I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. ~ Ezekiel 34:13 (NIV)
The month of November is a time of significance for the nation of Israel.
The Balfour Declaration, contained within the original letter from Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Lord Rothschild.
The anniversaries of two historical events in the founding of the modern State of Israel and the fulfillment of Bible prophecy are remembered in this month of November…
November 2 marked the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration – the British commitment to the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
November 29 marks the 70th anniversary of the United Nations’ Partition Plan, a resolution to divide Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab.
Because these two anniversaries are so significant, I believe we can (and should) associate the entire month of November with the founding of the State of Israel. I believe that honoring Israel as not just a great ally of the United States of America, but also as God’s chosen people is something we should take seriously, participate in diligently, and teach our children and grandchildren to do the same. There is no “statute of limitations” with regard to how we treat Israel, and the promises of God, which are “yes and amen”, are as good today as they were thousands of years ago when He gave this promise to Abraham…
I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” ~ Genesis 12:3
So let’s all commit to take some time today, and for the rest of the month, and pray for the prosperity, peace, and blessing of Israel, recognizing that proper alignment with Israel, as individuals and as a nation, holds promise for the future.
On Wednesday, it was announced that American journalist James Foley was brutally beheaded by ISIS Islamic militants in Iraq. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Mr. Foley, and pray God’s strength and comfort for them during this time.
In the wake of these events, I can stay silent no longer.
I have done everything I can to contact those in leadership in our nation – the President, the Vice-President, our congressmen and senators — about the murder, the slaughter, and the disgrace that we are allowing to happen, first in Syria, and now in Iraq. It is a national shame, and America will give an account to God for allowing this to happen… and I’m not talking about what has happened in just the past few weeks.
We have sat back in this country and allowed the Islamic caliphate to almost take over. I stated years ago, when the “Arab Spring” started in Tunisia, that they were trying to rebuild the Islamic caliphate. (The Islamic caliphate starts in Tunisia, goes to Egypt, skips Saudi Arabia, then continues to Iraq, Syria, and Turkey — the old Ottoman Empire.) I’ve said for years that the Antichrist is coming out of a revived Ottoman Empire, not a revived Roman Empire. I stated when the “Arab Spring” happened that Hosni Mubarak should never have been overthrown in Egypt; we had a better friend in him than we did in Morsi, who the military in Egypt was forced to overthrow before he destroyed the country. America has stood back and allowed a 20-year friend, who had peace with Israel, to be lied about and run out of office in Egypt. Since 2012, we have watched the same scenario play out in Syria with President Assad. While he was accused of using chemical weapons on his own people, there is much evidence reported to the contrary (including the testimony of a Syrian guest who visited Abba’s House in 2011). However, since coming into office, the Assad regime has not fired a shot at Israel or America. The fact is that Syria has not exhibited any aggression toward Israel since 1973. The largest synagogue in the Middle East was in Aleppo, Syria, and was being protected by Assad. Yet, it is the rebels in Syria who were known for telling Christians to “either convert to Islam or die.” There was actually one video making it’s rounds on social media of a “rebel leader” who, while standing over his defeated foe, cut the man open, cut out his heart, and ate it. And THESE were the people we were supposed to be pulling for??? These were the people our government was purportedly supporting against the Assad regime??? Now, as a result, the largest group of Aramaic-speaking Christians — a genealogy of Christians who date back to the time of Christ — have been scattered and slaughtered under our watch.
What we as Americans have allowed to happen with regard to the slaughter of our fellow Christians, not only in Syria and Iraq, but in the Sudan as well — people by the thousands being driven from their homes by Muslims — has got to stop, even if it has to stop at gunpoint. There comes a time that you have to fight for your family, fight for what is right, and fight for what you believe in.
I have been saying for the past couple of years that what we are now seeing in the Middle East was coming. In 2011, I spend four Sunday nights discussing the coming storm of Islam in our world. Now it is coming to pass before our eyes. It’s time for every person reading my blog — Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Tea Party, Independent… whoever you are — to speak up and let your voice be heard by the people you elected into political office, and start making a difference. It’s high time for those in our government to stop hiding behind political correctness, start calling these events, and the people involved in them by their proper names, and start using the power of our government, whether it be political, financial, humanitarian, or military, to help these Christians who are being slaughtered “en masse” by Muslims all over the Middle East. When I see rallies being held on our own American soil in support of known-terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, and ISIS… we have gone too far. When I see celebrity-types speaking out of defiant ignorance, and slamming our Israeli friends and allies, it is time to put the truth out there.
WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH!
I believe in peace, but even Jesus said, “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). In Hebrews 12, Paul says, “You’ve not resisted unto blood” fighting against sin. I am telling you right now, it does not take a PhD or a rocket scientist to figure out that cutting off the heads of children and placing them on poles for public display, raping women and murdering their husbands, and forcing people from their homes and sending them to flee and die of starvation and thirst in the desert — all because they are Christians — is evil. This type of behavior should not and can not be tolerated in the world in which we live. Maybe you don’t agree with me now, but you probably will when they show up on our shores, and force your wives and daughters to wear a burka, and mutilate their bodies in the name of Allah.
It’s time for the church of Jesus Christ in America to WAKE UP!
It is time for those in our government to stop playing “political chess” with every two-bit dictatorship around the world, and stirring up the pot of political unrest in these places, overthrowing leaders who are less-than-perfect, and creating political vacuums that are being filled with the horrors of Islamic ideology. It’s time for the people of our great nation to demand more from their leadership than empty promises from empty suits. It’s time to start holding leaders accountable for the words they speak. It’s time for the people of America to start having an attention span that lasts longer than the last worthless sound-bite, and start demanding truth, accountability, justice, and righteousness from those in the seats of power in Washington D.C., and every capital building in every state across this great land. It’s time for the Church to be the Church, come together in unity, and be the force that has the ability to change the world with the most powerful weapon in the universe… the love of Jesus.
This link is to a video recorded on the floor of the Iraqi parliament on August 5, 2014. It is approximately three minutes long… please watch.
We cannot sit and do nothing any longer. We must take a stand against evil at home and abroad. We must pray fervently. We must all contact our representatives and leaders and demand more from them. Demand the truth be told. Demand action be taken. Demand that this country, firmly established and founded upon Judeo-Christian values, take a stand against the tyranny of Islam that is being perpetrated across the deserts of the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and is slowly seeping into the fabric of our great nation. While I am all for religious freedom, what I will not stand by silently and watch is for a political ideology that masks itself as a religion to invade our nation, and steal the hope of a better future from the rising generation.
May God bless America, protect our Christian brothers and sisters abroad, and grant peace to Jerusalem, all of Israel, and the Middle East.
Pastor Ron
To write the President of the USA:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Phone Numbers for the White House:
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
Send E-Mail:
President Barack Obama:
president@whitehouse.gov
Vice President Joe Biden:
vice.president@whitehouse.gov
Last week on The Heart of Abba, I spoke about the Demonic Downgrade of America. I tackled those things going on in our society that are dragging our country into an abyss of ungodliness and despair. I cited numerous symptoms, in our government and our society at-large, that are tell-tale signs that we are running head-long down a path of moral, fiscal, and societal destruction. As I cited from the tagline of the 1984 movie, Something Wicked This Way Comes…
For every desire, there will be a cost.
Well, it’s a pretty grim picture. However, the words of Jesus offer us hope…
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” ~ John 14:18-21
This past Sunday, I delivered the sermon Upgrading the Demonic Downgrade of America to the church body at Abba’s House. I invite you to join me now, through this video, and find the hope that exists for our nation if we but turn back to the Author and Finisher of our Faith — Jesus.
I invite you to share this video with your friends,
and join me in prayer for the very soul of our nation.
Join me this Sunday, July 6, 2014 as I discuss the Mysteries of Eternity. As we stand and watch the flames of retaliation burn in Israel following the brutal murder of three Israeli young men, we as believers need to understand the times in which we live. What do the current events unfolding right now mean to believer and unbeliever alike? Is it going to get worse before it gets better? How should we live our lives in light of these things? Don’t miss this important message.
Worship begins at 10:30a.m… to watch live, click here.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you. ~ Genesis 12:3 (NIV)
Here are a few interesting statistics…
Of the more than 850 Nobel Prize winners since 1901, better than 20% have been Jews.
One-fourth of The Fields Medal (mathematics) recipients have been Jewish.
One-third of the conductors of the leading symphonies in the United States have been Jewish.
Nearly two-thirds of Broadway’s longest running musicals were written by Jews.
38% of “Best Director” Oscars have gone to Jewish directors.
Nearly 30% of Kennedy Center Honors have gone to Jews.
… I could go on and on (Grammys, Pulitzer Prizes, etc.)
