Friday, May 25, 2007

A Christian toast to Israel

They poured into the Beverly Hilton like young politicos at a national convention, in awe at the feet of religious icons and ready to go forth from the Jerusalem Prayer Banquet to promote the gospel of God's love for Israel.

Talking last Thursday about God's chosen people, comparing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Hitler and lamenting the indifference others express about Israel, these 300-plus Christians each spent at least $125 to pray for peace in the Holy Land and commiserate with Jews about the seemingly never-ending threats to Israel's existence.

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"God has ordained Israel as a favored nation, and it is important for us to support it," said Fred Broling, a 72-year-old evangelical Christian who flew with his wife from Chicago for the dinner and donated $5,000 to Eagles' Wings Ministries, the organization that hosted the event, placing the couple in the Guardian circle, alongside televangelist Pat Robertson. "God has told us we will be blessed by the fact that we support his people."

Where do the Christian Scriptures say that?

"I don't know," Broling replied. "Somewhere, I'm sure."

That's from a story I wrote this week about the evangelical Christian love affair with Jews -- or at least Israel. Read more about it here and here.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Christians have been mistreating Jews for thousands of years and I am not only talking about crusaders or anti-Semites – I am talking about segregating Christianity from God’s chosen people, from God’s Law and miss-interpreting numerous promises that God made to Israel and claiming that they apply to the Church.


How many pastors really teach and practice the Law?

Matthew 5:17-19 - “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

How many Churches teach replacement theology in one way or another?
Rom 11:11 - I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles.
Rom 11:12 - Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness?

How many Churches donate money to Jews?
Rom 15:27 - For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.

If you really want to know what would Jesus do, here are just a few things:
He would not eat bacon; he would observe all the Jewish holidays; he would worship in the synagogue and not in the church, and he would do it on Saturday, not on Sunday. In other words, Jesus would observe the Jewish Law as found in the Torah (Pentateuch ). Just because we don’t have to observe the Law in order to be saved, does not mean that we shouldn’t. Just like our children do not have to make good grades to be loved and to be part of our families, but they sure need at least try to be successful at school.

Check out www.lawandland.net