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An Evangelical Response to Israel's Evangelical Enemies
Tuesday, March 08, 2016 | Israel Today Staff
As Evangelical foes of the notion that Israel's modern rebirth has anything to do with the Bible gather in Bethlehem, it seems a fitting time to draw attention to this powerful video series.
What's happening at the Christ at the Checkpoint conference is nothing news. Replacement Theology has dogged the Jewish people for millennia. And its proponents have become increasingly rabid over the past half century as Israel's rebirth provided concrete evidence that God was not finished with the physical sons of Jacob.
Israel's Evangelical enemies will say it's ludicrous to continue to lay claim to land promises made thousands of years ago. They'll insist that Yeshua's coming spiritualized each and every promise God ever made to the People of Israel.
But that's a slippery and dangerous slope to go down, and jeopardizes our own claims to God's promises as Christians.
It also simply cannot account for the miraculous nature of Israel's physical reconstitution after millennia of exile, in perfect accordance with numerous biblical prophecies.
Evangelical Christians have traditionally been strong supporters of Israel and the Jewish people. Their support can no longer be taken for granted. There is now a strong movement to undermine evangelical support for Israel - and it is gaining momentum.
At the Christ at the Checkpoint (CATC) conference in 2014 an invitation was extended to Rami Hamdallah, Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority and president of An-Najah University in Nablus, to give the opening address. It was under Hamdallah's presidency that a grotesque Hamas-sponsored recreation of the Sbarro Pizzeria terror attack was celebrated. In this attack, 15 civilians were murdered, including children and a pregnant woman, and another 130 wounded.
If the invitation extended to Hamdallah was not enough to warn of the affiliations and heartfelt allegiances of the CATC conference organizers, then this year's speaker lineup should remove all doubt.
This year's speakers, almost without exception, are an impressive lineup of hard-core ecumenical supporters and supercessionists. They will no doubt clamour to take the limelight in denigrating Israel for her "humanitarian abuses" and the "illegal occupation of the Land of Israel", the right of which has long passed from the natural offspring of Abraham to the "spiritual" offspring of Abraham.
Despite the fact that all the speakers claim to be "peacemakers" and protagonists of "reconciliation" based on "biblical principles of peace, justice, and love", this year we have a new face making an appearance at CATC.
There is an old Aesop adage that says "you are known by the company you keep". This adage is based on Proverbs 13:20 "Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm." (NIV)
The new face at CATC this year is in the personage of Mustafa Abu Sway. A Muslim scholar, Islamic apologist and theologian. His association, activities with, and support of Hamas institutions are well known and documented. He is an overt Islamist. His activities on and around the Temple Mount are also well known.
"As the wall continues to be built, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the believers who live on opposite sides of the wall to meet one another."
And in another statement:
"The situation in Israel/Palestine today is one of separation, animosity, hostility and destructive conflict and imbalance of power. Walls will not aid the situation."
The fact is that acts of mass terrorism, initiated from the areas of Judea & Samaria, have effectively been reduced to a trickle since the highs of the second Intifada by the erection of the security barrier.
It seems as if the Messianic Jewish community have understood the primary purposes of CATC, despite previous attempts at presenting the biblical rights of the Jewish people to inherit and inhabit the Land of Israel, and have decided to heed King Solomon's admonition.
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The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is taking a toll on Messianic Jews and Arab Christians who, in principle, are supposed to follow Jesus' command to love one's enemy.
The tension between Messianic Jews and Evangelical Palestinians has grown ever deeper with the appearance of the Christ at the Checkpoint conferences that promote a brand of Replacement Theology in which "Palestine" replaces Israel.
Most Messianic Jews have boycotted these conferences for their blatant hate toward Israel, and for their aggressive theological efforts to delegitimize the existence of Israel as a Jewish state.
Some Messianic Jews, however, think that no matter what the circumstances, conflict between Messianic Jews and Evangelical Palestinians is intolerable and unacceptable.