With names like Albert Einstein, Jonas Salk, Sigmund Freud, Albert Sabin, Levi Strauss, and countless others, there is no denying that, in spite of their small percentage of the population (Jews comprise only 1/2 of 1% of the world’s population), the world has indeed been blessed beyond measure by the existence and contributions of the Jewish people. However, in spite of not just these accomplishments, but what the Bible plainly says about Israel and the Jews, I have observed with sadness the use of replacement theology among Western Christian conservatives. Replacement theology is the belief that the church replaced Israel, and that Israel no longer exists. One only has to read Romans 9, 10, 11, and Ephesians 2 to understand that this belief is totally without Biblical support.
The rise of replacement theology had its roots in the edicts of Constantine who banned the observance of Jewish holy days that were observed in the early church. Across the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and even Protestant worlds, the appalling silence during WWII and the Holocaust gives witness to their embrace of replacement theology.
Dachau Concentration Camp, Germany
“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out–
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out–
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out–
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me–and there was no one left to speak for me.”
~ Martin Niemöller, German Protestant Pastor
Many voices coming from the Arab Church in the Middle East embrace replacement theology… simply stated, “the Jewish people have no claim to that small parcel of land (less than 1% of the Middle East)— they should be driven out.” However, not only is this approach contrary to scripture, it flies in the face of history. When has there ever been a country of Palestine? If East Jerusalem belongs to a “Palestine”, why didn’t the Arabs claim it from Jordan from 1948 to 1967? For nineteen years there was never a claim.
A brief look at history — including scripture — reveals the following facts:
God gave the land to Israel forever. Their ownership is unconditional, while possession of the land carried conditions.
There is no Palestine in Middle Eastern history.
The Ottoman Empire ruled the land for centuries until they were defeated by the British early in the 20th century.
The Ottoman’s were Turks. Can anyone find a Palestinian claim for the land in the entire Ottoman history? Where was the outcry then for a Palestine?
Early in the 20th century, the Balfour Declaration partitioned the defeated Ottoman empire into lands for Jews and Arabs.
All of the modern Middle East — with the exception of Egypt, Israel, and Syria — was carved up by Winston Churchill…
Iran – Persia Iraq – Part of Assyria Jordan – Intended to be the Palestinian territory, it is now ruled by the Hashemites from Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia – Midian
Palestine was how the Romans referred to the land in 116 AD.
RISE OF TERROR AND ANTI-SEMITISM
In spite of overwhelming evidence, some naïve evangelicals and their liberal friends choose to ignore Palestinian support of the terror that brought down the Twin Towers. They totally reject Biblical eschatology that clearly prophesies the very scenario we are experiencing today. Think about it… while every special interest group is vociferously defended (homosexuals, environmentalists, abortionists, Muslims, etc.), where are the voices for millions of displaced Christians from the Sudan, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, the West Bank, Afghanistan and other Muslim countries (not to mention the current atrocities against Christians in North Korea)? Where are all those so-called Palestinians from? There are now more people claiming Palestinian heritage than lived in Israel before the 6-Day War.
THE TRUTH
The fact is… Islam wants Jerusalem, or Al Quds as they call it. We have watched the Muslim Brotherhood try to destroy Egypt and take down Syria because of their secular government. This same philosophy is embraced in Gaza and other places in and near Israel.
IMPOSSIBILITY
There can be a Palestine territory in Israel much like the French Territory in Canada. However, the land is too small, too close, and too infiltrated with terrorists to ever have a separate entity. The people of Israel have a right to protect themselves, and such a scenario would make viable defense that much more difficult.
Evangelicals claiming the authority of Scripture would do well to embrace the fact that the only Biblical position is support of Israel. While I do recognize that there has been injustice and unfairness on both sides, the land belongs to Israel and the Jewish people ever since God promised it to Abraham in Genesis 12. As believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we have no logical choice than to stand on the side of Israel with regard for their birthright.
POST SCRIPT
Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. ~ Matthew 7:1-5
For all of their cries about justice, equality, and fairness, certain evangelicals and others who oppose the Jews might do well to focus their attention on America. Are they prepared to return lands to native Americans? What about the slaughter of Native Americans at places like Wounded Knee? How does one criticize the concentration camps of Germany, yet say nothing of the American “reservation system’? (It is a FACT that the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (South Dakota) has the highest poverty rate of any place in the Western Hemisphere except for Haiti.) In light of the way our government has treated the indigenous people of this nation, the voices that accuse and criticize Israel for “human rights violations” are crying out, not from a moral high-ground, but from the quicksand of hypocrisy.
