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christianfanficYou may be aware that the Palestinians are currently seeking a vote in the UN that will grant them statehood. This is incredibly dangerous to the state of Israel. Israel is the only true democracy in the Middle East, and America’s close ally. And, most important of all, we as Christians are called to stand with, and love, the Jewish people.
“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” -Genesis 12:2
“Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness.” -1 Kings 10:9
“What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God. What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar.” -Romans 3:1-3
“I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew.” -Romans 11:1
“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way 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.”
As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” -Romans 11:25-28
These, and many other verses, describe God’s love for the Jewish people. We, as Gentiles, have been unspeakably blessed through God’s chosen people. But, the Jews themselves have been horribly persecuted throughout history, and currently, the nations of the world are turning a blind eye, or in some cases, allying with, extremist Muslim regimes who blatantly call for the annihilation of the Jewish people. The vote in the UN puts Israel at incredible risk. When Hitler began persecuting Jews in Germany, many Christians around the world were silent. Let’s not be silent now.
If you’d like to speak out on behalf of Israel here on LJ, small as our voices may be, you’re welcome to copy and use this banner.
In the words of the psalmist, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” -Psalm 122:5-7
-Laughter
“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” -Genesis 12:2
“Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness.” -1 Kings 10:9
“What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God. What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar.” -Romans 3:1-3
“I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew.” -Romans 11:1
“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way 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.”
As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” -Romans 11:25-28
These, and many other verses, describe God’s love for the Jewish people. We, as Gentiles, have been unspeakably blessed through God’s chosen people. But, the Jews themselves have been horribly persecuted throughout history, and currently, the nations of the world are turning a blind eye, or in some cases, allying with, extremist Muslim regimes who blatantly call for the annihilation of the Jewish people. The vote in the UN puts Israel at incredible risk. When Hitler began persecuting Jews in Germany, many Christians around the world were silent. Let’s not be silent now.
If you’d like to speak out on behalf of Israel here on LJ, small as our voices may be, you’re welcome to copy and use this banner.
In the words of the psalmist, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” -Psalm 122:5-7
-Laughter
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Date: 2011-09-22 09:33 am (UTC)~
no subject
Date: 2011-09-22 10:37 am (UTC)But with all due respect, how can we not have a special kind love for the Jewish people? Every person who authored a book of the Bible with the inspiration of the Spirit was Jewish, (with the possible exception of Luke - he may have been Greek). Jesus himself was Jewish, the descendant of King David, and He his heart was broken because many in Jerusalem did not believe in him:
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." -Matthew 23:37
Christ also said that salvation is from the Jews (John 4:22), meaning that they are the people God used to bring salvation to the world. The Bible describes them as the olive vine, and we, the Gentiles, are the wild olive branch that's been "grafted in."
The Jews are also the special people God chose to use to care for His Word. As Paul said, "What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God." -Romans 1:1-2
And you're right, the Jews are not entirely innocent in the bloodshed. But, there is one very important difference. The nations surrounding Israel want to destroy her. Many of the leaders (not fringe leaders either, but high profile leaders) have openly said that Israel should be destroyed. (One said that the Jews are "less than human, worse than viruses and bacteria, a disease that needs to be eradicated" - I'm honestly not kidding. Those were his words.) Israel has had to deal with almost *daily* rocket attacks for years. The walls they've built are there because people are in danger of being shot at by snipers, and the walls are for protection. Suicide bombers are a constant threat. A Jewish family was murdered (including an innocent baby) in cold blood by Palestinian teenagers, simply because they were Jewish. *Cookies* were handed out by extremists the next day to celebrate.
When Israel has attacked, by and large, they have been responses to Palestinian attacks, or preemptive strikes. As a nation, they have that right. Could you imagine any nation living under those circumstances, and not responding to defend their people?
Again, I'm not saying that Israel has not shed Palestinian blood, or that they've been entirely innocent. I'm also not saying that we shouldn't love the Palestinian people or Muslims in general. I don't mean that at all. We should love and care for them, and reach out to them, and oh, how incredible it would be for them to come to know Christ!
But, the Palestinian authorities are terrorists. It's a known fact. You can't negotiate with terrorists. They don't want peace, not really. They want to destroy Israel. And if they are declared a state, they'll push for a return to the 1967 borders. If memory serves, that will leave Israel with a 7 mile strip of land to defend. And, given their past history and hatred, do you believe that the Palestinian authorities would stop there, once Israel was weaknened?
I'm afraid real peace won't come to the region until Jesus comes to rule in Jerusalem, on the throne of King David. And praise God, then there will be no more war. But, until that time, I personally want to stand with Israel against the threat they are facing, for the Bible says of Israel, "...for he who touches you touches the apple of [God's] eye." -Zechariah 2:8
no subject
Date: 2011-09-22 11:03 am (UTC)Maybe that's what this is to you, with the people of Israel. However, me being told that because I am a Christian I should love the Jews even more is like someone telling me that because I live in the US and am around a lot of Spanish I should learn Spanish.
Not going to happen. Ever.
I don't dislike the Spanish like I don't dislike the Israelis. However, this doesn't mean that they have an exceptionally awesome place in my heart. We each have our gifts and the people that we're called for.
As for Palestine, I've been pretty much for their own statehood since I decided to actually look into it and I don't think my mind is really going to be swayed on it. I don't believe that their entire government would be composed of terrorists either and I don't think that Israel is the only democratic nation in the Middle East. Of course, the way things are resting, sometimes it's hard to know what some of those countries are. But yes, I agree that the only way the war will end is when Jesus comes back.
And no, I doubt Palestine would stop there, but who knows, maybe they will? Maybe there is something else at work there that's bigger than Israel? Maybe it's an act of faith, of good will... that if Palestine gets their own land that maybe this will set the ground for peace. After all, Nelson Mandela paved the way for peace in South Africa. The government turned entirely and the whites were afraid yet Mandela soothed everyone's fears and united a nation.
So this may not be nearly as horrible as it all sounds.
~