In an effort to resolve this conflict, a group of Messianic Jews and Evangelical Palestinians, most of whom are organizers of and participants in the caustic Christ at the Checkpoint conferences, met last month in Larnaca, Cyprus.
A press release published on the website of the very same people who organize, draft and propagate the "Palestine is Israel" agenda, outlines the way in which people who hold diametrically-opposed theological positions can still live up to Jesus' command to love your enemy.
The document proposes some practical steps aimed at expressing the unity that should exist between the two groups.
The document asserts that unity is possible on the basis of common ethical values: "...our unity in the Messiah must uphold ethical standards of life that are worthy of our calling." In order to live up to this standard the document calls for “a generous theological stance, which makes room for and respects the conscientious convictions of others that they sincerely derive from their reading of Scripture.”
In other words, those drafting this document believe that sincerity alone if enough to validate irreconcilable interpretations of the same sacred text. Sincerity and goodwill supersede truth.
The document goes on to state that "we recognize that we hold very different theological positions regarding the land," yet "deplore those ways of speaking and acting that are incompatible with obedience to our Lord."
Simply put, in this version of Christian righteousness, a Palestinian "brother" can maintain that "the establishment of the State of Israel as a catastrophe" and still be able to live in peace with Messianic Jews. Similarly, a Messianic Jew is expected to embrace those who are calling for his demise.
This conclusion is possible, but only if the Messianic Jews in question fail to see themselves as part of greater Israel, in which case they can tolerate the notion that Israel's rebirth was a catastrophe.
If, however, Messianic Jews do see themselves as an integral part of Israel, this document is yet further evidence of a disturbing phenomenon wherein Jews in increasing numbers are embracing the destructive narrative of their enemies. Only in this case they are doing so in the name of Jesus.
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“And I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse; and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)
Evangelical support for Israel is under threat as a growing trend of Christians consciously turning their backs on Israel continues to increase.
To address this major concern among the Christian Zionist and Jewish community, The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA) is hosting a groundbreaking conference, entitled “Get the Facts about the Assault on Christian Support for Israel,” exploring the troubling campaigns to undermine the historical and theological support for Israel among Christians.
“It is important to address threats against Evangelical support for Israel because this part of Christendom has historically been the largest and most consistent in their support of Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish State and defend itself against those who intend to annihilate it,” explained Tricia Miller, Christian Media Senior Research Analyst at CAMERA, to Breaking Israel News.
“The existential dangers facing Israel are more intense than ever. Therefore, it is more important now than it has ever been for Christians to stand with Israel.”
While major Christian Zionist organizations, such as Pastor John Hagee’s 2 million strongChristians United for Israel (CUFI) or the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), the largest Evangelical Christian group supporting Israel financially, which is led by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, remain committed to their support of Israel, “recent trends in the Evangelical world point to a conscious turning away from Israel by some key members of this important part of Christendom,” explained Miller.
One of the major influences turning Christian Zionists into anti-Israel advocates is the “fallacious narrative promoted by Palestinian Christian leaders that is both anti-Jewish and anti-Israel.” With the emergence of a stronger and more organized politicized voice among the Palestinian Christian community, Miller stated, many American Evangelical leaders are responsible for “enabling and assisting the spread of a deceptive political agenda based on erroneous theology and have rewritten history.”
Theologically, Palestinian Christians are now claiming loudly and proudly that the Palestinians, not the Jews, are the indigenous people of the Land of Israel. “Not only does this assertion deny the prophetic significance of the regathering of the Jewish people to their Biblical homeland that is supposed to be important to Christians, but the logical conclusion of this assertion is the belief that Jesus and the first disciples were Palestinians,” Miller told Breaking Israel News.
“As a result, Biblical history – that Evangelicals have believed in traditionally – is rewritten and the Christian faith is delegitimized.”
Significant examples of this growing trend and shift in theology is the popup of organizations such as Christ at the Checkpoint and the Bethlehem Bible College. The annual conferences run by these two organizations alone are, as Miller explained, the “primary promoters of virulent anti-Jewish and anti-Israel propaganda.”
