Co-Existence

Most commonly the stories of Jews and Palestinians living side by side in the communities and settlements of Judea and Samaria give the impression of tension and even hatred. This is because the land itself appears to be disputed in the eyes of Israel's enemies and the world media.To settle this so-called land dispute, the land was given to Abraham's descendants in Genesis 15:18. There is no land dispute, it belongs to the Jewish people!

In Judea and Samaria or the West Bank as the world media calls it, Jews and Palestinians live side by side. How does this unique and tenuous arrangement work in the majority of situations? Overall, pretty good. Yes, occasionally there are terror attacks similar to those happening all over the world. However, in the majority of scenarios, we should be thanking our Lord God that the two camps appear to be co-existing. As a word of encouragement our message this week will illustrate examples of this positive co-existence.

This month saw a Palestinian terrorist shooting attack in which Rabbi Michael Mark was killed and his family wounded. The first person on the scene was a Palestinian who rescued the children of Rabbi Mark from the wrecked vehicle. Next on the scene was another Palestinian Dr. Sharach and his wife, a nurse, who administered first aid to all the wounded. As a result, two Israeli Medical Organizations have publicly thanked Dr. Sharach for his actions. Praise The Lord for this courageous and merciful act.

Another encouraging and uplifting story talks about a Jewish soldier and his attitude toward Palestinians. Hananya Naftali stated, "I believe in peace even as a Jewish Israeli soldier, I love the Palestinians." Let us pray and believe that the majority of Jews and Palestinians living in Judea and Samaria have a similar mindset. 

I know you all believe our Lord God hears and answers all our prayers. Psalm 122:6 exhorts each of us to pray for "The Peace Of Jerusalem." Most Bible scholars believe Jerusalem in this case refers to all of the people living in Israel also including the Jewish people worldwide. Being faithful to this exhortation will honor and please our Lord God and Savior! 

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

Frank  

"You Shall Love . . ."

News headlines this past week were not of the type to make one feel very good about what is happening worldwide. Last Friday in Dallas, Texas five policemen were murdered trying to restore order during an anti-police demonstration. We also learned from Iran that they along with Hezbollah have 100,000 missiles ready to use during an attack on Israel. Iran made this announcement as their own "final solution" for the problem of Israel. 

Additionally, 50,000 young people are attending a summer camp in Gaza. When we think of summer camps, we normally think of swimming, playing games and bonfires. No, not in Gaza which is under the control of Hamas, a terror organization. These 50,000 young people are being trained to be terrorists in this summer camp.

How do we who know Jesus as our Lord and Savior and love Israel respond to all this negative news? Mark 12:30-31 says,

"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. There is no

 other commandment greater than these." 

There is a very uplifting story as part of the events in Dallas which I believe illustrates "Loving Your Neighbor" in very difficult circumstances. The Dallas Chief of Police approached a long line of demonstrators and said the following, "Instead of standing in a line shouting anti-police slogans, why don't you join us and become policemen to help solve these difficulties? We will even send you back to function in your own neighborhood." This was a response of love in a very challenging environment.

Our Lord God also declares in Deuteronomy 6:4-9,

Here, O Israel; The Lord our God, The Lord is one! 

You shall love The Lord your God with all your heart,

 with all your soul and with all your might. 

And these words which I command you today 

shall be in your heart; you shall teach them diligently 

to your children, and shall talk of them when 

you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, 

when you lie down and when you rise up. 

You shall bind them as a sign on your hand 

and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 

You shall write them on the doorposts of

 your house and on your gates."

Our Lord God gives to all of us a clear format of how to function in a challenging world. He desires for us to love Him first with all our heart, soul and strength. Then He desires for us to teach these principles to our children and to all people as He gives us opportunity. What a different world we would live in if God's people practiced Matthew 12:30-31 and Deuteronomy 6:4-9.

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

Frank 

   

Israel's Next War!

The main theme of last week's message was for all of us to "Know The Truth And Proclaim The Truth." Part of the truth concerned the land of Israel, defining the land given to Abraham and his descendants in Genesis 15:18. We also learned God's Covenant People have never occupied all of this land but will occupy it in the future. Obadiah 1:19-20.

