Rockets, stones, fires, missiles, bombs and death. All of these words have saturated the news for the past week. It’s no secret that the current conflict in Israel is not new. There has been contention and struggle in the Holy City for thousands of years. Jerusalem is the pinnacle of sacredness for Christians and Jews, it is also the third most revered place for Muslims. This entire region is a melting pot of people and problems. For decades US Presidents have tried to broker deals, accords and talks between both sides of the conflict. Many times, even as recently as under President Trump, there seemed to be hope of major fighting and major escalation becoming a thing of the 90’s and early 2000’s. We now see that isn’t so. As of the time of writing this, we are on the brink of a third intifada, or uprising.
An armed conflict between Arab and Jew, Palestinian and Israeli seems inevitable. It’s a lot to process. The death of Israeli citizens, the unnecessary death of Palestinian children who are left nearby terrorist installations and rocket sites intentionally by Hamas leadership, is maddening and emotionally overwhelming. Israel has the right to live in a safe and secure State and she should defend herself with every tool at her disposal. We must make a concerted effort to pray for peace in Israel and that the loss of life will come to an end, now.
Since 1951 my family has stood with the Jew. God’s chosen people. In the very first book of the Bible, Genesis, It’s clearly laid out for the believer to understand just where God stands on the issue. Christians loving the Jewish people, the Hebrew children, isn’t a political stand. It’s a Biblical stand! The covenant that God made with Abraham wasn’t nullified by the work of Christ, on the contrary, it substantiated the promise that God made to His chosen people! This is an incredible time to be alive! The “fast forward button” is turned on and the finality of Christ return is imminent in the heart of the believer. The conflict in Israel is nothing more than proof that your Bible is real, relevant and that the reward of eternal life in Jesus is our only hope! Keep your heads up and your eyes on the eastern sky! He is coming again!
Pastor Winston Parrish