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
~ King David
“No man should escape our universities without knowing how little he knows.”
~ J. Robert Oppenheimer
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
~ Albert Einstein
“I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.”
~ Groucho Marx
“Too many young musicians today want to win polls before they learn their instruments.”
~ Benny Goodman
“One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present.”
~ Golda Meir
While a seemingly unrelated group of quotes, the one thing that they have in common is that all came from the mind, experience, wit, and wisdom of Jews. Each person quoted is Jewish. In fact, when listing the accomplishments of notable Jews throughout history, the list would include multiple Nobel, Pulitzer, Oscar, Tony, Grammy, and {insert name of award here} Award recipients. There is no denying the contribution the Jewish people and culture have made to our world. And why not? There is no other national group that has endured the mistreatment, disdain, and abuse that the Jews (and nation of Israel) has. No other nation has ever been carried away captive, yet returned to their homeland. No other nation was considered dead, and yet rose again.
I have stood on the Temple Mount, walked along the streets of Jerusalem, and broken bread along the Sea of Galilee. I have stood at the gas chambers and ovens at the Dachau concentration camp in Germany. I have seen both the rich history and horrific tragedies endured by the Jewish people. Having seen the evidence on both sides, one may ask the question…
“What is so special about Israel and the Jews?“
Well, my friend, The answer is both simple and mysterious. The short answer comes from the promise that God made to Abram (later Abraham), the father of the Jewish people:
Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. ~ Genesis 12:1-3
While we tend to focus on verse 3, we often forget the promise made in verse 2… the promise that has the potential to affect the rest of the world… “thou shalt be a blessing.” Not only does God promise to bless the people (nation) that blesses Israel, but He states that Israel “shall be a blessing”. There is no denying the truth of that verse. Look at the rich history of contributions made by Jews in every area of society. Albert Einstein, Selman Waksman, Louis B. Mayer, George Gershwin, Jonas Salk, Niels Bohr, and the list goes on and on.
But I digress…
The fact is that Israel is God’s timepiece. Whether you are talking about end-time prophecy, or the movement of hundreds of thousands of troops in and out of the Middle East, Israel is the focal point. Israel is the apple of God’s eye, and when you hear people preaching “replacement theology”, blaming, or speaking out against Israel, you should run (not walk) the other direction. If “the power of life and death are in the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21), and God “will curse him that curseth thee” — well… you do the math.
This Sunday on Ron Phillips from Abba’s House, I will be talking about Israel’s Survival. I invite you to watch on one of the many fine stations and networks listed here.
If it is not available where you live, you can also watch directly from our website. It will be available on-demand after 8:00a.m. on Sunday, October 20. Just click here.
Yesterday, many of us commemorated the 12th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on our nation. We remembered the event like it was yesterday. We remembered the horror and anguish we felt as we helplessly watched nearly 3,000 of our fellow citizens be whisked away into eternity. We remembered the uncertainty of facing an enemy we could not see coming. We remembered the promises we all made to “never forget”. However, there is one thing we seem to have forgotten…
Our dependence on God during our darkest of nights.
In the days following 9-11, Americans flocked to churches. Some were looking for answers. Some were looking for peace. Some were looking for consolation. All were looking for something…
Many didn’t find it.
The cry of so many in our culture could be summed up in the words of an old ’80’s song by the group Jefferson Starship…
I know it’s too late now
But I wish I could go back in time
And start all over somehow
And get it right from the start
Many people carry unnecessary regret. Many think it is too late to change, or wish they could go back in time and get a “do over”.
Well, this Sunday, you can.
Sunday, September 15, 2013 is National Back to Church Sunday. If you are currently involved in a church, I challenge you to invite someone who isn’t to join you at your house of worship. If you are not involved in a church, I invite you to visit a church in your area, and see how you can get involved.
You may say, “I’m just not sure I can find a church that is right for me.”
Well, you won’t know until you try, and with 20,000+ churches participating this Sunday, the odds are pretty good that there is one that is right for you. And just remember: You have to start somewhere. If you don’t find it the first time out, keep trying. I believe the church where you belong is out there waiting for you.
