Should Christians stand with Israel?

Regarding anti Semitism and Israel, why do you think it is that so many Christians are turning on Israel and becoming so anti Semitic? Is replacement theology to blame or something else? Okay, it's a good question. So, you know, the Israel issue in question is very complex in the minds of men, because what is Israel? All right, that's a question that can span many ways. Are we talking about a nation state, in other words, a government that is called Israel? Are we talking about physical descendants of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin? Are we talking about Jewish people? Are we talking about physical land? Because there is a physical geography, a place, a land called Israel? Are we talking about a spiritual people called Israel? All of these in the Bible? Well, I would say the physical descendants, physical land and spiritual people are referred to in the Bible and called Israel. But the context in every passage reveals to us what is being referred to. You know, when people think about Israel, Let me give an example. They think about, say, let's just say, for example, the nation state, which is a very common thing, because they think about what the nation state, the government of Israel is deciding to do or not do today. And they judge the people of Israel who are living in that state by the decisions of the government. This is an error, just like you. If you live in America, if you live in China, if you live in Turkey, you don't want to be judged by the decisions of your presidents and your governments, right? But people do that to the people of Israel. Let's remember that not everyone submits under the ideologies and ideas of their government and all the decisions. Another thing that happens is that people look at the physical descendants of Israel, in other words, Jewish people, and they look at maybe perhaps Jewish people who reject the Messiah or Jewish people who are not acting appropriately, who are, you know, who have hatred in their heart. There is hatred, there is evil, there is sin in every people group. And we also have to be careful of stereotyping an entire people group by the actions of some of them. By the way, Hitler did this. He basically made propaganda posters of what certain Jews were or were not doing. And he said, look, this is what defines a Jewish person. And he taught Germany those ideas. And that's why the Holocaust happened, just by the way. That's not an old tactic, and we see that still today. So let's be careful of labeling all people under this, under whatever it is, for that matter. Another thing is we are talking about a physical land, right? A land right now in the Middle east that everyone wants. Why? Because it is the land that God has given a deed for in the scriptures, God gave that deed to Abraham and his descendants. There is a spiritual war. There is a war that is in the spirit, that is extending into the physical world. But here's the thing, as that happens, we're dealing with a nation state that will make big decisions regarding wars, regarding their own. And they have their own political aspirations. They at times will have make worldly decisions and they will at times be inadequate to rule. Why? Because every single government upon this earth is inadequate to rule. There is not a king in this world that is adequate to rule. Yeshua is the only one adequate to rule. That's why Yeshua one day is going to be ruling from Jerusalem because no one else can do it. No one else can bring peace. No one else except the Prince of Peace. That's why Yeshua will do it. That's why I praise Hallelujah that he has said that he will do it. But that does not mean that when we are looking at the nation of Israel today, that we should stand and say that they are irrelevant. We cannot stand and say that they are to be tossed aside and forgotten. You can say, well, P.D. i think so because of this theory. That theory, this thing I heard about. That thing I heard about. I understand there's many ideas, many theories, many conspiracies that's floating around everywhere in the minds of men. There's even this idea in the church of replacement theology that the Church replaces Israel and their election and that they no longer, longer matter and they are now disregarded by God. But this is what I want you to understand. Nothing in the world is allowed to influence our ideas about Israel. Besides for the scriptures, the Scriptures alone speaks about how we as believers are to perceive Israel. And I will now read to you Romans 11. I want you to please stick with me here because this is important. I'm going to read to you just about the whole Romans 11, because every verse is answering this question. And as we read this, I want you to know that whenever you wonder about Israel in the future, whenever you hear something about Israel, whenever you have doubt about Israel, remember Romans 1:1, Romans 11. We read about Romans 11:11, starting there. So I ask, did they stumble in order that they may fall? This is talking about Israel by no means. Rather, through their trespass, and indeed there has been trespass. The Bible is not shy to admit that, to see that. But by their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles so as to make Israel jealous. So there's this. God has used The Jewish people. Hallelujah. To bring the Scriptures, to preserve it, and to bring forth a Messiah. Through that line, Jesus. Jesus was a Jew. If you didn't know, you should know that. And now he says at the same, in the same way as salvation has come to us now he's going to use that salvation to make Israel jealous again. Why is there? If God does not care about Israel, why does he care to draw them in again through the Gentiles? Of course he cares about them. That's why he wants to draw them