On May 23, I had the joy of addressing several hundred pastors who were gathered in Washington, D.C. The venue was the 10th anniversary of the Watchmen on the Wall conference, organized by the Family Research Council and its president, Tony Perkins.
Tony asked me to specifically address the subject of “The Church’s Call to Stand With Israel.” It was an honor to do so, because in the challenging times in which we live, we urgently need leaders who truly understand God’s love and plan for Israel—and for her neighbors.
In 1 Chronicles 12:32, we read about the sons of Issachar. The text says these were “men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” At this critical hour—with Israel facing threats from Russia, Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas, Egypt and others—the state of Israel and the church need more men and women who truly understand the times geopolitically, economically and biblically, and know what Israel should do and what the church must do to be a blessing to Israel, the Palestinians and to all the people at the epicenter.
In my remarks, I laid out five reasons why the church should stand with Israel and her neighbors, and discussed some of the reasons why the church is splitting over the issue of Israel. I hope you’ll take some time to listen to the message and prayerfully process it, as well as to share it with others.
Let me make one other note. Over the years, Tony Perkins and I have become friends, and I’ve been blessed by his love for our Lord Jesus Christ and his deep convictions and courage to speak out on vital issues related to the church and the family. I also greatly appreciate his heart for educating and mobilizing pastors into the battle to save Israel and bless Israel.
When I asked him a number of years ago whether he had ever had the chance to visit Israel, he said no, he had not. Given his position of influence within the American church, I encouraged him to prayerfully seek the opportunity to go, both as a blessing to him and his family, to be a blessing to Israel and the Jewish people, as well as to set an example to other pastors and ministry leaders to go visit Israel and step into the story of what God is doing there.
I was very encouraged, therefore, when Tony took up that challenge. In fact, not only did he visit Israel for his first time about 18 months ago, but he also helped lead a delegation of congressmen and their wives on that tour of Israel. What’s more, he’s currently making preparations to go back and bring others with him later this year.
Thank you, Tony, for putting your faith into action. May your tribe increase.
Joel C. Rosenberg is the author of numerous New York Times best-selling novels and nonfiction books, with nearly 3 million copies sold. He is also the founder of the Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net). His books include The Last Jihad (2002), The Last Days (2003), The Ezekiel Option (2005) and The Copper Scroll (2006).
For the original article, visit joelrosenberg.com.
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