|
Why England's churches can't afford to remain neutral to Israel!
England has an incredible heritage of prominent Bible and Spirit led leaders that have impacted the world and changed the course of History. I'm talking about Wycliffe, John and Charles Wesley, Cromwell and Spurgeon. All of these great great men had a Biblical revelation of God's purposes and covenant promises for Israel and took great issue with the same.
Similarly it we look at the Revivals and people like Rees Howells in Wales and McCheyne in Scotland we find the same! Before it happened they were looking forward to, preaching and expecting the return of the Jewish people to what at the time was known as Palestine! It is merely a coincidence or could we learn something here and furthermore is there scriptural justification for God having a plan for the Jewish people to return to their homeland and for the Gentiles to bless them?
It is merely by chance that the Jewish people didn't have a homeland since AD 70, for almost two millenia and Britain was the one that liberated them and allowed some to return to their land and they became a nation state on May 14th 1948. SHALL WE READ ISAIAH 66:8-9 AGAIN? 'Shall the earth be made to give birth in just one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labour she gave birth to her children. Shall I bring to the time of birth and not cause delivery? says the LORD. Shall I who cause delivery shut the womb?, says your God.'
The Bible is stuffed with God's promises to enable the Jewish people to return to their homeland designated to them by the Almighty. Not only that but Isaiah 60 tells us in advance that the Gentiles will play an integral part in transporting them back to their land and that is happening now as I am writing this.
Here's an interesting verse! 'For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall utterly perish, and those nations shall be utterly ruined.' (Is 60:12) Are we hearing this? Can we still be ambivalent towards Israel? Are we going to side with the masses and be politically correct or will we enter through the narrow gate and be Biblically correct. Is Jesus President as well as resident in your life? If He is then speaking for myself also we need to be in agreement with Him and His purposes for Israel which are clear and definite!
How many sermons have you heard preached on Romans 9-11? Israel needs the Gospel and they need their Messiah! Romans 11 confirms that (we Gentiles being a wild olive tree) were grafted in with them (the Israelites).
We need to pray for support and bless God's ancient people to provoke them to jealousy that some of them may be saved. There are two main synagogues in the Bournemouth area , Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation and the Reformed Synagogue. There are plenty of Jewish people in the vicinity, if you don't know how to approach them and bless them here are a few helpful hints...
Tell them that we are called to pray for the peace of Jerusalem because it says so in Psalm 122.
Thank them for the Tanakh. (The Old Testament)
Remind them (of what they already know but they would love to hear from the Gentiles) that Adonai has not forsaken His covenant promises with Israel.
If possible try to use the terms Adonai for God , Yeshua ha Messiach for Jesus the Messiah and congregation or fellowship instead of church as all the other terms are associated with the crusades when certain peoples often encouraged by the popes believed that God had finished with Israel despite what Romans 11:1 spells out to us!
Use the Old Testament to preach the Gospel because they will be familiar with it. Generally speaking use the New Testament when you have developed a friendship with them. Obviously if the Holy Spirit prompts you to quote the New Testament to them then don't hesitate to do that.
So What has happened to Britain since she turned her back on the Balfour Declaration. Let us make no mistake here. Genesis 12:3 God says to Abraham 'I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you'. If you read Genesis 15 and 17 it is undoubtedly clear that this Abrahamic covenant applies to Abraham's descendants and the covenant is unconditional and everlasting. We will continue to spiral as a nation until we conform our view on Israel to that which the Bible teaches, as it needs to start first and foremost in the churches.
The church is not the new Israel and neither is Rome the new Jerusalem as the pope would have us believe. Furthermore Jesus is not returning to the Vatican but to the mount of Olives! There are over eight hundred references to Jerusalem in the Bible and we would do well to look a few of them up and study them diligently and allow the Spirit to give us understanding and the resolve to be in agreement with God's promises and plans for Israel.
In the last century England played its role as a Cyrus nation shepherding Israel. Believe or not there are many Muslims in this country who wish for this country to become Britain's first Islamic state. Most Christians in this land are not aware of that. We must love the Muslims, pray for them and share the Gospel with them but we must never compromise what we believe.
Where do the Muslims fit into all this. Well they are largely Abraham's other descendants through Hagar and also Keturah. Many Muslims are having dreams and revelations of Jesus as more than a prophet but as the Son of God and Isaiah 19:24-25 tells us that
'in that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria - a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, "Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.'
This obviously has not occurred yet but I greatly look forward to when it does! So then Great Britain's sleepy lion needs to wake up, recognise the sign of the times bless the Jewish people and proclaim the Gospel instead of tolerating the Muslims in this country who God loves and wants to save also!
The Balfour Declaration of 1917 (dated 2 November 1917) was a formal statement of policy by the British government stating that
"His Majesty's government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country."
|