(Photo: Christ at the Checkpoint Facebook Page)
If a picture is worth a thousand words, the Christ at the Checkpoint logo says it all. The logo depicts a church standing behind the security barrier built by Israel as a means to keep Palestinian terrorists out of Israel.
“Through their imagery and content, these conferences present a one-sided narrative that perpetuates the two millennia-old Christian doctrine that Jews are an obstacle to God’s purposes,” Miller told Breaking Israel News. “As a result, Jews are demonized, the Jewish state is delegitimized, and Christians are encouraged to accept the message in the name of peace and justice.”
The upcoming one-day CAMERA conference, which will take place in Los Angeles, CA, on January 18, has what can only be described as an all-star lineup of world renowned scholars and religious leaders committed to countering the false religious narratives and anti-Israel agenda turning away support for Israel among the Evangelical community.
Among the speakers taking part in the conference are Laurie Cardoza-Moore ThD, founder and president of Proclaiming Justice to the Nations, who will discuss the rising threat of replacement theology and the faulty theological foundation of the Palestinian Christian narrative; Rev. Gerald McDermott PhD, who will explore the historical and theological case for Christian support for Israel; Dr. Brad Young of Oral Roberts University, who will explain the Biblical reasons Christians are connected to the Jewish people and honoring Jews as the elder brother in faith; and highly esteemed Orthodox rabbi, Yitzchok Adlerstein, Director of Interfaith Affairs at the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
If you would like to learn more about the upcoming conference, click here.
STANDING FOR TRUTH IN A WORLD OF DECEPTION - Now Think On This – Book 4 Here are more encouraging messages written by Steve Martin for the Love For His People and Now Think On This blogs.
They cover a variety of topics to encourage you, believers in Jesus, to stand strong in your daily walk, firmly committed for His plans and purposes in our nations. As the Lord would give Steve a word or two in his spirit, he would begin to write.
With a prophetic and inspirational edge, these messages will be an encouragement to you to stand clear in your faith, fulfill the call on your life, and be a light to the nations, beginning within your own family and to those around you.
These simple words are meant to be an addition to your daily Bible reading and prayer time. While the days growing darker, each of us must be built up in the faith of our forefathers and the Jewish writers of the Written Word, as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit. We must stand strong for truth in this world of deception which increasingly surrounds us.
The Feast of Saint George, a pretty important holiday for Palestinian Christians, recently ended, but it didn’t end well for those celebrating at the festival’s focal point, the Monastery of Saint George near Bethlehem.
Saint George’s Monastery is located in the village of al-Khadar, which is the name used for Saint George in Arab culture. Every year, Palestinian Christians, and even some Muslims, gather at the monastery, as well as at other locations throughout the region, to commemorate George’s martyrdom and dedication to his faith.
During this year’s festival, which occurred on May 6, the Christians gathered at Saint George’s were beset by Muslim provocateurs and assailants.
“Some local Muslims either tried to park a car too close the church and/or tried to enter the church during a service honoring St. George - the initial instigation isn’t clear. But when the intruders were asked to leave, one of them stabbed a Christian man who was outside the church serving as a guard. He was hospitalized. Several then started throwing stones at the church. 7 or 8 Christians were injured and some physical damage was done - broken windows etc. The police didn’t show up for an hour.”
One of the victims managed to record a portion of the attack on his cellphone and uploaded the footage to YouTube, where it has since been seen by over 20,000 people. And still, media coverage of the attack has been sorely lacking. Perhaps everyone is too busy furiously criticizing Israel over a few youth scrawling graffiti.
The Christians in the video, including crying children, can be seen cowering in fear as they are besieged by Muslim hooligans whom the authorities did very little, if anything, to stop.
This is from the same Bethlehem where Christ at the Checkpoint organizers say Christians and Muslims live in harmony; this is from the same “Palestine” the international community labels as “moderate” in its justification for establishing yet another Arab state; and this is happening, right next door, as everyone ignores realities and accuses Israel of abusing minorities, of being an “apartheid state.”
Watch the video:
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