Today I want to address Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before the US Congress and the back and forth we are hearing about it in the media. What should our response be a Christians?
As you know, Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the US Congress yesterday under a firestorm of criticism. In the speech, he advocated Israel’s need for security as the US seeks to reach an agreement over nuclear arms with Iran. The vitriol has been extreme, and we can be confused unless we understand some basic fundamentals. So I feel the need to make some broad comments about what we are seeing in our world today.
let today’s post serve as a reminder to us all that that regardless of what we see and hear in the news media, there is a greater plan and purpose being fulfilled in Israel’s existence. Here are some things to remember.
1. The nation of Israel is God’s plan. God establish Israel by covenant with Abraham:
The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father's family, and go to the land that I will show you.(2) I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.(3) I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you (Genesis 12:1-3 - NLT)
God deals with us in the way that we deal with Israel. From Israel came our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. We the church inherit the blessings of Abraham through the sacrifice of Christ (Galatians 3:13-14).
2. God promised that Israel would reoccupy the land He promised Abraham.
The nation of Israel disobeyed God, fell into idolatry, and lost the blessings God intended to give them. One of the curses of Israel’s breaking of God’s covenant with them was that they would be removed from the land God promised Abraham (Read Deuteronomy 28 for details).
Yet, God promised that Israel would amazingly become a nation again before Jesus Christ returns to earth in His Second Coming. The Israelites were a people without a land from 70 A.D. until 1948. And in 1948 Israel became a nation on the very soil God promised Abraham. Over 20 reference in the Old Testament confirm that the Israelites would be drawn from the nations where they live and become a nation again before the Messiah returns to earth. Here’s just one scripture from the almost two dozen:
Therefore say, Thus says the Lord GOD: I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel (Ezekiel 11:17).
Israel will never be removed from the land they now occupy. They will not be destroyed by nuclear weapons from Iran or anyone else! They will be there for eternity. Their existence as a nation is a huge sign to the world that God reigns over the affairs of men, and that God’s Word will always be fulfilled!
3. What God does for each nation that now exists will be determined by how that nations treats Israel.
This message concerning the fate of Israel came from the Lord: "This message is from the Lord, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the human spirit. (2) I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. (3) On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves (Zechariah 12:1-3).
We need to pray for our President, our Congressmen, and our Senators. If we choose to withdraw our support from Israel, we will inherit a curse as a nation, and the blessings we have long enjoyed will be lost.
4. There is an intense spiritual battle being waged against Christians and against the purposes of God for Israel.
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).
As Christians, we should pray that God’s kingdom come, that His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We should pray for those without Christ to be born again because the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV).
And let me repeat that we should pray for our national leaders. Demonic forces are seeking to divide this once great nation; morally, socially, spiritually, and politically. United we stand. Divided we fall. Jesus said a house divided against itself cannot stand.
We should also pray for the nation of Israel; for its leaders to walk in wisdom, and for God’s plans to be fulfilled.
Pray also for the Christians that are suffering persecution and death in the Middle East and in Africa for their faith in Jesus Christ. Pray that these persecuted believers endure the hardness they face, and that they present a bold witness for Christ.
The spirit of antiChrist is working all over the earth right now, seeking to hinder God’s plans and purposes for Israel and for the salvation of the lost. Doctrines of demons that the Apostle Paul mentioned in Second Timothy chapter four are deceiving believers into thinking that since God is love, any behavior and lifestyle is acceptable to Him.
The two most important things we can do as Christians is 1) let the Word of God dwell in us richly (Colossians 3:16) and 2) develop a daily prayer life. Human strength alone will not keep us in the days ahead. We need the power of God and we need the moment by moment presence of Jesus.
Let’s allow the current events that we see and hear remind us that Jesus is returning, that God’s Word will be fulfilled, and that we can make a huge difference by how we live our lives. Let’s walk with God together!
Lastly, just a reminder: We have a prayer meeting every Saturday from 9:00 am to 10:00 am at Victory Church here in Raleigh. Join us each Saturday. We are praying for God’s purposes to be fulfilled in the earth at large and in us individually. It’s a Holy Spirit inspired time and we’d love to see you there! If you want to learn to pray effectively, come!
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