare to listen to God’s Word where He warns that anyone taking part in this hatred and despising of Israel and the Jewish people will be punished, or shall we take into account the results of such actions? It is urgent that we take action now against it!
Muslim Mass-Migration
One of the most serious causes of uprisings and revolts against established authorities in the nations is that we have a parallel society created by Muslim mass-migration to our countries. Throughout the world and especially in Europe, this new reality has arisen: entire Muslim neighborhoods are now established where few indigenous people are residing or even seen anymore. These strongholds are now building-blocks for territorial control street by street, city by city, campus by campus and church by church. “The signal is: we rule.” (Geert Wilders, Dutch Member of Parliament and staunch supporter of Israel).
The threat is also strong in America now and a real threat to the survival of the West, as we used to know it. These Muslim immigrants are now assimilated into our nations, not as settlers or immigrants–they have come as conquerors. They are not to be ignored. Thus, this is the main reason why anti-Semitism is again functioning so well. Militant Islam is throwing igniting liquid on the fire! It is such a disgrace to those who call themselves, “believers”! (I say to myself, “believers in what…and in whom?”)
Church Mass Diversion
Perhaps the most sickening development in the Christian world are the mainline and traditional church activists that are hostile to Israel these days. Even prominent Protestant churches have launched a dangerous campaign to use theology to delegitimize the Jewish State and her people.
Divestment and calls for “justice among the Palestinians” and pressuring Israel to give up more “land for peace” with the Arabs, has become too common in local church halls. This is an affront to the God whom we serve, the God of Israel, and if it is not dealt with, it will cause the Church to go further off course. It is such a disgrace to religious institutions who are supposed to be blessing the Jewish people for all they gave to the Church!
Mass Campus Demonstrations
One does not have to go very far to hear of the accusations against the State of Israel: being denounced for “war crimes and crimes against humanity” by the United Nations Goldstone Report, the chants of “slaughter the Jews” when Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon was verbally attacked at Oxford University, and seeing “activists” try to silence the speech by Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, at the University of California. It is such a disgrace to institutions of higher learning and education!
On a Collision Course with God
God’s warnings in the Bible weren’t given for no reason. They were given for our good and for us to see the consequences of disobeying God’s commands. In the Bible, both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Covenant Scriptures, we are told that we, and our nations, will be judged by the Lord as either GOAT or SHEEP nations. “And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:32). As we read the whole chapter we find out why they are divided: because the goats treated the “brethren” of the Lord Yeshua with disdain, and the sheep nations blessed them and helped them in various ways.
It is a “principle and a promise” throughout the entire Bible that those who bless Israel will indeed receive blessings, and those who hate Israel will receive curses. Perhaps some of us need to come away from our secure little environments and begin to raise our voices, actively warning the nations and the Church. How shall we do this?
We must raise our voices in protest
Since we are also a “people of the Book,” we need to learn it, obey it and do what it tells us to do. We are to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” and we are to bless the nation of Israel (Genesis 12:3), we are to comfort her people and to speak kindly to Jerusalem (Isaiah 40), to help prepare the way of the Lord who will one day rule and reign from the City of Jerusalem. We must always seek the welfare of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. We can speak in our churches, our Sunday school classes, teach in our Adult Bible classes, bring Israel and the nation before God and into the overall prophetic times in which we live. We can speak to our Pastors and give them teachings and the Scriptures, in a loving and gentle manner.
We can pray and intercede for our leaders and most of all, we can use the Internet to speak up. We can hold conferences and stand with Israel, we can write and report honest news, and we can work hand-in-hand with the Israeli government to let them know how much we are with them in believing that the Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people. We need to let them know that we believe they have a right to maintain their borders and to defend their people. Please join us in speaking up and having a voice for Israel!
www.cfijerusalem.net/publication.php?id=4.1.3.72.1