Showing posts with label God of Israel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God of Israel. Show all posts

Friday, October 9, 2015

God of Truth Will Slay Israel's Enemies - ISRAEL TODAY

God of Truth Will Slay Israel's Enemies

Friday, October 09, 2015 |  Charles Gardner  ISRAEL TODAY

The stage is being set for what could turn into an almighty battle in the Middle East. Israel was already surrounded by sworn enemies before Russia entered the toxic fray, and we are now witnessing an extremely dangerous situation which could erupt into a major conflict at any moment.
But the entire scenario needs to be seen through a biblical lens. With such a focus, we should be in no doubt that this is a battle for truth more than anything else; it is not just a physical reality, but a spiritual certainty. The God of Israel is pitched against the old enemy, Satan, who is employing all his usual tricks in a bid to deceive the world with a torrent of lies.
Through the natural lens it may well appear as yet another young David facing up to the seemingly impossible task of slaying the nine-foot Philistine giant Goliath. But in fact David, through whose line Jesus traces his ancestry, never saw it that way: “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” (1 Samuel 17.45)
David became the greatest king Israel ever had, and today’s re-born nation would do well to adopt their hero’s total faith and trust in Elohim.
True, today’s Israeli society is as secular as Britain’s in many ways. But there are encouraging signs that this could soon change. The prophets foretold that, before Messiah’s return, there would be a great spiritual awakening among God’s people whose hearts would be melted as they recognised the One who declared his everlasting love for them with outstretched arms.
The stage is set for this great unveiling, and the key lies in the Word of God. Israel has miraculously survived many attempts to destroy her, but when the beleaguered nation finally takes her eyes off the ‘horses and chariots’ that have helped defend her thus far, they will surely put their total trust in the Lord. It is heartening to know that Prime Minister Netanyahu is a convinced believer in the Bible, which is well able to impart ultimate truth (2 Timothy 3.16) as he seeks the Lord on major decisions. We also hear of a colonel working to bring strong biblical values to IDF soldiers. A recent survey has revealed that an impressive 95% of Israelis have a Bible in their homes. And the heart of its message is: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105) The Jewish people will very soon welcome their Messiah.
But the onus is not only on them. The Gentiles have a big responsibility to help in this process through their love and support, and indeed through sharing the message originally passed on to them by Jews such as the Apostle Paul. In this respect Russia’s establishing of a military base in the Syrian city of Latakia is a wake-up call to the Church. The city was known in ancient times as Laodicea, home of the first century church which earned a stern rebuke from our Lord that they were neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm, and he was going to spit them out of his mouth. It’s a good description of the Church’s attitude to Israel’s predicament today; they’re neither hot nor cold about it; they simply can’t see its relevance to them. (Revelation 3.14-22)
Russia’s presence, complete with tanks, ships and airplanes, is meant to prop up the Assad regime, a key ally of Iran which has made no secret either of its intention to wipe Israel off the map or of its support for the Hezbollah terrorists posing a major threat on Israel’s northern borders. In fact Iranian forces are now reported to be on the Golan Heights. The clash of interests is as obvious as it is frightening. All the while tensions in Israel itself are almost at boiling point with seven children orphaned in recent attacks on innocent Jews.
Against this background the world continues to witness the deceit and hypocrisy of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas who, at the UN, compared Israel to apartheid South Africa and Nazi Germany, and declared that the PA no longer considered itself bound by the 1993 Oslo Accords. Does this mean they’re now officially terrorists again as the Oslo Accords had legitimized them? The PA has never kept the agreement anyway as their former leader Yasser Arafat was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on the basis of dropping Israel’s destruction from its charter. That never happened!
The raising of the PLO flag at the UN headquarters for the first time was about as effective as Goliath’s shield. All that is needed is one well-aimed rock of God’s truth and the whole sorry propaganda edifice will come crashing down as people finally realise there never was a Palestinian state and that it was the Jews who were known as Palestinians before 1948.
As bestselling author Jack Engelhard wrote last week, “The entire world is arming itself against radical Islam, and it was to support radical Islam that Mahmoud Abbas came to the United Nations.”
The word of God says: “The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.” (Obadiah 1:15)
And now Jew-hatred is effectively being exported to Europe where many of the refugees fleeing Muslim countries will have been brought up on decades of anti-Semitism learned and promoted through schools, newspapers and social networks. Worse still, some of the refugees will undoubtedly turn out to be ISIS fighters in disguise.
Also in the Middle Eastern firing line are Christians, who worship Jesus, the Jew. I have just received a shocking report (from California-based Assist News Service) of the beheading and crucifixion of a dozen indigenous Christian workers near Aleppo in Syria.
Supported by US-based Christian Aid Mission, they had opportunities to escape, but chose to stay in order to provide aid and comfort in the name of Christ amidst the carnage. All were ex-Muslims who refused to renounce Christ, and were badly brutalized before being executed, with the two women among them publicly raped. Yet they prayed throughout their ordeal. And in the midst of such unspeakable horror, the region’s underground church has mushroomed since June 2014. One former ISIS fighter fled to Jordan where he intended to kill Christian aid workers. But something stopped him from following through with his plan and that night he saw Jesus in a dream. He subsequently received Christ with tears, and now he’s helping in the church.
A spokesman said: “In the past we used to pray to have one person from a Muslim background come to the Lord. Now there are so many we can barely handle all the work among them.”
Jews and Christians are in it together because they share their Messiah who is clearly coming soon judging by the many signs of his imminent return. The nations are being shaken. It’s time to stand with the God of Israel and the Israel of God!

