The Lord's Strong Right Hand

During the last two weeks there has been two events along Israel's borders that has their leaders very concerned. An Israeli Air Force fighter jet was shot down by Iranian and Syrian forces over Northern Galilee. This plane was part of a retaliatory strike force into Syria after an Iranian drone had entered Israeli airspace. Israeli fighters entered Syria to destroy the Command Center that launched the drone. Following was an entire day of Israeli air attacks in which four Iranian and eight Syrian bases were hit.

Along Israel's Southern border with Gaza, a terrorist bomb wounded four Israeli soldiers on patrol, two of the soldiers were seriously injured. Israel holds the terror group Hamas totally responsible and the Israeli Air Force struck 18 facilities belonging to the terror group. Tensions are high in Israel because of having a direct confrontation with Iran who has repeatedly threatened to totally destroy Israel.  

This raises an important question for all who love and support Israel, how can we pray most effectively during this tense time? When we look at the history of Israel, we find they have never lost a war because of our Mighty God intervening on their behalf. I have learned over the last 36 years that a very effective way to pray is to recite God's Word back to Him and then ask Him to act in a similar manner. 

Notice that the title for our message this week is, "The Lord's Strong Right Hand." There are numerous examples in the Torah and the Book Of Psalms showing God's Strong Right Hand defeating the enemies of His People. Shortly after our Lord God brought the Israelis through the Red Sea, He then caused the Egyptians to drown. God's People then wrote a song to their Lord saying:

"Your Right Hand, O Lord, Has Become Glorious In Power,

Your Right Hand, O Lord, Has Dashed The Enemy In Pieces"

Exodus 15:6

"You Stretched Out Your Right Hand;

The Earth Swallowed Them"

Exodus 15:12

The book of Psalms also refers to God's Right Hand protecting His People:

"You Have Also Given Me The Shield Of Your Salvation;

Your Right Hand Has Held Me Up,

Your Gentleness Has Made Me Great"

Psalm 18:35

"Now I Know That The Lord Saves His Anointed;

He Will Answer Him From His Holy Heaven

With The Saving Strength Of His Right Hand"

Psalm 20:6

"Your Hand Will Find All Your Enemies;

Your Right Hand Will Find Those Who Hate You"

Psalm 21:8

During this tense time in Israel, we can be those strong intercessors asking for God's Strong Right Hand to defeat Israel's enemies. Nothing is too difficult for our God!

May The Lord Bless You And Keep You This Day And Each Day,

Frank   

"All Israel Will Be Saved"

Our messages during the last month has centered on Israel and the Jewish people searching for their Messiah. We learned there is a spiritual awakening currently happening in Israel but still the majority of God's Covenant People do not know Jesus as their Messiah. We also learned that  our Lord God has placed His Covenant People into "A Stupor" illustrated in Romans 11:7 because of their disobedience and unbelief. We also stressed this is only a temporary situation and our Lord God has a plan!

This week we will share God's plan and the story has a good ending. Notice that our title is "All Israel Will Be Saved." The title means either ALL or A VERY LARGE PERCENTAGE of God's Covenant People will be saved when Jesus physically returns to Jerusalem.

How is all of this going to happen? Romans 11:26-27 says, "And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 'The deliverer will come from Zion; He will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.'" The sins of the Jewish people will be removed and this will happen when Jesus is recognized as their Lord and Savior and Messiah.

Zechariah 14 describes the Day Of The Lord in detail and this will happen at the end of the Tribulation Period. Jesus returns to Jerusalem to defeat the enemies of Jerusalem. (verse 3) At the end of this battle Jesus stands on the Mount of Olives. (verse 4) At that moment God's Covenant People will mourn for the one they have pierced recognizing and receiving Jesus as their Messiah. This mourning and the recognition of Jesus are illustrated in Zechariah 12:10.

Yes, All Of Israel Will Be Saved - This Is God's Plan!

Bless His Holy Name!

As Born Again Christians who love and support Israel, our mandate from our Lord God between now and when Jesus returns to the Mount of Olives victoriously is to: 

Bless Israel - Genesis 12:3

Pray For The Peace Of Jerusalem - Psalm 122:6

For Zion's Sake, Speak The Truth - Isaiah 62:1

Become A Watchman On The Wall For Jerusalem - Isaiah 62:6

May The Lord Richly Bless Your Ministry Unto Israel And The Jewish People,

Frank     

Israel's Rejection Not Total Or Final

Last week we raised the question - Has God Rejected His Covenant People? Romans 11:1 answers this question saying, "Certainly Not!" If God's current rejection is not total or final, how did the Jewish people arrive at this partial rejection by their God?

In Romans 10:21 our Lord God says, "All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people." From the day that God created man and woman, He has desired an intimate and loving relationship with those He created. However, shortly after The Lord led His people miraculously through the Red Sea, they started murmuring and disobeying.

How has our Lord God responded? Romans 11:7 says, "God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day." The vast majority of God's Covenant People cannot see who is their Messiah and cannot hear their Messiah's message. Before we lose heart over this challenging but important message, we should again look at Romans 11:1 and Romans 11:11 that present the same message - God Has Not Rejected His Covenant People - Their Current Situation Is Only Temporary!

How do Gentiles fit into this picture? Romans 11:11 continues by saying, "But through their fall, to provoke them to jealously, salvation has come to the Gentiles." Yes, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and their belief and confession, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Romans 11 continues to show clearly how Gentiles should relate to the Jewish people in this current situation:

Provoke Them To Jealousy - Verse 11

Do Not Boast - Verse 18

Do Not Be Haughty, But Fear - Verse 20

Continue In His Goodness - Verse 22

Again, this is not the end of the story. Our Lord God is still a loving, compassionate and caring God. He has not given up on His Covenant People! Stay Tuned!

May The Lord Bless You And Keep You This Day And Everyday,

Frank 

"You Shall Not See Me Again Until . . . "

Our theme scripture for this week is from Luke 13:35. Jesus is mourning over the people of Jerusalem and saying that He wanted to gather them under His wings but they were not willing. Jesus says in verse 35, "You will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" What exactly is Jesus saying? He is saying that His covenant people will not see Him again until they call Him "Blessed" upon recognizing Him as their Messiah.

Luke 13:35 is an extremely important verse in attempting to figure out when Jesus will return to earth. People tend to look at the "Signs Of The Times" trying to see how close we might be to the return of Jesus. This is important but might not be as important as the moment Jewish people receive Jesus as their Messiah and call Him "Blessed." Our recent messages mentioned about a spiritual awakening happening among the Jewish people but still the vast majority of them have not recognized Jesus as their Messiah.

Romans 10:9-10 says, "That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus Is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." This is the true salvation message along with John 3:16. For a person to receive salvation they must believe in their heart that Jesus is the Son of God and God raised Him from the dead and then confess these truths with their mouth. This applies to both Jew and Gentile.

Why then has this been so difficult for God's covenant people? Romans 9:30-32 says, "What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works." They have not sought a righteousness of faith but a righteousness of law and works.

The good news is This Is Not The End Of The Story. Romans 11:1 says, "I ask then, Did God reject His people? By no means!" Our Lord God is still in control and He has a plan for His covenant people. Stay Tuned!

May The Lord Bless You And Keep You This Day And Every Day,

Frank