Shalom dear friends,
Sorry it's been so long since we've written. Much is going on in the "City of Peace"! And as you will see from this lengthy posting, we have a lot stirring within us. We do realize it's time consuming to read something this long, however, this blog will explain some of the challenges we face in what we do here in Israel.
An article in an Israeli paper recently has really sparked some interest. To explain the phrase used below - "hard-line nationalist rabbis" are men that believe both God and the Bible to be true in the promises given to the Jewish people concerning the Land of Israel - and we agree as well.
From a Jerusalem Post article, 05 February 2014:
A group of hard-line nationalist rabbis wrote in an open to letter to US Secretary of State John Kerry that through his current mediation efforts between Israel and Palestinian negotiators he had declared war against God.
The rabbis warned that the secretary must cease such activities, to avoid divine punishment.
“Your incessant efforts to expropriate integral parts of our Holy Land and hand them over to Abbas’s terrorist gang, amount to a declaration of war against the Creator and Ruler of the universe! For G-d awarded the entire Land of Israel to our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in order that they bequeath it, as an everlasting inheritance, to their descendants, the Jewish people, until the end of all time,” the letter reads.
The letter was sent by the Committee to Save the Land and People of Israel– an activist group opposed to any political accords with the Palestinians involving territorial concessions – founded by Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpo, who also founded the far-right Our Land of Israel party.
The rabbis argue that Kerry’s plan endangers Israeli Jews by bringing them within close range of potential rocket and missile fire from the West Bank should it be ceded by Israel to the Palestinians.
“If you continue on this destructive path, you will ensure your everlasting disgrace in Jewish history for bringing calamity upon the Jewish people,” continued the rabbis, comparing Kerry to Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar II and Roman commander and future emperor Titus, the two enemies of the ancient Jewish kingdoms who destroyed the temples in Jerusalem and Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel along with them.
“By the power of our Holy Torah, we admonish you to cease immediately all efforts to achieve these disastrous agreements – in order to avoid severe heavenly punishment for everyone involved,” they threatened.
The letter was signed by Rabbi Wolpo, along with four other rabbis including Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, the founder and chairman of the Temple Institute; Rabbi Yigal Pizam, the dean of a yeshiva and a leader of the Chabad community in the Haifa neighborhood of Kiryat Shmuel; Rabbi Gedalya Axelrod, the emeritus head of the Haifa Rabbinic Court; and Rabbi Ben Tziyon Grossman from the town of Migdal Ha’emek.
http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Kerry-has-declared-war-on-God-say-hardline-rabbis-warn-of-divine-punishment-340419
We must say that as we read it, it seemed to be a prophetic Word from the Lord. Time will tell... What needs to be realized is that this is not a political issue, meaning that it shouldn't matter if one is a democrat, republican, independent, etc., but rather it's a national and spiritual issue. God gave this Land to the Jewish people thousands of years ago, and promised it to their descendants as an everlasting covenant. If God were to break His promises to the Jewish people whom He made this covenant, how could we have any assurance that He'd keep His promises to us?
Genesis 17:7-8
And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
Genesis 17:19
Genesis 48:3-4
Deuteronomy 32:48-49
And this is what we are now experiencing each and every day - prophesy being fulfilled in our days......
Jeremiah 31:3-4
Jeremiah 31:35-36
Isaiah 44:21
Jeremiah 29:10-14
Isaiah 11:11-12
It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time To recover the remnant of His people who are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands of the sea. He will set up a banner for the nations, And will assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth.
Ezekiel 36:24-28
For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.
Jeremiah 23:3
Jeremiah 23:3
“But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase."
Isaiah 49:22
I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Want to know why our work here is so difficult? Because not only do we have to deal with the past history of how Christian Europe treated the Jewish people over the past 2,000 years, but also how current denominational Christianity is speaking against and persecuting the Jewish people even in our days. The wording has changed; from persecuting the Jews to now persecuting Israel as a nation: with boycotts, divestments, forcing "peace" negotiations and calling them occupiers. What we must realize is that when the Jewish citizens of Israel are again told to leave or give up their God given Land, it's simply a modern day scene from 'Fiddler on the Roof' - except it's playing out in their homeland. We cannot politicize this issue, there is no "separation of church and state" here. God gave this Land to the Jewish people and it is called Israel.