Charles Gardner is author of Israel the Chosen, available from Amazon, and Peace in Jerusalem, available from olivepresspublisher.com
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Saturday, September 12, 2015

Who Can Hear and Not Listen?

Who Can Hear and Not Listen?

Friday, September 11, 2015 |  David Lazarus   ISRAEL TODAY
For those who have not heard, the sound of the Shofar is not easy to describe. Primal, raw, unsettling can only begin to describe the stirrings in a Jewish soul contemplating its blast.
This year as we listen, the Shofar will not comfort. Its shout from realms beyond will demand our attention, for as in days of old, it is a call to arms, an alarm alerting to imminent danger. In synagogues around the world the Shofar will solemnly declare, “Arise, for there are shakings in the earth. Shall the Shofar be blown in a city and the people not tremble?" (Amos 3:6)
Reserved for sacred assemblies, listening to the Shofar this year will once again stir memories of Sinai where the people trembled and the mountains shook. It will recall the mighty walls of Jericho crumbling into dust at its blast.
“The great Day of the Lord is a day of the Shofar and alarm," warns the prophet (Zephaniah 1:14,16). With its cry the Shofar will stir us to consider the judgments of God now coming on the earth. The prophet Isaiah warns of a great Shofar heralding the Day of the Lord (Isa. 27:13). Listening we are shaken as we lift up our voices and plead, “O Lord, let Grace and Truth be known once again in our land.”
The Shofar is fashioned of the horns of animals fit for sacrifice. For it will call forth the sprinkled Mercy Seat at the conclusion of the Day of Atonement, its animal sound awakening repentance, drawing us back to God.
And when we have passed from this small earth, we shall once more hear the sound of the Shofar at our resurrection (1 Thess. 4:16, 1 Cor. 15:52). This is to say, "Awake from your slumber, you who have fallen asleep in life, and reflect on your deeds. Remember your creator. Be not of those who miss reality in the pursuit of shadows, and waste their lives in seeking after vain things which neither profit nor save. Look well to your souls and improve your character. Forsake each of you his evil ways and return unto the Lord." (Maimonides)
This year the Shofar will be heard at sundown Sunday, September 13, the beginning of the Hebrew New Year 5776. May its cry call forth the beginning of a season of renewal and even rebirth from above for the people of Israel, and may it be a time of reflection and re-commitment to God for all those who love the God of Israel.
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Thursday, July 24, 2014