“Well, I have a lot of questions… maybe some of my questions are dumb”
Church is a great place for asking questions. The Bible is filled with people who “inquired of the Lord.” If it is an easy question, we should be able to find you an answer quickly. If it is a tough question, we may just have to find it together. The only “dumb” question is the one you don’t ask. Wouldn’t it be great to find a group of people you can grow with?
“I just feel like my life is a journey.”
Life is a journey, and the church is not a destination. It is a place to stop, rest, and find encouragement to continue the journey. It’s about finding a fire, and spreading it to others to light their way. Isn’t the journey always nicer if you have someone to travel with?
“Maybe I’m too different.”
The first church in Jerusalem as described in Acts had a wide diversity of people: spiritually-mature, physically-challenged, ex-cons, religious professionals, widows, foreigners, new-believers, problem-makers, problem-solvers, and more. Sadly, the 21st century church is the most segregated place in our nation. Let’s work together to change that.
“But I’m a sinner…”
Welcome to the club… we all are. The Bible says that “all have sinned”. It is why we need Jesus.
“I’m broken…”
What better place to find healing than a hospital? The church is a hospital for the downtrodden and weary of heart. Come find rest and healing in the hands of the Great Physician.
“Well, the church is full of hypocrites…”
True, so you should fit right in. <<wink>> Seriously… we are ALL hypocrites in one way or another. Unless you live 100 percent of what you believe 100 percent of the time, you are, by definition, a hypocrite. However, our goal as Christians is to be more like Jesus. We may not always succeed, but most of us are trying. That is the great thing about grace and mercy.
So, the ball is in your court. Maybe you were involved in a church and left. Maybe you’ve never darkened the doorstep of a local church. Whatever your condition, why not find your way back (or to) a church this Sunday? I know that we would love to see you at Abba’s House, if you are in the Chattanooga/North Georgia area.
In his book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis said, “If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this”.
Paul compared the Christian life to a race, encouraging us to run the race with consistency, determination, and commitment (see Hebrews 12). A long-distance race is not won by the short distance sprinter… it is won by the one who paces himself, and runs the race with endurance and skill, having conditioned himself for the task.
Having just returned from a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, and seeing the need that exists there, it brings that analogy of “the race” closer to home. While people who do the “big thing” do a lot to advance the work of the Kingdom of God, the Bible says that we should not despise the day of small beginnings (Zechariah 4:10). The fact is that most people do not have the wherewithal to pay for an orphanage, or supply drinking water to an entire village; however, we can all do the small, consistent thing – the small gifts that, when joined together, make the huge difference that can change the world.
What makes up a $100 bill? 10,000 individual pennies.
How do you change the world? One single, solitary heart at a time.
In our current economy, it is easy to lose hope when it comes to giving. It is easy to lose sight of the small, consistent thing we can all do in the shadow of the desire to do the big thing. We all have the desire to do something, but it is easy to succumb to a spirit of condemnation and defeat when we either cannot do all we think we should, or in some way fail to do what we have committed to. Sometimes, throwing up the white flag of surrender seems easier than trying to win the race.
However, maybe Paul knew something that we all forget too easily. Maybe Paul knew that it is not always about winning as much as it is about finishing. Just maybe, Paul knew that, in the Christian life, the winning is in the finishing.
Here at Ron Phillips Ministries and Abba’s House, we are reaching the world in a variety of ways. Not only do we have our international television program, Ron Phillips from Abba’s House, and our associated print and media ministry, but we are also involved in a variety of mission projects, not just here in the United States, but around the world. Jerusalem, Guatemala, South Dakota, the Dominican Republic – just a few places in the world we are reaching through the generosity of faithful partners and friends who make what we do possible.
If you have given to Ron Phillips Ministries in the past, words cannot express our gratefulness to you, or the impact you have made on the lives of so many people.
If you have not given, but would like to be a part of something bigger than yourself, it only takes one thing… a willingness to start. When you give to Ron Phillips Ministries, you can be confident that your gift is going to share the Gospel of Jesus, whether through television, internet, or boots-on-the-ground mission work around the world.
Will you help us? Will you use this opportunity to make a fresh start in giving to the work of God around the world?
Please help us change the world… one heart at a time.
If you would like to talk to someone about how you can be a part, call 1-800-877-6493.
You can also contact us online at www.ronphillips.org, or click here to give securely online.
If you would like more information on how you can partner with Ron Phillips Ministries, click here.
