THE WHEAT AND THE TARES
Winter has finally arrived here in Israel much to our relief. However we all had to laugh when our pastor remarked the other day, "There is no people like we Israelis who long so fervently for the arrival of the rains, but when they do arrive, have so little idea what to do with them!" Oh so true.
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Well at least here are a couple of guys who got it figured out
https://framasphere.org/camo/
This week brought deluges of rain mainly along the coastal plain and in the north, where flooding occurred in many places. At least two people died, one of hypothermia when his car got trapped in a flooded tunnel in Haifa, and another when a wall collapsed on him on a building site. Here in Jerusalem we didn't get so much rain but the temperatures suddenly dropped to single figures, and we had to scrummage around in our closets for appropriate clothing.
On these cold, wet nights, as I snuggle gratefully into my warm bed my thoughts and prayers turn to those less fortunate, the homeless, the soldiers and police on duty, and most of all this year, the refugees in freezing tents or survivors huddling in the mud and dirt of the devastated ruins of Aleppo and other cities in Syria.
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Refugees from Aleppo
http://www.20read.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Refugees-fleeing-the-northern-Syrian-city-of-Aleppo.jpg
One wonders how this boy can still manage a smile. How grim it must be, cold , wet, muddy, hungry and homeless. My heart goes out to these people, especially the children, the elderly, the injured and the sick. Please pray for them and for all the brave people desperately trying to help them.
Its rather hard to get into a celebratory spirit this year with so much suffering right here on our doorstep, not only in Syria but also here at home. Figures released a few days ago say that some 21% of Israel's population are living below the poverty line, that is 1.7 million people. Compared to other OECD nations, Israel has the highest poverty rate of any of the developed nations. This is shameful for there is much money in Israel, it is just poorly distributed. The gap between rich and poor is inexcusable.
An elderly homeless woman begs for food on the street.
http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b71f69e20167689178dc970b-600wi
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For many of us the end of the calendar year prompts us to pause and review the passing year. This is also true for many organizations. On the official website of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement is one such review. They claim that "Throughout this year, BDS has grown stronger and stronger, " and then they go on to detail all their successes. It makes for sobering reading. In 2016 the BDS movement has garnered the support of many companies, organizations, nations and, sad to say, churches.
https://bdsmovement.net/news/2016-bds-impact-round-up
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| http://spme1.chaptersync.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2016/03/Divestment-Sign-Christians-620x428.png |
Claude Ezagouri, pastor of Morning Star Fellowship in Tiberias, in the same article quoted above, put it this way:
" There needs to be a wake-up call, based on both Scripture and experience, proving that the topic of Israel in God's plan is exciting and will bring blessing, even if it seems to counter mainstream thought".
Jurgen Buhler, the Executive Director of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, went on to note that "While support for Israel in the West is in decline, other parts of the world are waking up". This year, two thirds of the participants in the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem were not from the so-called Christian West but from Latin America, Asia and Africa.
There seems to be a watering down of the gospel in the West and a lack of in-depth study of the Scriptures. Even in Bible Schools and Seminaries, the place of Israel in the God's plan, is ignored. A few years ago I was invited to speak in a tiny country church in New Zealand on a icy-cold, winter evening. I was surprised to see so many braving the conditions. After I finished my talk several men came up to me to thank me for opening their eyes to what the Bible had to say about Israel. They had never heard such teaching before, they said. I was astounded. They were all Presbyterian ministers! How is it they had never heard it before? It is nothing new. It is clearly written in the Bible (I taught on Romans 9-11) - there for all to read.
Many Bible teachers either ignore the passages relating to Israel, or teach their hearers to substitute the word 'church' whenever the word 'Israel' appears. This is a subtle form of replacement theology, which holds that the Church has replaced Israel in God's plan. This is nothing less than a lie of the Enemy. The Church (the Body of true believers) and Israel both have a pivotal role to play in God's plan to redeem the world. Neither is 'disposable'. To deny the place of either is dangerous heresy.
There are some very good
reasons why Christians should care about what happens in the Middle East,
and specifically to Israel. Our lives
are intimately linked to Israel whether we know it or not. What has happened in
Israel in the past has determined who and what we are today. What will happen
in the future with respect to Israel will directly determine, not only our
personal fate as believers, but also the fate of the entire world. Day after day,
year after year, this tiny, seemingly insignificant nation of around only 8
million people, constantly features in the world's headlines. It's as if even the
world intuitively knows and understands the importance of Israel. If they have
‘got it’ all the more reason that we Christians should grasp it too, and what
is more, we need to go further, grappling with it until we find understanding
far beyond that of the world's.
