Peace Talks?

Late last week French Foreign Minister Ayravlt announced representatives from 30 countries will arrive in Paris during the month of May to re-launch the Israeli Palestinian peace process. Neither Israel nor the Palestinians are invited.

On the surface this might appear to be a step in the right direction. However, we need to look deeper into this whole scenario. "Evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." 2nd Timothy 3:13. Most theological scholars believe we live in this time of deception! 

There are many signs of deception in this proposal by the leaders of France. What is their real motivation? France has become predominately anti-semitic. As part of the announcement, France declares an ultimatum for Jerusalem - if peace talks fail, Paris will recognize a Palestinian State. Additionally, the May Summit will demand that Israel withdraw to the Pre - 1967 Borders and set up a divided Jerusalem plus welcome an influx of Palestinian refugees. The over-all purpose of France convening this summit is obvious to all.

Even if this summit takes place and if Israel and the Palestinians are invited at a later date, calling the summit a Peace Summit is totally inaccurate. There is no intention of a peaceful relationship with Israel on the part of the Palestinians. Palestinian Authority leader Abbus said recently, "We welcome every drop of blood spilled in Jerusalem. This is pure blood and clean blood." The only intent of the Palestinians is to eliminate Israel and the Jewish people and steal their land.   

What about the land of Israel? Who does it belong to? When our Lord God was establishing a covenant relationship with Abraham and his descendants he said, "To your descendants I have given this land, from the River of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates." Genesis 15:18. God gave to Abraham and his descendants almost all of the current Middle East. There is no question who this land belongs to! The world media would have us believe differently - another deception.

"Now it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of The Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, 'come, and let us go up to the mountain of The Lord, to the house of The God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the words of The Lord from Jerusalem." Isaiah 2:2-3.  

Come Lord Jesus, Come Soon

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

Frank

A Lesson From Passover

This Friday at sundown Jewish people around the world start participating in the Feast of Passover. The first eighteen chapters of the book of Exodus illustrates how Our Lord God delivered His people from four centuries of slavery in Egypt. 

Moses is instructed by Our Lord God to go to Pharaoh and petition him "To Let My People Go." Moses had to repeat this petition ten times because with each of the first nine visits to Pharaoh he refused the requests. As a result, Our Lord God poured out severe plaques on the Egyptians. Finally, when the tenth plaque resulted in the death of the first born in each Egyptian household to include Pharaoh's son, he decided to release the Israelites from slavery. Our Lord God protected all the Israeli households from each plaque.

This past Sunday on the Israel Today Web Site, there was a very thought provoking article entitled The Miracle of Passover. Shortly after leaving Egypt, the Israelites realized they were trapped on all sides by the desert, the sea and the Egyptian Armies approaching from the rear. Even though the Israelites panicked, Moses said, "Do not be afraid, stand still, and see the salvation of The Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever." Exodus 14:13. The Israelites then witnessed one of the greatest miracles of history . . . The Parting Of The Red Sea.

There is an abundance of lessons to learn in the Passover story. Moses said to the Israelites "Stand Still" even though they were hemmed in on all sides. The Israelites had to learn to trust in their God every step of the way in the wilderness as He provided for all their needs and led them to the Promised Land and developed a covenant relationship with them at Mt. Sinai.

Today, both Jews and Christians still need to learn to "Be Still And Trust In Their God." Jews all over the world experience anti-semitism and those living in Israel are surrounded by enemies - still hemmed in on all sides. Christians are being persecuted, executed and their churches destroyed throughout the world. We all need to learn each day to "Trust in The Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6.  

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

Frank                              

  

Repentance Still Necessary!

Spiritually, last weekend was very special and important. A large group of God's people gathered in our nation's capital in extremely cold and wet  weather earnestly calling out for their Lord and Master to "Heal Our Land." These acts of sincere repentance and heartfelt prayers for our country were duplicated among 100,000 in Los Angeles, California. There were also smaller groups and individuals praying all over the country at the same time. All were crying out For Revival In Our Time.

Praise The Lord for God's people praying in unison for a mighty move of God. At the same time, we should be aware of God's Word describing the events preceding the Day Of The Lord in 2nd Thessalonians 2:3, "Let no one deceive you by any means; for That Day will not come unless the falling away comes first." Many prophetic people feel we are living in That Day. Reports indicate that most mainline denominational churches are losing people. Will a Revival precede this full scale falling away?

However, the worldwide church also needs to be in unison by addressing another very important issue. In his book, The Crucifixion Of The Jews, Franklin H. Littell says, "The Holocaust is the unfinished business of the Christian church, the running sore unattended by its leaders and weakening its constituents." This is not meant to condemn the Christian Church as a whole. There are numerous worldwide ministries, churches and individuals who wholeheartedly support Israel and have repented for the Holocaust. Unfortunately, the majority of the church has not! 

During the Holocaust the majority of the Christian church in America and Europe looked the other way and did little or nothing to help the Jewish people.  What can we do individually? We need to pray earnestly for a movement of God's people to enter into a time of repentance asking for our Lord God  to forgive them of the sins against the Jewish people especially during the Holocaust. This might also include meeting with the leadership of our individual churches.

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

Frank  

Our God Still Reigns!

If you are like me, who has supported Israel and been a prayer warrior for Israel for 25 years, sometimes I become discouraged. On a daily basis, we hear of those who plan to destroy Israel and the Jewish people in addition to noticing how the United Nations, the world media and the European Union are biased against Israel.

I have great news for you - Our God Still Reigns. Jeremiah 31:31 states, "Behold, the days are coming, says The Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah." Part of this new covenant clearly illustrates that our Lord God will never leave or forsake the nation of Israel.