Our message this week will define what is believed to be "Israel's Next War" and as a result how the land of Israel is dramatically expanded. Psalm 83:2-4 shows us how the nations surrounding Israel plan for its destruction as a nation, "For behold, 'your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate you have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, come and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.'" 

Current headlines validate these plans against God's People. The Syrian Civil War has crossed their border into Israel causing Israel to respond. Hezbollah in Lebanon is storing thousands of missiles for a future war with Israel. Hamas in Gaza continues to build tunnels even into Southern Israel as preparation for their next war with Israel. As part of Ramadan, there has been numerous Palestinian terror attacks against Jewish people living in Judea and Samaria. It certainly appears the Psalm 83 War is close at hand.

However, we Praise Our Lord God for His continual hand of protection for His Covenant People. Israel has never lost a war and they do not lose the Psalm 83 War either. The book of Obadiah verses 15 to 18 is called the Judgment On Edom. Who is Edom? Edom is current day Arabs who are descendants from Esau and who comprise most of the populations of the current Middle East. The above verses show how our Lord God responds to the Edomites (Arabs) for their mistreatment of Israel. Hallelujah! 

Lastly, Obadiah 1:19-20 is a detailed description of Israel expanding and occupying the rest of the land given to them by God in Genesis 15:18. Be encouraged, Psalm 125:1-3, says, "Those who trust in The Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so The Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever. For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous." 

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

Frank

Perilous Times

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedience to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traders, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." 2Timothy 3:1-4. Most biblical scholars agree we are living in the last days. News headlines on a daily basis report of the persecution of Christians and Jews and even of the rewriting of the Holy Bible. We see the scriptures above illustrated around us continually.

Our message this week will concentrate on the blaspheming, slandering and the despisers of good towards Israel. Palestinian Authority President Malmoud Abbas last Friday blamed Israel for all global terrorism that is totally untrue. At the same time, he stated that Jews are seeking to poison the water that Palestinians drink. This fabricated charge was credited to an Israeli Rabbi who does not exist. Palestinian leaders, since Israel was formed in 1948, have told similar lies knowing there are those who will believe them without seeking the real truth.

2Timothy 3:12-15 teaches us how to be overcomers and victorious in these perilous times. "Know The Truth And Proclaim The Truth." The most important truth we need to proclaim is that salvation is only through the belief and the confession in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and that God raised Him from the dead. Romans 10:9.

Additionally, we need to know the truth and proclaim the truth about the land of Israel. Genesis 15:18 says, "On the same day The Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, 'To your descents I have given this land, from the River of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates.'" God gave to Abram and his descendants through Isaac and Jacob almost the whole Middle East to include Judea and Samaria, Gaza, parts of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Jordan. The Israelites to date have not occupied all this land but the day is coming when this will be a reality. Obadiah 1:19-20.

Know The Truth And Proclaim The Truth!  

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

Frank

Genesis 12:3

"I Will Bless Those Who Bless You, And I Will Curse Him Who Curses You; And In You All The Families Of The Earth Shall Be Blessed."

This verse is a foundational type of message from our Lord God's Holy Word and encourages Christians to love and support Israel and the Jewish people. The second part is addressed to the Jewish people, God's original covenant people, and informs them "You will bless all the families of the earth." This was written approximately three thousand years ago, yet the Jewish people of today are obeying their Lord. 

Six years ago, Israel's Carmel Forest was on fire and Cyprus sent its only firefighting aircraft to assist in fighting the blaze which was the largest fire in Israel's history. This past Saturday, news reports revealed Cyprus was now facing its own massive blaze. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered three Israeli firefighting aircraft to join in the effort to put out the blaze. Netanyahu ordered the aircraft to be sent Saturday night and they were in Cyprus in less than 24 hours after the fire started. News reports also reveal Israel was working to send a rescue team to Cyprus.