In Hebrews 5:12-6:2 it is
made clear that after we are saved we are expected to mature, come to desire
the solid food of the Word of God, and progress beyond the elemental principles
of repentance, salvation, judgment and the resurrection of the dead. I believe
that part of that 'growing-up' involves understanding the revelation given us
regarding the redemption plan of God, its outworking in human history and
coming to a clear understanding of our role and responsibility in working
alongside God to bring about its fulfillment and completion.
What is more, in the words of
I Peter 3:15 we are exhorted to “always
be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that
is in you”. What is the basis of our hope? Surely it lies largely in the
demonstration of God's love, faithfulness and power as it has been demonstrated
throughout history in the fulfilling of his promises to Israel as recorded in
the Bible.
I would therefore propose
that a clear understanding of the place of Israel in God's redemption plan, his
dealings with her, and how this all relates to the events in the Middle East
today, is essential for the Christian believer for at least four reasons:
·
It gives us the 'big picture', which forms the context of our
individual salvation and faith. The historical record of God's workings in
relation to Israel and the nations around her is one of the most powerful testimonies
to His existence and character. It increases our knowledge of God himself, his
nature, his love and his power. It encourages and builds faith.
·
Knowledge of God's promises and plans provides stability and builds
courage. It provides us an anchor, and an antidote to fear and anxiety, in the
perilous times in which we live. Christians need to be strong and calm in the
face of turmoil, so that we can give light, strength and comfort to those
around us.
·
We have responsibility to participate with God in the outworking of his
Redemption Plan, which is intimately linked to the fate of Israel. Our first
responsibility is to pray, but also to speak out and act in our own area of
influence, as He leads and empowers.
·
What is more, if we claim that we love Jesus, how can it be that we do
not love those He loves? In the flesh, Jesus was an Israelite, through and
through, and he is the King of Israel, past, present and future. We can glimpse
Jesus' love and compassion for Israel as he cried out in lament over Jerusalem
saying, “How often I wanted to gather
your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings...”
(Matthew 23: 37). Jesus loved Israel so much that he was willing to suffer
crucifixion and death that she might be saved. The Holy Scriptures are
saturated with declarations of God’s love for Israel. For example, in Zechariah 2:8 Israel is
described as the “apple of His (the LORD’s) eye” (my insert).
I believe that at this present time the battle lines are
being drawn up for a very great battle. I do not know whether this will be one
of the final battles prophesied in Scripture or not, but surely the present
troubles are leading in that direction and each day takes us closer. Israel has
never had to confront so many or such powerful enemies as she does today. When
I look at the sheer magnitude of hatred directed towards her, and the
sophistication of the weapons aimed in her direction, listen to the rhetoric of
the leaders of her enemies and consider the weakness and ambivalence of her
friends, I tremble. In the natural, there is not much hope that she can
survive. Yet I believe she will, for God is greater than all of these. He has
promised in Scripture that Israel will be established in the end, with the
Messiah as her King and Jerusalem as her heart (Revelation 21 and 22). I
believe that every Christian believer has a role to play. We must decide
whether we are for God or against Him. There will be no neutrality - no sitting
on the fence. It is therefore imperative that we each decide on which side we
are, and to make such a significant decision we need to be informed and have a
clear understanding of Scripture.
The Bible teaches that judgment begins with the house of God. Let us be found on the right side of the battle between Good and Evil. I don't mean to suggest that Israel is 100% 'good' and our enemies 100% 'evil'. Its not that simple. However the Enemy Satan is doing everything possible to derail God's plan for redemption and one way he is doing this is to attack Israel by every means possible, by direct physical warfare and terror, by polluting the doctrines of the church, by undermining her economy and reputation by means of lying propaganda and movements such as the BDS. If you are for God, then you need to be very careful you are standing firmly on His side.
Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”
Matthew 13: 24 - 30
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| http://www.creationliberty.com/images/trib28.jpg |
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God;
I Peter 4 : 17
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
2 Corinthians 5:10
1. Jones, R. "Has Christian Liberalism Harmed Support for Israel?" in Israel Today, January 2017
1.
We must then ask
–
does God take sides in the Middle East? This
very idea is repugnant to most Western Christians. After all, isn
’
t God
a God of justice, fairness and love? How can He take sides? As one
who believes that God loves all men, women and children equally,
how then can He favor one nation over others?