If only we'd saved all the articles we've read in the past 3 years concerning this around the world...below are links to just some in the past few months. They not only bring frustration, but make it difficult to convince the Jewish people that we, as Christians, truly are their friends.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/presbyterian-church-group-zionism-is-the-problem/
http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/an-open-letter-st-jamess-church-at-christmas/
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-pans-outrageous-rewriting-of-christian-history-by-abbas/
http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Canadian-church-boycotts-3-Israeli-companies-314833
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-Ed-Contributors/The-duplicity-of-the-British-Methodist-Church-328905
Even just this past Friday, when Jim was walking home, he saw a demonstration of the "World Council of Churches" calling for an end to the "occupation."
http://www.oikoumene.org/en/what-we-do/churches-in-the-middle-east
If after all the scriptures above, there are thoughts that Israel may possibly be occupying "Palestinian land", we would refer you to a previous blog we posted concerning what the Bible says about the "Mountains of Israel" - which is in fact the same land some call the "West Bank."
http://adventures-in-israel.blogspot.co.il/2013/05/is-gods-word-true-relevant-for-today.html
What many Christians also don't realize is that when a Jewish person looks at us, we are lumped together with all of "Christianity" - all that they have known, learned, or heard about - whether it's the Catholic Church (many think the Pope is our leader...) or from Jewish history of the inquisitions, pogroms and holocaust. And now most recently, large denominational churches' anti-Israel comments and positions.
The main crux of our ministry (other than showing care and compassion to the Jewish people) is to remove the stones of stumbling that have been put in their way over the many years. Isaiah 57:14 "And one shall say, “Heap it up! Heap it up! Prepare the way, Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people.” We believe that not only was this what John the Baptist was accomplishing in his time, but what many of us are doing in our time - preparing the way of the Lord - removing what would cause His people to stumble and not receive Him. We truly have our work cut out for us.
God - our God - has an eternal covenant with Israel and the Jewish people. It's important that we understand His Word and His promises to them, and be in agreement with Him - not oppose Him. We are saddened each time a Jewish person tells us that they thought Christians believe the following: "God has given up on Israel and now, instead of Israel, the Church is now the chosen people with all the promises God made to Israel." Sadly, many Christians do believe this. By choosing to be a part of the family, we can partake of the promises, but the Church has not replaced Israel. Gentile Christian believers who have received the Jewish Messiah (Jesus/Yeshua) as their savior need to always humbly keep in mind the words of Ephesians 2:11-12, 19 ~
"Therefore, remember your former state: you Gentiles by birth — called the Uncircumcised by those who, merely because of an operation on their flesh, are called the Circumcised — at that time had no Messiah. You were estranged from the national life of Isra’el. You were foreigners to the covenants embodying God’s promise. You were in this world without hope and without God. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household."
We truly, with all our hearts, believe this is such an important subject that affects us all in these latter days. God is looking to see how we will treat His Chosen people.
Isaiah 49:22
Thus says the Lord God: (to Israel) “Behold, I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations, And set up My standard for the peoples; They shall bring your sons in their arms, And your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders" (back to the Land)
Isaiah 14:1-2
For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land. The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the house of Jacob. Then people will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them for servants and maids in the land of the Lord; they will take them captive whose captives they were, and rule over their oppressors.
Isaiah 60:10
“The sons of foreigners shall build up your walls, And their kings shall minister to you; For in My wrath I struck you, But in My favor I have had mercy on you."
Jeremiah 31:16-17
Thus says the Lord: “Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. There is hope for your future, says the Lord, and your children shall come back to their own country.
