tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587008.post115331953221197887..comments2024-01-25T03:56:02.403-08:00Comments on Presbyterian Bloggers: Hump Day Prayer . . . The Middle EastMirandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16380861596539183040noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587008.post-1153956786006724172006-07-26T16:33:00.000-07:002006-07-26T16:33:00.000-07:00I think we all need to read the Bible more careful...I think we all need to read the Bible more carefully. I don't know how it is that a sentence about "restore the kingdom to Israel" means that the modern nation-state of Israel is the rightful holder of the "kingdom", nor do I know how it is that a mere sentence outweighs all the prophets (or biblical history, for that matter) about whether God is on the side of Israel or not. <BR/><BR/>Indeed, I pray that God will help us to overcome our prejudices.Terihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10838436991138846332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587008.post-1153930198306514912006-07-26T09:09:00.000-07:002006-07-26T09:09:00.000-07:00dear anonymousI've never read a Hal Lyndsey or a l...dear anonymous<BR/><BR/>I've never read a Hal Lyndsey or a left Behind book in my life. Only the Bible. Read it - carefully.Stushiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10693178228505134028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587008.post-1153857641596848922006-07-25T13:00:00.000-07:002006-07-25T13:00:00.000-07:00Stushie,Been reading Hal Lindsey and the Left Behi...Stushie,<BR/>Been reading Hal Lindsey and the Left Behind series I see. What a load of religious nutjob bunk!<BR/><BR/>Modern day Israel is only passingly like anicent Israel, which was disbanded, scattered, and interbred among other peoples. The modern day state of Israel is no more "the chosen people" than China, Mexico, the U.S. and Cuba are.<BR/><BR/>My worry is that the people that are running the show (W. Bush, etc.) believe the same crap that you do and will end up nuking everything in the hopes that the messiah or rapture or whatever will magically appear. Yeah right - surrrrrrreee. If they don't watch out, they are going to be creating a self-fulling apocolyptic prophesy.<BR/><BR/>One more thing. We HAVE had several Marines kidanpped and killed in recent history and we didn't overreact like Israel is. Check out Black Hawk Down, where some Marines were ambushed in Sudan and you'll see the story. Or maybe, you wanted Clinton to push the button in response so that Jesus would appear in the nuclear fire and take all the true believers up to heaven before the great tribulation or something?<BR/><BR/>Sheesh.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587008.post-1153586544886326952006-07-22T09:42:00.000-07:002006-07-22T09:42:00.000-07:00God may be with Israel, but I doubt that today's I...God may be with Israel, but I doubt that today's Israel is exactly the same as what God chose. I also would like to point out that the last time Israel flouted God's law they were booted out of the land. Maybe it's time for them to read the book that came with the land.Terihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10838436991138846332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587008.post-1153361143395578572006-07-19T19:05:00.000-07:002006-07-19T19:05:00.000-07:00Acts 1:6 So when they met together, they...Acts 1:6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" <BR/><BR/> <BR/><BR/>The Middle East conflict seems to spiraling out of control. We've invaded and occupied Iraq. Israel is invading Lebanon. Iran is developing nuclear bombs. Syria is supplying Hezbollah with rockets and the United Nations is playing its usual role by hopelessly prevaricating. It all seems familiar and strangely biblical at the same time. What the outcome will be, God only knows.<BR/><BR/> <BR/><BR/>As Christians, we tend to forget that Israel will play an important role in the end times. When Christ returns, He will appear at the Mount of Olives and walk through the streets of Jerusalem. When God finally concludes history, it will take place after Israel’s prominence is completely restored. You see, whether we like it or not, Israel has a chosen place in God’s heart, and He will not let it be extinguished or annihilated, no matter how hard, how long, and how bitterly other rogue nations try to make it so.<BR/><BR/> <BR/><BR/>Some people in our own denomination are crying out for peace and justice, especially for the Palestinians. They have conveniently forgotten that God is on Israel’s side, and whether or not it appears fair to us, God’s sovereign will and favoritism cannot be thwarted nor successfully opposed. The plight of the Palestinians is in the hands of the Jordanians as well as the Israelis. Anyone who cares to look at a pre-1948 map of Palestine will see that 60% of its land mass was overtaken by the Jordanians. But do we have anyone calling for the Jordanians to give back the land that they took? No, we'd rather pressurize democratic Israel, which is resolutely fighting for its right to exist, rather than upsetting a once important Arab ally.<BR/><BR/> <BR/><BR/>But no matter what we think, God’s will prevails. It may seem to us that the Israelis have over-reacted on the issue of the two kidnapped soldiers, but if two Marines had been taken by Hezbollah and were firing rockets on our civilians, wouldn't we do the same?<BR/><BR/> <BR/><BR/>Prayer: Lord Jesus, we are anxious about what’s happening in the world today, especially in the Middle East. Grant us the gift of discernment to truly know what is going on and to fully understand how God’s will is being fulfilled. Help us to overcome our prejudices. Enable us to pray for Your peace to be completely restored, and for Your presence to finally return. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.Stushiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10693178228505134028noreply@blogger.com