To answer these difficult questions we must turn to the Scriptures. In
writing this book I seek to expose the spiritual roots of the conflicts
between Israel and her enemies, outline the outworking of this enmit
y
through history and come to a clearer understanding of the
true
nature of the present hatred and violence. Once this foundation is
laid
we can each begin to define our own position and response, and
identify our role and responsibility in God
’
s eternal plan. In so doing
we each need to confront the question of where we, as Christian
believers, should stand in all this? Should we take sides? Whose
side? Does it matter in the great eternal plan? Why should we car
e
anyway?
There are some very good reasons why we Christians should care
about what happens in the Middle East, and specifically to Israel.
Our lives are intimately linked to Israel whether we know it or not.
What has happened in Israel in the past has determined who and
what we are today. What will happen in the future with respect to
Israel will directly determine, not only our personal fate as believ
ers,
but also the fate of the entire world. Have you never wondered why
day after day, year after year, this tiny, seemingly insignificant na
tion
of around only 7 million people, constantly features in the world's
headlines. One dies in Israel in a terror attack and it is major news,
while the death of thousands in another part of the world barely gets
a passing mention. It's as if even the world intuitively knows and
understands the importance of Israel. If they have
‘
got it
’
all the more
reason that we Christians should grasp it too, and what is more, we
need to go further, grappling with it until we find understanding far
beyond that of the
‘
World
’
.
In Hebrews 5:12-6:2 it is made clear that after we are saved we are
expected to mature, come to desire the solid food of the Word of God
and progress beyond the elemental principles of repentance,
salvation, judgment and the resurrection of the dead. I believe that
part of that growing-up involves grappling with the revelation g
iven us
regarding the redemption plan of God, its outworking in human
history and coming to a clear understanding of our role and
responsibility in working alongside God to bring about its fulfillment
and completion.
What is more, in the words of I Peter 3:15 we are exhorted to
“
always
be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for
the hope that is in you
”
. What is the basis of our hope? Surely it lies
largely in the demonstration of God's love, faithfulness and power as
it has been demonstrated throughout history in the fulfilling of his
promises to Israel as recorded in the Bible.
I would therefore propose that a clear understanding of the place
of
Israel in God's redemption plan, his dealings with her, and how this
all relates to the events in the Middle East today, is essential for th
e
Christian believer for at least four reasons:
It gives us the 'big picture', which forms the context of
our individual salvation and faith. The historical record of
God's workings in relation to Israel and the nations
around her is one of the most powerful testimonies to His
existence and character. It increases our knowledge of
God himself, his nature, his love and his power. It
encourages and builds faith.
Knowledge of God's promises and plans provides
stability and builds courage. It provides us an anchor,
and an antidote to fear and anxiety, in the perilous times
in which we live. Christians need to be strong and calm
in the face of turmoil, so that we can give light, strength
and comfort to those around us.
We have responsibility to participate with God in the
outworking of his Redemption Plan, which is intimately
linked to the fate of Israel. Our first responsibility is to
pray, but also to speak out and act in our own area of
influence, as He leads and empowers.
What is more, if we claim that we love Jesus, how can it
be that we do not love the things he loves? In the flesh,
Jesus was an Israelite, through and through, and he is
the King of Israel, past, present and future. We can
glimpse Jesus' love and compassion for Israel as he
cried out in lament over Jerusalem saying,
“
How often I
wanted to gather your children together, as a hen
gathers her chicks under her wings...
”
(Matthew 23: 37).
Jesus loved Israel so much that he was willing to suffer
crucifixion and death that she might be saved. The Holy
Scriptures are saturated with declarations of God
’
s love
for Israel. For example, in Zechariah 2:8 Israel is
described as the
“
apple of His
(the LORD
’
s)
eye
”
(my
insert).
I believe that at this present time the battle lines are being drawn up
for a very great battle. I do not know whether this will be one of the
final battles prophesied in Scripture or not, but surely the present
troubles are leading in that direction and each day takes us closer.
Israel has never had to confront so many nor such powerful enemies
as she does today. When I look at the sheer magnitude of hatred
directed towards her, and the ever growing sophistication of the
weapons aimed in her direction, listen to the rhetoric of the leaders of
her enemies and consider the weakness and ambivalence of her
friends, I tremble. In the natural, there is not much hope that she can
survive. Yet I believe she will, for God is greater than all of these. He
has promised in Scripture that Israel will be established in the end,
with the Messiah as her King and Jerusalem as her heart (Revelation
21 and 22). I believe that every Christian believer has a role to p
lay.
We must decide whether we are for God or against Him. There will be
no neutrality - no sitting on the fence. It is therefore imperative t
hat
we each decide on which side we stand, and to make such a
significant decision we need to be informed and have a clear
understanding of Scripture.
