Israel...Why Go?

Dan Russell said...
Mission leadership: Why is Israel significant to reaching a lost World? My wife and I will be leaving for Israel on Thursday July 19, 2007. While in Israel we will be meeting with several thousand Foursquare leaders.

The State Department has issued a warning about traveling to Israel this week."The U.S. State Department is warning Americans traveling to Israel to use extreme caution..." "The U.S. government has received information indicating that American interests could be the focus of terrorist attacks." In addition, the warning states that "large crowds and public gatherings should be avoided..."

The question has been brought up, "Why would you go?" "Why Israel at this time?" "Why meet in a public gathering with several thousand of you?" Paul wrote to a growing Gentile church (Romans 11)"Again I ask: Did they (the Jews) stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious, but if their transgression means riches for the Gentiles, HOW MUCH GREATER RICHES WILL THEIR FULLNESS BRING?

Paul later adds..."For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their accepance be BUT LIFE FROM THE DEAD?"

In 1716, Thomas Boston preached a sermon called "Encouragent to Pray for the Conversion of the Jews." He said in this message "Are you longing for a revival to the churches, now lying like dry bones, would you fain have the Spirit of Life enter in to them? Then pray for the Jews. For if the casting away be the reconciliation of the world; what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

Jonathan Edwards saw that the coming of Israel to faith "will be BEFORE the glory of the Gentile part of the church shall be fully accomplished, because it is said that their coming in shall be life from the dead to the Gentiles."

Charles Spurgeon said, "Matchless benefits to the world are bound up with the restoration of Israel; their gathering shall be as life from the dead."

As a Church, we are standing with Israel. We are standing on the promises of God for the Jewish people. We are contending for the resurrection of the Jewish believing community as promised by God. Israel was chosen for God's blessing.

Israel is to be light to the rest of the world. Isaiah 42:6"I the Lord have called you into righteousness. I will take ahold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be covenant for the people and A LIGHT TO THE GENTILES."

We live in a great time. Jesus reminds us that we will be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)Jesus said He would return when the Gospel of the Kingdom has reached every people group of the world. (Matthew 24:14)The light being shown to all the world is deeply connected to Israel and their return to the Lord. Again...The fullness of the Church and the return of our Lord is intertwined with Israel.

And the great news: Jewish people are opening up to the Gospel in ways we have not seen since the beginning of the Church. We are seeing nations in the world that were once dark and far from God rapidly receiving God's grace through Jesus. And the Gentile church, with an anti-semitic past, is now joining with our Jewish brothers and sisters.

We live in a great time in the history of the Church. Yes, we see a terrorized world. There is no nation confronted with terrorism more than Israel. Nations like Iran spout a venom of removing Israel from the face of the earth. These attacks are nothing more that a distraction from a mighty move of God taking place.

The Church is called to stand and contend for Israel in this time. Don Finto in "God's Promise and the Future of Israel" asks three pertinent questions.
1. How are we to respond to God's work in the context of a terrorized world?
2. How can Jewish people receive our love and blessing when many of our forefathers in the Church have been the very cause of their suffering?
3. How can we genuinely bless the Jewish people who disagree with our faith in Jesus, while we joyously fellowship with those who have embraced it?

This gathering in Israel, in this time of terrorist radicals, is a small but important statement of our Church blessing Israel. It is a declaration of God's Mighty Hand moving in our time. My wife and I are expectant and we are anticipating the Lord to show up in significant ways while our Church meets in Jerusalem.

This day and age is no surprise to God. Jesus points to a world of terrorism without boundaries. His description looks alot like the world we now live in. Luke 21:25-28.There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from "TERROR", apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. WHEN THESE THINGS TAKE PLACE, STAND UP AND LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, BECAUSE YOUR REDEMPTION IS DRAWING NEAR.

This is not a time to cower at terrorist actions. It is not a time for us to faint or to live in fear of the world's plan. It is not a time to be distracted. My wife and I, with our church, will stand up and lift up the name of the Lord when the world would want us to hide. This is the time to declare CHRIST'S REDEMPTION DRAWING NEAR.

We will bless what God has blessed and contend for the fulfillment of His promises to the people of Israel. YES...Greater riches come to the Church through the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel. YES...the world will know that Jesus is Lord and His promises are true.

As you think of us in Israel, stand up and lift up the name of the Lord. Pray for the fullness of God's promises to Israel and for the world to receive Jesus the soon coming King.

Two personal stories connected to Israel and the intensity I feel for standing up for this nation in this day.

First, I was in Poland coaching our USA Wrestling Team a few years ago. While I was there I arranged a day to go to see Auschwitz Concentration Camp. The Israeli National Team Heard that we were going and they asked me if they could join us. I witnessed first hand the deep pain that was endured during this recent dark period of our history. I heard personal stories from the Israeli team and their feelings from visiting this place of unbelievable horrors. The impact of that day is forever etched into my memory.

Secondly, I was coaching a a World University Team with the World Championships being held in Cairo Egypt. That year an Israeli Wrestler won the World Title. As is the custom, He got to stand on top of the award stand and have his flag raised while his National Anthem played. Every World Champion is honored in this way at every World Championship. This was the first time I saw the world's view of Israel at close range. Every other World Champion had an entire gymnasium stand in silence as their flag was raised and Anthem played. When the Israeli World Chyampion took to the podium the gymnasium was filled with loud jeers and obnoxious whistling. Items were being thrown down on to the gym floor in protest. (I was standing on the main floor with things being hurled in my direction.) An Egyptian band played as loud as they could to cover up the playing of Israeli National Anthem. With the World participating in the Championships, only three countries stood to honor the Israeli World Champion as his flag was raised; Israel, USA and Germany. The rest of the world was either booing or doing nothing at all. One section of the gymnasium was filled with Egyptian military in full dress with weapons and all. Standing in the middle of that gym floor in front of this angry mob was a dangerous act.

It is important to stand up for injustice. It is important to let Israel know that they are not alone. It is important that they know that God has given up on them. It is time to stand up and contend for God's promises to be fulfilled.Why Israel when things are so tense with terrorists running rampant? When would there a better time to communicate the Heart of God? Standing up in Israel in this day communicates deeply to a people the world would rather see eliminated. I am proud that our Church plans to stand up for Israel in the midst of these difficult times. I am excited to stand and to witness this action.

It is a prophetic moment with eternal consequences.