I have done everything I can to contact those in leadership in our nation – the President, the Vice-President, our congressmen and senators — about the murder, the slaughter, and the disgrace that we are allowing to happen, first in Syria, and now in Iraq. It is a national shame, and America will give an account to God for allowing this to happen… and I’m not talking about what has happened in just the past few weeks.
For all of their cries about justice, equality, and fairness, certain evangelicals and others who oppose the Jews might do well to focus their attention on America. Are they prepared to return lands to native Americans? What about the slaughter of Native Americans at places like Wounded Knee? How does one criticize the concentration camps of Germany, yet say nothing of the American “reservation system’? (It is a FACT that the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (South Dakota) has the highest poverty rate of any place in the Western Hemisphere except for Haiti.) In light of the way our government has treated the indigenous people of this nation, the voices that accuse and criticize Israel for “human rights violations” are crying out, not from a moral high-ground, but from the quicksand of hypocrisy.
Here are a few notable quotes:
While a seemingly unrelated group of quotes, the one thing that they have in common is that all came from the mind, experience, wit, and wisdom of Jews. Each person quoted is Jewish. In fact, when listing the accomplishments of notable Jews throughout history, the list would include multiple Nobel, Pulitzer, Oscar, Tony, Grammy, and {insert name of award here} Award recipients. There is no denying the contribution the Jewish people and culture have made to our world. And why not? There is no other national group that has endured the mistreatment, disdain, and abuse that the Jews (and nation of Israel) has. No other nation has ever been carried away captive, yet returned to their homeland. No other nation was considered dead, and yet rose again.
I have stood on the Temple Mount, walked along the streets of Jerusalem, and broken bread along the Sea of Galilee. I have stood at the gas chambers and ovens at the Dachau concentration camp in Germany. I have seen both the rich history and horrific tragedies endured by the Jewish people. Having seen the evidence on both sides, one may ask the question…
Well, my friend, The answer is both simple and mysterious. The short answer comes from the promise that God made to Abram (later Abraham), the father of the Jewish people:
While we tend to focus on verse 3, we often forget the promise made in verse 2… the promise that has the potential to affect the rest of the world… “thou shalt be a blessing.” Not only does God promise to bless the people (nation) that blesses Israel, but He states that Israel “shall be a blessing”. There is no denying the truth of that verse. Look at the rich history of contributions made by Jews in every area of society. Albert Einstein, Selman Waksman, Louis B. Mayer, George Gershwin, Jonas Salk, Niels Bohr, and the list goes on and on.
The fact is that Israel is God’s timepiece. Whether you are talking about end-time prophecy, or the movement of hundreds of thousands of troops in and out of the Middle East, Israel is the focal point. Israel is the apple of God’s eye, and when you hear people preaching “replacement theology”, blaming, or speaking out against Israel, you should run (not walk) the other direction. If “the power of life and death are in the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21), and God “will curse him that curseth thee” — well… you do the math.
Yesterday, many of us commemorated the 12th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on our nation. We remembered the event like it was yesterday. We remembered the horror and anguish we felt as we helplessly watched nearly 3,000 of our fellow citizens be whisked away into eternity. We remembered the uncertainty of facing an enemy we could not see coming. We remembered the promises we all made to “never forget”. However, there is one thing we seem to have forgotten…
In the days following 9-11, Americans flocked to churches. Some were looking for answers. Some were looking for peace. Some were looking for consolation. All were looking for something…
Paul compared the Christian life to a race, encouraging us to run the race with consistency, determination, and commitment (see Hebrews 12). A long-distance race is not won by the short distance sprinter… it is won by the one who paces himself, and runs the race with endurance and skill, having conditioned himself for the task.
Having just returned from a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, and seeing the need that exists there, it brings that analogy of “the race” closer to home. While people who do the “big thing” do a lot to advance the work of the Kingdom of God, the Bible says that we should not despise the day of small beginnings (Zechariah 4:10). The fact is that most people do not have the wherewithal to pay for an orphanage, or supply drinking water to an entire village; however, we can all do the small, consistent thing – the small gifts that, when joined together, make the huge difference that can change the world.
Here at Ron Phillips Ministries and Abba’s House, we are reaching the world in a variety of ways. Not only do we have our international television program, Ron Phillips from Abba’s House, and our associated print and media ministry, but we are also involved in a variety of mission projects, not just here in the United States, but around the world. Jerusalem, Guatemala, South Dakota, the Dominican Republic – just a few places in the world we are reaching through the generosity of faithful partners and friends who make what we do possible.
The Heart of Abba - Ron Phillips 