An Arab Pastor Speaks Out on Gaza - Shmuel Aweida

An Arab Pastor Speaks Out on Gaza

Thursday, July 24, 2014 |  David Lazarus  ISRAEL TODAY
The following is an open letter from Shmuel Aweida to all those "peace activists" rising up against Israel. Listen carefully, Awieda is an Israeli Arab Christian pastor who knows of what he speaks!
Dear so-called "peace-seeking people", "pro-ceasefire people" and "peace and reconciliation activists",
Forgive me for not taking your nice dreams and peace demonstrations and wishes so seriously... People who didn't care about the suffering people in Gaza under the Hamas regime for years can't really be considered morally superior to any IDF soldier that's on the ground there now. You might seem to be better and kinder, but not really... Sorry...
If you really care, then free Gaza from Hamas and other Islamic jihadist organizations! How can you feel sorry for the innocent children hurt accidentally by Israel when you don't care that the same children grow up to learn to hate intentionally? You claim to feel sorry for the hungry children while ignoring the poison they are fed every single day at Hamas and Fatah schools and on TV.
How can you feel sorry for the women crying now when you didn't care that they've been humiliated, discriminated and even raped and killed regularly for years?
Here's another thing I don't get:
These kind, sympathetic, peace-loving people who automatically want and pray for a ceasefire in Israel's war(s) against the evil, anti-Semitic, anti-human, blood-thirsty terrorist organizations like Hamas (not against the Palestinians) - they make Israel never finish "the job" and then on the top of it all, their governments and NGOs send billions of dollars of "aid" to this corrupt evil system.
And guess what happens time and again - instead of feeding the hungry with food, they feed themselves with weapons. Instead of teaching the children math, they teach them hate and jihad against the Jews. Instead of building houses and hospitals above the ground, they build terror-tunnels under the ground.
The tunnels found in the past days have cost hundreds of millions of US dollars to build! The IDF blew up millions of your money, dear nice people in the naive West!
I'm not saying that Israel is without any fault here, but sometimes I really wonder if the Palestinians' best friends are in reality the ones that maintain their oppression under this Islamic regime?
I simply don't get it! Someone here needs to get a better grasp of reality!
As much as I hate this war and the price that's being paid by our dear soldiers and the innocent civilians on both sides, I hate the fact that it's necessary! May the needed pain of war bear good fruit of peace for all! May the Lord of Hosts and Armies give us His Shalom!
There has been quite a lot of activity in the social media in the past month. I was disappointed and frustrated of some my Facebook friends and the level of naiveté and blindness with regard to the real situation and the roots of the conflicting the Middle East.
Do they really not see what the Hamas is all about or what Islam really is? Are they all so blind to what's happening around us in Syria, Iraq and all over? Don't they see what Hamas is doing to the poor population that lives under this terror daily? I don't know why I keep being surprised...
To my anti-Arab friends:
But what really surprised me was that, with regard to this operation in Gaza, the hatred, revenge and racism that filled the [Facebook] statuses of those who support Israel.
They expressed such joy over going to war and causing destruction (a joy I'm glad our leadership doesn't have). The fact they quoted Bible verses didn't make it any less stinking. So I threw those people out of my Facebook just like I did with others that posted pornography and other disgusting stuff. Trash is trash is trash.
Praying that God may protect our soldiers who are serving us and giving their lives for us - proud of the moral code of the IDF and the legitimacy of this necessary operation. Praying for those making the tough decisions - but with much more humility.
I guess we need to pray that we'll all guard our hearts from hatred, revenge, racism, pride and other destructive things that do not honor us, nor the God of Israel.
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Friday, July 18, 2014

IDF Commander: Hamas Blasphemes the God of Israel

IDF Commander: Hamas Blasphemes the God of Israel

Friday, July 18, 2014 |  Israel Today Staff
Striking a Davidic tone, the head of the Israeli army’s Givati infantry brigade, Col. Ofer Winter, sent a letter several days ago to those of his troops amassed on the border of Gaza. In it, Col. Winter urged his soldiers to join him in asking God for victory against those who blaspheme His name.
The letter was sent before it was certain that a Gaza ground incursion would be launched. Now that it has, it seems more relevant than ever to reprint Col. Winter’s letter, which was much maligned by more secular elements of Israeli society.
Below is a full translation of what Col. Winter had to say to his soldiers who are now going house-to-house through the streets of Gaza seeking to eliminate the Hamas threat:
History has chosen us to be the sharp edge of the bayonet of fighting the “Gazan” terrorist enemy which curses, defames and abuses the God of Israel. We have practiced and prepared for this time and we take upon ourselves the mission with full humility, and being willing to endanger ourselves and give our lives to protect our families, our nation and our homeland.
We will act together forcefully and with resolve, with initiative, and with deceptive tricks and aim for contact with the enemy. We will do everything to live up to the mission and wipe out the enemy and remove the threat from the Nation of Israel. We will not return without acting.
We will do everything to return our boys safely. Using all means at our disposal and with all required force.
I trust you, each and every one of you, to act in that spirit, in the spirit of Israeli fighters who are the pioneers leading the camp. The spirit of Givati. I turn my eyes to the sky and call with you, “Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God, the Lord is One.” The Lord God of Israel make our path successful, as we are about to fight for Your People, Israel, against an enemy who blasphemes your name. In the name of the IDF fighters and in particular the fighters and commanders of [this] Brigade, bring to pass what is written: “For the Lord your God goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies and to save you.” And we all answer, “Amen.”
Together and only together we will win.
Ofer Winter, Colonel Commander of the Givati Brigade
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Monday, March 17, 2014

Allah and the God of Israel - ISRAEL TODAY

Allah and the God of Israel

Sunday, March 16, 2014 |  Victor Mordechai  ISRAEL TODAY
The Muslims in Malaysia are acting to prevent the nation's Christians from using the name "Allah" for God. Their contention is that Allah belongs only to the Muslims. No Christian is allowed to "sully" Allah’s name by claiming that he is God of the Christians as well.
The full article appears in the March 2014 issue of Israel Today Magazine.
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