Acts 3:25
You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’
Romans 9:4
They are Israelites, and to them belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;
Romans 11:1, 28-29
Want to know why our work here is so difficult? Because not only do we have to deal with the past history of how Christian Europe treated the Jewish people over the past 2,000 years, but also how current denominational Christianity is speaking against and persecuting the Jewish people even in our days. The wording has changed; from persecuting the Jews to now persecuting Israel as a nation: with boycotts, divestments, forcing "peace" negotiations and calling them occupiers. What we must realize is that when the Jewish citizens of Israel are again told to leave or give up their God given Land, it's simply a modern day scene from 'Fiddler on the Roof' - except it's playing out in their homeland. We cannot politicize this issue, there is no "separation of church and state" here. God gave this Land to the Jewish people and it is called Israel.
If only we'd saved all the articles we've read in the past 3 years concerning this around the world...below are links to just some in the past few months. They not only bring frustration, but make it difficult to convince the Jewish people that we, as Christians, truly are their friends.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/presbyterian-church-group-zionism-is-the-problem/
http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/an-open-letter-st-jamess-church-at-christmas/
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-pans-outrageous-rewriting-of-christian-history-by-abbas/
http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Canadian-church-boycotts-3-Israeli-companies-314833
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-Ed-Contributors/The-duplicity-of-the-British-Methodist-Church-328905
Even just this past Friday, when Jim was walking home, he saw a demonstration of the "World Council of Churches" calling for an end to the "occupation."
http://www.oikoumene.org/en/what-we-do/churches-in-the-middle-east
If after all the scriptures above, there are thoughts that Israel may possibly be occupying "Palestinian land", we would refer you to a previous blog we posted concerning what the Bible says about the "Mountains of Israel" - which is in fact the same land some call the "West Bank."
http://adventures-in-israel.blogspot.co.il/2013/05/is-gods-word-true-relevant-for-today.html
What many Christians also don't realize is that when a Jewish person looks at us, we are lumped together with all of "Christianity" - all that they have known, learned, or heard about - whether it's the Catholic Church (many think the Pope is our leader...) or from Jewish history of the inquisitions, pogroms and holocaust. And now most recently, large denominational churches' anti-Israel comments and positions.
We actually had to put great thought into how to "label" ourselves in order to help them realize both what we believe and where we stand concerning them - Israel. The best way we can describe ourselves is: Christian Zionist. This lets them know that we are a believer in Jesus, but also that we believe that they have a right to be in this land and defend it. Labels are difficult and sometimes dangerouus.
The main crux of our ministry (other than showing care and compassion to the Jewish people) is to remove the stones of stumbling that have been put in their way over the many years. Isaiah 57:14 "And one shall say, “Heap it up! Heap it up! Prepare the way, Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people.” We believe that not only was this what John the Baptist was accomplishing in his time, but what many of us are doing in our time - preparing the way of the Lord - removing what would cause His people to stumble and not receive Him. We truly have our work cut out for us.
God - our God - has an eternal covenant with Israel and the Jewish people. It's important that we understand His Word and His promises to them, and be in agreement with Him - not oppose Him. We are saddened each time a Jewish person tells us that they thought Christians believe the following: "God has given up on Israel and now, instead of Israel, the Church is now the chosen people with all the promises God made to Israel." Sadly, many Christians do believe this. By choosing to be a part of the family, we can partake of the promises, but the Church has not replaced Israel. Gentile Christian believers who have received the Jewish Messiah (Jesus/Yeshua) as their savior need to always humbly keep in mind the words of Ephesians 2:11-12, 19 ~
"Therefore, remember your former state: you Gentiles by birth — called the Uncircumcised by those who, merely because of an operation on their flesh, are called the Circumcised — at that time had no Messiah. You were estranged from the national life of Isra’el. You were foreigners to the covenants embodying God’s promise. You were in this world without hope and without God. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household."
We truly, with all our hearts, believe this is such an important subject that affects us all in these latter days. God is looking to see how we will treat His Chosen people.
~ with love, grace and shalom from Jerusalem ~
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
May they prosper who love you.
Because of the house of the Lord our God
I will seek your good.
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