Jeremiah 31:35-36

Thus says The Lord, Who gives the sun

for a light by day, And the ordinances of the

moon and the stars for a light by night,

Who disturbs the sea, and its waves roar, 

(The Lord of Hosts is His name)

If those ordinances depart from before me,

says The Lord, then the seed of Israel

shall also cease from being a nation

before Me forever.

Israel Will Never Cease Being A Nation Before Their God!

As words of encouragement, the following are current examples of our Lord God ruling and reigning on behalf of Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu recently hosted a group of journalists from Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation. Relationships between these two nations have been cold for a long time. Netanyhahu hoped this visit will encourage more cordial relationships.

Already, Israel has peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan and has established working relationships with other Arab States in their common fight against radical Islam especially Iran. Netanyahu also thinks Saudi Arabia sees Israel as an ally rather than an enemy plus other Sunni Arab States.

No matter what we see or hear, we need to continue with our prayers and intercessions for Israel - it is a mandate from our Lord God. Genesis 12:3, Psalm 122:6.

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

Frank 

Anti-Semitism At Its Worse

I would think that most people have been saddened by the news of the latest Islamic terrorists attacks in Brussels, Belgium on March 22nd. There were bombing attacks at the Brussels Airport and the Maalbeek Metro Station which claimed the lives of 30 people and injured over 300. In the days following this tragedy there has been many signs of support from other countries for the victim's families. 

However, even in the midst of all these signs of support, Anti-Semitism has surfaced. Pro-Palestinian groups have attended gatherings supporting the people of Brussels and upon seeing waving Israeli flags they have either removed or torn apart these flags. In some cases, Israeli flags were burned and anti-Israel slogans chanted. 

These scenes are Anti-Semitism at its worse. The world wide hatred of Israel and the Jewish people even had to surface in a very solemn and tragic time for many people. Equally disturbing is the lack of outrage for this type of behavior by the world media. In one instance, a woman wearing a Palestinian scarf was seen tearing an Israeli flag apart in front of many television cameras. This behavior was not even mentioned at all in the commentaries. Apparently this type of behavior is considered normal by the world media.

Well, how do we who love and support Israel, respond to such reports? We need to pray continually and enthusiastically for our Lord God's Hand Of Protection for Israel and the Jewish people. I have personally formed the habit of praying Psalm 91 each day soliciting God's protection for those I love whether they are family, friends or Israel and its people.

Psalm 91:1-8

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High 

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of The Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust." 

Surely He will save you from the fowler's snare

and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with His feathers,

and under His wings you will find refuge;

 His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night,

 nor the arrow that flies by day.

Nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand

at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

You will only observe with your eyes and 

see the punishment of the wicked.

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

Frank

Do You Know Him?

Holy Week is a very special time of the year when we remember the most important event in all of history, The Death And Resurrection Of Jesus Christ who is the true Son of The One True God. We pray The Lord will grant you an anointed and blessed Holy Week.

Our message this week raises the question, "Do you really know Him?" Luke 19:28-41 describes the Triumphant Entry Of Jesus as He entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey near the Mount of Olives. The crowd along the route waved palm branches chanting, "Blessed is The King, who comes in the name of The Lord!" From all outward appearances, you would think this crowd knew who Jesus was! However, verse 41 says, "Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it." Why did He weep?

The crowd kept chanting what was a traditional greeting recited by pilgrims on their way to the Passover Celebration in Jerusalem. This chanting was the sign of respect for a royal person. They kept chanting "The King, The King" who they believed had come to rescue them from the Roman oppression. Jesus wept because He knew as they were praising Him, in a short time they would reject Him.

John 19:6-7 also illustrates how the people of Jerusalem did not know who Jesus was. As Jesus was on trial, Pilot said in verse 6, "I find no fault in Him." However, the crowd kept chanting, "Crucify Him, Crucify Him." 

They Did Not Know That This Same Jesus Was The Son Of God, 

Their Long Awaited Messiah And The Savior Of The World.

During this very special week, let me ask, "Do you know who Jesus is?" If you do not, please pray with me this most important prayer, "Jesus, I know I am a sinner, please forgive me of my sins, come and live in my heart, become my Savior and grant me Eternal Life with You in Heaven. Thank you Jesus, Amen."

He Is Risen, He Is Risen Indeed, Hallelujah!

Frank

  

"Glorify Your Father In Heaven"

Matthew 5:16 says, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Jesus was instructing His disciples to bring glory to His Father by letting their light shine to ALL people. Since we who know Jesus as our Savior are considered modern day disciples, this message is also for us. We can do this by doing good works which meet the needs of others. The Apostle Paul also pointed out that our good works do not save us but are clear evidence of our salvation. The Apostle James said, "I will show you my faith by my works." 

"And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, in as much as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'" Matthew 25:40. The King referred to in this verse is Jesus returning to judge the Gentile Nations. He is not judging based on their beliefs but on their works. Specifically, He is concerned about how the Gentile Nations have treated His nation. I have heard many different interpretations of this verse, however, it is clear, Jesus is talking about judging the Gentile Nations concerning how they have treated "My brethren" - The Jewish People.

In Mark 12:28-31 Jesus was asked, "What is the first commandment of all?" Jesus replied, "The first of all the commandments is 'Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God, The Lord is one. And you shall love The Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" Christians are very familiar with this section of scripture but at times misunderstands that your neighbor also includes the Jewish people. Let us love ALL of God's people!

May The Lord Bless You And Keep You This Day,

Frank