Another story of Israeli's taking Genesis 12:3 literally revolves around an Israeli charity called Save A Child. This charity exists to assist needy children from developing countries. Recently, the four thousandth child received life saving heart surgery. A four year old from Gambia, Africa arrived at Wolfson Medical Center and stopped breathing. After hours of resuscitation and surgery plus days of recovery, the young child was playing with other children from all over the world. 

As the Jewish people are involved in acts of love and charity, they are obeying the words of their God when He says in Deuteronomy 30:9-10, "The Lord your God will make you abound in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock and in the produce of your land for good. For The Lord will again rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers. If you obey the voice of The Lord your God to keep His commandments and His statues which are written in this Book of the Law and if you turn to The Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul."

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

Frank
 

Different Standards For Israel

When we look at the title for our message this week, we are referring to how Israel is treated by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). Israel is treated harsher than almost every other country represented in the U.N. based on inaccurate information. Yes, there is a blatant double standard!

Worldly news reports on a daily basis tells of human rights violations especially in the Middle East. Hundreds of thousands Syrians have been massacred in a Civil War, ISIS rules part of Iraq and basic human rights are hard to find in Iran, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. "While human rights are out of control world wide, only one country is inspected at every meeting of the UNHRC - Israel," said Jamey Keaton of the Associated Press.

Keaton pointed out that over the past ten years, the UNHRC passed 233 resolutions with 65 focusing on Israel with the majority of them condemning Israel. At the same time, Syria had displaced 10 million of its people and received only 19 resolutions.

David Keyes representing Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu responded, "The U.N. continues to single out Israel, the only liberal democracy in the Middle East. Imagine that, a country with free speech, free elections and minority rights is condemned more than mass murdering dictatorships in North Korea, Iran and Syria. This all speaks for itself."

That is the bad news. Here is the Good News for all who love and trust in our Lord God and support Israel. Psalm 17:6-9 says, "I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; incline Your ear to me and hear my speech.Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of Your eye, hide me under the shadow of Your wings, from the wicked who oppose me from my deadly enemies who surround me."  

Our Lord God hears and responds to all our prayers, saves those who trust in Him from their enemies and shelters His people under His wings. Hallelujah!   

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

Frank

                  

"For He Must Reign"

The title for our message is taken from 1st Corinthians 15:25, "For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet." This is a very encouraging verse for all of God's people but can be at the same time difficult to understand. The Apostle Paul is proclaiming that Jesus, who is seated at the right hand of God The Father, must reign until God puts all enemies of Jesus under His feet. 

Possibly, your response might be that this is good to know but hard to visualize and experience in the world in which we live. This reaction is understandable. However, as we draw closer to our Lord God we can also look for evidence of His moving and reigning within all the negative news and atmosphere.

Three Stories Out Of Israel This Week Illustrate Our God 

Still Reigns And Is Working Toward Protecting Israel . . .

Story One . . .The relationship between Russia and Israel is very important for the security of Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu announced this week he is meeting with Russian Prime Minister Putin for the fourth time this year. Russia initially supported the establishment of Israel but broke ties with Israel after the Six Day War in 1967. The current meeting will discuss ways to fight terrorism, the situation in Syria and economic and trade co-operation. Yes, our God still is reigning!

Story Two . . .Thirty one countries have voted to adopt a new definition of anti-semitism in an attempt to counter hatred. As a result, a new definition of anti-semitism reads, "A certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews, that can also target the State of Israel." Certainly a step in the right direction since it is difficult to solve a problem until it is defined.

Story Three . . .The Governor of the state of New York and the Mayor of New York City, have just signed an Executive Order banning their state from contacting those who boycott Israel known as the BDS Campaign. Andrew Cuomo said, "If you boycott Israel, New York will boycott you. This state will not stand for the politics of discrimination in any form and will continue to support the people of Israel." A wonderful example for other states and the nations of the world. 

Yes, our Lord God is still on His throne and is still reigning! Psalm 110:1-2 says, "The Lord said to my Lord, 'sit at my right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool' The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion, rule in the midst of Your enemies!"

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

Frank