It is that land in which Israel’s founding fathers purchased property, and where they lie buried. It is that land conquered by the Israelites under Joshua and given as an inheritance to the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim and the half-tribe of Manasseh. It is that land where for nearly 400 years the Tabernacle stood in which Samuel served and where the people of Israel worshipped. It is that land where David was born, and from which and over which he reigned. It is that land that contains the Jerusalem of biblical times, in which Solomon and Zerubbabel and Herod built the Jewish temples, and where, in Solomon’s days, God’s glory was visibly revealed to the Israelites. It is that land where Jesus was born and in which He ministered; where He was crucified, buried, rose again, and from which He ascended into heaven. It is that land to which He will return. It is that land God specifically promised to restore the Jews to after they were dispersed among the nations.
It is THAT land the United Nations will vote this month on taking “legally” out of the hands of the Jewish people and placing into the hands of the Muslim Arabs – the vast majority of whom have been raised on a hate-rich diet of war mongering anti-Israel thoughts." (Stan Goodenough - Jerusalem Watchman - 13 September 2011)
The events scheduled for September 2011 have been anticipated:
~ by many as an opportunity to bring about justice for an oppressed group of people
~ to serve as a reminder of hatred and delusion along with the grief that would be re-lived
~ by some as the beginning of the end
To start with, let's looks at the words of Israel's Declaration of Independence in May, 1948:
THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open for Jewish immigration and for the Ingathering of the Exiles; it will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
WE APPEAL - in the very midst of the onslaught launched against us now for months - to the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve peace and participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions.
to review complete Declaration of Independence:
The double standard is also quite evident as the following article from Israel Today dated 28 August, 2011 highlights...
"Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday delivered a fiery speech to Islamic clerics in Ramallah during which he warned the international community not to demand that he recognize Israel as the "Jewish state."
The international community "cannot force us to recognize the nature of the Israeli state," declared Abbas. "Do not force us to recognize a Jewish state. We will not accept it."
One of Israel's chief demands since the peace process started in 1993 has been that the Palestinians recognize Israel's right to exist as the national homeland of the Jewish people. Most Israelis would argue that only by doing so can they feel confident that the Arabs have relinquished their quest to destroy Israel.
Abbas also stated once again that he will not accept absorbing millions of so-called "Palestinian refugees" into a new Palestinian state. Despite being labeled a "moderate," Abbas has been a champion of the hard-line position that Israel must open its borders to these millions of Arabs, thus demographically destroying the Jewish state."
And their true attitude expressed in the following article from Israel Today dated 15 September, 2011...
The Palestinine Liberation Organization (PLO) ambassador to the US, Maen Areikat, told reporters in Washington on Tuesday that the Palestinian state his regime is trying to gain recognition for at the UN next week should be free of Jews.
"I think it would be in the best interest of the two people to be separated," said Areikat. Of course, any talk by Israeli politicians of removing Arabs from the Jewish state is immediately branded as racism and aggressively dismissed by the international community.
Israel is not only participating in God's plan for them, but also within the confines of UN recognition as the Jewish homeland. Obviously, as we live in Israel and are exposed to the daily reports of security measures and what-if's and day-after scenarios, we always line up these reports with what God says is the Truth and remind the people of God's promises to them.
Next, September 11 will always serve as a reminder of what evil is capable of and what true oppression can lead to. The grief associated with those events is still evident and personal for so many, but the lessons must be learned or history will repeat itself. Well it actually has - many times over in lots of different ways. We are a bit surprised as to how much the terrorists acts of 9/11 impacted the world. We are surrounded by a group of international friends and they all were very aware of the events and history of the day. We all had a "you knew exactly where you were and what you were dong on 9/11" discussion.
Lastly, all of the planned events in, and speculation regarding September have caused some to think this will trigger the end-times events mentioned in the Bible. This very well may be true but serves primarily as an opportunity to understand what in fact the Word of the Lord has to say about dividing the Land of Israel and to whom owns the Title Deed to the Land of Israel.
Genesis 12:1-3, 6-8; 13:14-17; 15:7, 17-20;17:7-8; 24:7; 26:2-4; 28:12-15; 35:10-12; 39:9-15. Exodus 6:2-4; 6-8;32:13; 33:1-2. Leviticus 20:23-24; Numbers 33:50-54; 34:1-2; Deuteronomy 1:6-8; 11:11-12; Joshua 21:43-45; 1 Chronicles 16:14-19; 2 Samuel 7:10;Isaiah 14:1; Jeremiah 23:8; Ezekiel 28:25-26; 34:13-14; 36:24; 37:14, 21;Amos 9:14-15.
Genesis 12:1-3 and Amos 9:14-15 are perfect bookends for this list of scriptures as they give us instructions as to what to believe and the consequences for unbelief, as well as the promises of God for His people. I know a lot of the readers of this blog think that Israel is just "our thing", but let me encourage you to consider Israel as being every believers "thing".
A few prayer points...
- Intercede on behalf of Israel's Prime Minister that he will make Biblical, right and brave decisions for the future of the nation and for the good of the People.
- Ask the Lord to deal with the enemies of Israel according to His own heart, those who destroy or lift a finger against God's plans or to damage the nation God has planted.
- Instill in church prayer meetings the importance of praying for Israel as we are commanded.
- Pray for our church leaders to be real spiritual leaders and not to compromise the truth in regard to Israel.
A few interesting links.......
UN Bias against Israel
Israel & International Law
And a few misc photos...remember to click on photo to enlarge, then the back button to return to blog.
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| The Sea of Galilee from an observation platform on Mount Arbel |
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| Ma'ale Adumim in the distance - on their Land east of Jerusalem. Settlements are for people who are settled! |
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| Young Arab men catching a bus after a long day building homes in Kfar Adumim - a Jewish Settlement. |
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| The first cloud of the summer - not exactly the shape of a Hand, but we'll take it knowing rain is just a few months away! :) |
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| Not sure this was the intention when it said Jerusalem would be a walled city... This is northern Jerusalem - a security wall around a "West Bank" Arab neighborhood. |
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| We can only assume is says 'Swimming Prohibited' in Hebrew also... |
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| Linda says hello |
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| A pomegranate tree outside of our apartment |
Shalom from Jerusalem - the city of Peace!!
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