21st Century Israel Seen through the Psalms!
Israel has been at war, one way or another, for the last 64 years since its rebirth as a modern nation in 1948. No other country in the history of mankind has been under so much pressure from the international community for all the wrong reasons, if any reasons at all. Yet no other country in the entire world has ever survived this level of aggression from its neighbors. Something is going on in Israel that is far greater that the undeniable military might of IDF.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever.
Israel’s Real Friends Will Not Compromise!
The day I returned from Paris turned out to be the day that America decided to give up on truth and morality. Last Tuesday, the country I love so much decided to give another chance to a man that has proven very little in the last four years. But America has been undergoing a huge demographic shift and along with it, an ideological face lift that has left conservatives across the board pretty much without a plan, at least for now. The result seems to be an attraction to a leader that doesn’t have to prove anything except that he is always up to the next photo op or media event. America has just elected an image of a president and I fear that like most images it has no substance. Does it matter? To most it seems that it doesn’t, but if you have any shred of ethics left in your being, it should!
Our second-term president was no friend of Israel during his first four years, and that was then, when he had to make sure he wouldn’t jeopardize his re-election. He never visited Israel under his first term as a president, but was always available to tour a myriad of Arab countries and bow to sheiks and emirs right and left. So now that he has absolutely nothing to prove, it makes me wonder how far he is willing to go in widening the divide between the USA and Israel? Much is at stake here with Syria, Egypt, Libya and of course the ever volatile and increasingly explosive Iran.
Mr. Obama might very soon lead the USA outside of God’s blessing as he continues to spit in the face of “the apple of God’s eye”. Compromising with the enemy of Israel is only going to ignite God’s ire. Frankly, I think that God has possibly already started to display His discontentment with America in the last few weeks.
Israel’s enemies are becoming emboldened by the apathy of those who once supported the tiny democracy of the Middle East. Do these enemies truly think they are bigger or stronger than God or simply that they are God? What a delusion!
So, for those of us left with a love for God and thus a love for Israel and her people, we have no choice but to PRESS ON AND NOT COMPROMISE. If we are going to undergo persecution (and I believe it is imminent), it might as well be because of our undivided allegiance to the King of kings and Lord of lords and as a result, a love for His people according to the flesh: The Jews. We might even learn a thing or two from the French (I know, it is highly unusual for me to praise my country of origin considering how antisemitic they have been, both historically and recently).
But, it so happened that during WWII in France, there was a small village known as Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, only 40 kms south of Vichy. The village comprised about 5,000 people who for the vast majority were direct descendants of French Huguenots (16th and 17th centuries French members of the Reformed Protestant Church). These people were the closest thing to genuine bible believing Christians France ever saw.
Against all odds, in a France ruled by the hugely antisemitic government of Vichy, Le Chambon went on to take in, protect and help escape about 5,000 Jews. The small village story is one of humility, biblical love, compassion and NO COMPROMISE. But none of the villagers were heroes in their own eyes, they were simply disciples of Yeshua (Jesus) and saw their actions as normal displays of biblical behavior towards mankind.
Their incredible story was miraculous in so many ways. It is retold in a superb documentary titled Weapons of the Spirit. (see preview of the movie here, directed by French Jew Pierre Sauvage who was born and protected in the village during WWII). As you listen to the testimonies of these simple villagers, you come to realize that their respect for the Bible, their commitment to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their love for the chosen people of God were so strong that nothing–not even Nazi Germany or the Vichy Government of Maréchal Pétain–could stop them.
In the next four years, while we cannot stop Barack Obama from being president of the United States and while we cannot make decisions for him and his cabinet, we certainly can do a few things that will resonate with God.
• We can pray for our president to make the right choices
• We can pray for God’s protection over those who respect Him and His Word
• We can chose to NOT COMPROMISE when it comes to supporting Israel.
The villagers at Le Chambon-sur-Lignon never compromised and against all odds were able to save thousands of lives. We have much to learn from a small French village of Huguenots who really put into practice the biblical adage of “loving your neighbor” (Leviticus 19:18, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8), and as the Pierre Sauvage puts it:
You never know who might get caught up in a conspiracy of goodness once you launch it”?
Was the Fate of WWII Jews Sealed by the Allies?
While in Paris this week, I had a chance of viewing a new documentary on the Holocaust that caused me to ponder on the fate of my people during WWII. It was extremely uncomfortable to watch, as I discovered what even I had subconsciously buried deep into my own mental archives of the Shoah.
All Christians Are Anti-Semites! Right?
About three weeks ago, I wrote a commentary following a new request made by some Christian leaders and lead by the Presbyterian denomination, asking the US congress to investigate how Israel is using funds and possibly “violating human rights”. In it, I exposed the double-standard used by Presbyterian USA in falsely pointing the finger at Israel. But far worse was done by completely ignoring some real human rights issues such as the $450 million given to Egypt’s leadership while they clearly are tied to the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt’s president Mohammed Mursi has since then showed his true colors as he responded “amen” to an Egyptian cleric’s prayer to destroy Israel. That’s worth 450 million of our American dollars, right?
To be sure, the letter sent to congress wasn’t only signed by Presbyterian leaders. Some Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists, Mennonites and members of the Church of Christ were quick to join the ranks of the Presbyterian USA denomination and became co-signers. It goes without saying that the statement they made garnered much criticism from the Jewish community.
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) who has been known for being in favor of inter-faith dialogue, finally decided to sever their ties with the “Christian leadership team”. They in turn, wrote a letter back, and cancelled an upcoming interfaith meeting that they would like to see replaced by a summit of all key Church leaders and Jewish community leaders to resolve the issue and build an interfaith future together. JCPA Chair Larry Gold said it best:
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