Pray for the peace of Israel
It is a great struggle for me to understand all that goes on in the Middle East, even through the study that I've devoted myself to in recent months to prepare for my upcoming trip. In recent days, the Gaza strip seems to have been in the headlines. I don't write to you now to explain all the politics and history of this tiny stretch of land on the shores of the Mediterranean, just where the ancient land of Egypt begins. I write you, as ever I have in these emails, to solicit your prayers for the peace of Israel. In my preparations for this trip (3 weeks from tommorow!!!), I have somewhat avoided current headlines, but today I did read an article online. It outlined the last several days, the victory of Hamas over Fatah, and the violence which has taken place. Nothing new, right? But as I perused this article, something struck a chord in me, and compelled me to share with those of you who have joined me in prayer.
A resident of a Hamas-dominated neighborhood, identifying himself only as Yousef for fear of reprisal by his neighbors, said Gazans would always back the winner, regardless of ideology.
"Today everybody is with Hamas because Hamas won the battle. If Fatah had won the battle they'd be with Fatah. We are a hungry people, we are with whoever gives us a bag of flour and a food coupon," said Yousef, 30. "Me, I'm with God and a bag of flour."
My heart breaks for Yousef. He is younger than me. I don't know him. I expect he is likely NOT a follower of the Messiah of Israel - he may be a wicked man who has contributed greatly to the crisis he lives in today; but to read as he invokes the Name which has brought ME peace has tears in my eyes, "I'm with God and a bag of flour." His family may hate me because I am a woman, or an American or a Christian. He may be dead wrong in what he says about his neighbors. But maybe not, and my heart breaks for him in either case. How much flour do I have in my kitchen?
Our trip will not be going to Gaza. I will not have any opportunity to minister directly to those affected by the events unfolding there. But Gaza is about 50 miles from Jerusalem. I live about that far from Navy Pier. Trouble in Gaza may affect tensions in the West Bank. I am not writing now with any distress. I firmly believe that God has the opportunity to show Himself faithful to His purposes in my life whether I am on the Fox River or the Jordan.
Pray for the remnant of Israel, for God's Chosen People, and for the peace of the Land that God is restoring before our very eyes.
Oh, that the people of the Land might know the peace of their Messiah. My heart cries out to God along w/ the Apostle Paul... Hear below what he says to the church at Rome - his words echo today...
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile (Romans 1:16)
I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. (Romans 9:1-5)
Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:
"Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea,
only the remnant will be saved. (Romans 9:27)
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 stumbled over the "stumbling stone."
As it is written:
"See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in
Him will never be put to shame." (Romans 9:30-33)
In Messiah's Embrace,
Jennifer
A resident of a Hamas-dominated neighborhood, identifying himself only as Yousef for fear of reprisal by his neighbors, said Gazans would always back the winner, regardless of ideology.
"Today everybody is with Hamas because Hamas won the battle. If Fatah had won the battle they'd be with Fatah. We are a hungry people, we are with whoever gives us a bag of flour and a food coupon," said Yousef, 30. "Me, I'm with God and a bag of flour."
My heart breaks for Yousef. He is younger than me. I don't know him. I expect he is likely NOT a follower of the Messiah of Israel - he may be a wicked man who has contributed greatly to the crisis he lives in today; but to read as he invokes the Name which has brought ME peace has tears in my eyes, "I'm with God and a bag of flour." His family may hate me because I am a woman, or an American or a Christian. He may be dead wrong in what he says about his neighbors. But maybe not, and my heart breaks for him in either case. How much flour do I have in my kitchen?
Our trip will not be going to Gaza. I will not have any opportunity to minister directly to those affected by the events unfolding there. But Gaza is about 50 miles from Jerusalem. I live about that far from Navy Pier. Trouble in Gaza may affect tensions in the West Bank. I am not writing now with any distress. I firmly believe that God has the opportunity to show Himself faithful to His purposes in my life whether I am on the Fox River or the Jordan.
Pray for the remnant of Israel, for God's Chosen People, and for the peace of the Land that God is restoring before our very eyes.
Oh, that the people of the Land might know the peace of their Messiah. My heart cries out to God along w/ the Apostle Paul... Hear below what he says to the church at Rome - his words echo today...
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile (Romans 1:16)
I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. (Romans 9:1-5)
Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:
"Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea,
only the remnant will be saved. (Romans 9:27)
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 stumbled over the "stumbling stone."
As it is written:
"See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in
Him will never be put to shame." (Romans 9:30-33)
In Messiah's Embrace,
Jennifer
posted by JennW7773 | 9:05 PM
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