Standing With Israel

The day before Holocaust Remembrance Day, Iran’s President Ahmadinejad addressed the United Nations anti-racism conference in Geneva. Here, he did a great favor for all who love Israel—he was honest. He let his virulent hate for Israel and bizarre anti-Semitic conspiracy theories flow from his tongue largely unfiltered. It was an ugly performance.

The delegates from most European nations walked out on Ahmadinejad’s speech. Even UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, was moved to criticism. Most other delegates, of course, remained in their seats. Many cheered.

But Ahmadinejad is rarely so honest. And he is rarely so helpful. It is what this man does in the shadows—not what he says in public—that is most dangerous. And what he does in the dark typically gets far less attention.

Christians United for Israel (CUFI) is providing believers with the opportunity to place their prayers in the Western Wall without leaving home.

Prayers submitted to CUFI web site will be printed out, prayed over at the national office in San Antonio, sent to Jerusalem, and hand-delivered to the Western Wall.

Prayer is an integral part of CUFI, which prays daily for the peace of Jerusalem, the well being of the state of Israel, growth and development of Christians United for Israel and for those in authority, including those in governmental and spiritual positions. Personal prayer requests are also welcome.

In late March I took the trip of a lifetime. I spent seven days in Israel touring historic sites and ancient ruins that date back more than 2,000 years. I discovered the roots of my Christian faith and watched the Bible come to life.

My schedule was packed with many interesting places to see, including the Western Wall, the Garden Tomb and the Upper Room, where Jesus ate the Last Supper. I floated in the Dead Sea and toured the Valley of Jezreel, which overlooks the ancient city of Armageddon, the place of the final war mentioned in Revelation.

But I was haunted by my visit to Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum, located on the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem. Without any warning, I found myself in tears. 

The media reported last week that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton “warned” Israel that if they don’t support peace negotiations with the Palestinians, they risk losing Arab support for combating Iranian threats against Israel. First of all, I was not aware that the Arab nations were supporting Israel in any way. In any case this

As part of his first papal visit to Israel next month, Pope Benedict XVI will stop at several Christian and Jewish holy sites in Jerusalem, Nazareth and Bethlehem, according to Israel Ministry of Tourism.

He is scheduled to be in the Holy Land May 8-15, and will visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, Mount Zion and the Church of All Nations in the Garden of Gethsemane. President Shimon Peres will be the pope’s host and escort.

The visit will mark the pope’s first trip to Israel since accompanying Pope John Paul II on his pilgrimage in 2000. Pope Benedict XVI will deliver Mass at Manger Square in the Palestinian Authority city of Bethlehem on May 13 and another at Mount Precipice near Nazareth on May 14.

Tens of thousands of churches, and literally tens of millions of Christians in the U.S., have a committed belief in the importance of standing with Israel and blessing the Jewish people. The verse most often referred to as their biblical mandate is Genesis 12:3 in which God tells Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

Since the birth of the state of Israel in 1948 the theological error known as replacement theology has begun to decline and a theology of Christian Zionism that understands the importance of God’s everlasting covenant with Abraham and the nation he would birth has been increasing.

Everything Christians do should be based upon the biblical text. The following are seven biblical reasons why Christians everywhere should stand up and speak up for Israel. This is taken from the Leadership manual for Christians United for Israel. It’s so good, we got permission to share it here.

1. God has promised to bless the man or nation that blesses His chosen people. History has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the nations that have been blessed the Jewish people have had the blessing of God. The nations that have cursed the Jewish people have experienced the curse of God.

And I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all nations of the earth be blessed. Genesis 12:3

Those who studied biblical prophecy in the late 1930s believed an evil power of darkness had been unleashed in Europe. German dictator and tyrant Adolf Hitler, like a demon on assignment, was initiating his “solution” to the world’s problems by planning what historians would later identify as the Jewish Holocaust.

When 1948 arrived, the world was missing 6 million Jews, including 1.5 million children who had perished during the Nazi “Final Solution.” Most Holocaust survivors were without a permanent home, had few if any possessions, and had watched their paintings, antiques, gold and silver jewelry, and money being seized by Hitler’s godless goons.

Leaders of the Jewish and Christian communities will gather at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. to celebrate Jerusalem and to honor two great men, Pastor Jack W. Hayford and Israeli General Shimon Erem (retired) at the Jerusalem Prayer Banquet to be held May 14.

Rev. Robert Stearns of Eagles’ Wings, legendary entertainer Pat Boone, and pastor Frederick K.C. Price founder of Ever Increasing Faith Ministries, will host the event.

{flv width=”280″ height=”220″}ValerieLowe-StandingWithIsraelIntro{/flv} My name is Valerie G. Lowe and I’m the editor of the new Standing with Israel e-newsletter. One of the most rewarding and exciting places I’ve ever traveled to is Israel. I’d always wanted to take a pilgrimage to the Holy Land but didn’t think the opportunity would ever present itself. After years

Pastor John Hagee, founder and chairman of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), presented a petition expressing solidarity with the State of Israel to members of Congress in late March.  The petition is signed by more than 100,000 American Christians.

The Israel Pledge says:
“We believe that the Jewish people have a right to live in their ancient land of Israel, and that the modern State of Israel is the fulfillment of this historic right.

We maintain that there is no excuse for acts of terrorism against Israel and that Israel has the same right as every other nation to defend her citizens from such violent attacks.

The cover of the May issue of Charisma asks an ominous question: “Can Israel Survive?” The answer is a resounding yes. Besides the fact that the Israelis are perhaps the most determined people on the face of the earth, God’s Word says that the Jews are His chosen people, the apple of His eye, and they will survive. But Israel needs us to stand with her more than ever.

Interestingly April 21 is the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day. It’s the day we remember the 6 million Jewish lives that were lost during the Holocaust. One of the reasons we Christians must “stand with Israel” is so nothing like that will never happen again.

We have been reporting on Israel for the last three decades since I first visited Israel in May 1979. Now to keep you informed we are sending out this weekly Standing With Israel e-newsletter. In much of the style of my Strang Report, we will pass along to you interesting information and items of concern relating to Israel and how you can respond.