in. Now, if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean? Now I'm speaking to you Gentiles in as much then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous and thus save some of them. It is in Paul's interest to save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what would their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the dough offered as first fruits is holy, so is the whole lump. And if the root is holy, so are the branches. By the way, who is the first fruits? Who is the dough offered as first fruits? We know who the first fruits are. It's Yeshua. Yeshua of the tribe of Judah is holy, and he's saying he's going to continue to be pursuing them. If some of those branches were broken off, which has happened, and you, though an wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and are sharing the nourishing root of the tree, do not be arrogant towards the branches. If you are, remember it's not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. This arrogance is what is in the world today, even amongst Christianity. This great arrogance towards Jewish people saying, we now it's all about us. We have the new covenant. We are the church. You are nothing. God has forgotten about you. That's the arrogance that Paul warns about. It is foretold in this very prophecy of Romans 11. Then you will say, branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in. That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief. But you stand fast through faith. Do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. God is warning you that he will not spare you if you become proud. Note to them the kindness and severity of God. Severity towards those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you provide you continue in his kindness unless otherwise you will too be cut off. We didn't see. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in. For God has the power to graft them. And again, say this with me. God has the power to graft them in. Again you say, how? How? How? How is that possible? God has the power. You can say, how is it possible for me to be saved and for you to be saved? God has the power. How is it possible for them to saved be. God has the power. I'm going to read now and he's going to tell us some of this about how that will happen. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches be grafted back into their olive tree? The mystery of Israel's salvation He now tells us. I'm going to read just a few more verses here, lest you be wise in your own sight. I don't want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers. A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. This is by the Spirit of God. This is by the will of God. This is by the prophecy of God. The Word of God has stated that this hardening that we see today upon Israel, where they do not see Yeshua, is supposed to be this way. This is how God has ordained it to be until the fullness of Gentiles come in and in this way all of Israel will be saved as is written. The deliverer will come from Zion. He will banish godliness from Jacob. The deliverer is Yeshua. And this is speaking of how he will be the one to do it himself. And this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins as regards to the Gospel. They are enemies for your sake. As regards election. They are beloved. They are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the sake of their forefathers. God is saying because of who they are in physical lineage, they are beloved. This does not mean they are all saved. Not all of them are saved because no one is saved by lineage. No one is saved because their forefathers, Abraham, God can raise sons out of these stones as Yeshua told them. The Pharisees who trusted in Abraham's and their lineage of Abraham's seed. They still need to believe in Yeshua. They still need to believe in God. But for the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. So the replacement theology that has come to say the church replaces Israel, we are now the people, the calling of God has shifted to us. God says, no, the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. God says how this will happen. And I'm going to end this part here in Zechariah 12:7. And the Lord will give salvation to the tents of Judah. First, that the glory of the house of David and the house of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not surpass that of Judah. On that day, the Lord will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem. So the feeblest among them on that day will be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the Lord going before them. And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And then, and this is a famous verse, and I will pour out the house of David on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy. So that when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they will mourn from him as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him as one weeps over a firstborn. This is a moment that is coming where they will weep over the Messiah. They will see him for who he is. And on that day, the mournful morning in Jerusalem will be as great as the morning in the other places. I want to go to the next chapter. And this is the last verse I'll read. People always miss this one verse, the very important verse of Zechariah 13:1. On that day there will be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness. How will this happen? Pd? How is God going to do this? On the timeline, I do not know, but I know that it is written. And so when people come and say, but this, but this, but this, they've done this, they've done that. They're too far gone. I don't agree with this, I don't agree with that. Okay, but the Lord has not cut them off. And we are to draw them in to the Gospel, to the Holy Spirit, to the Messiah, through what God has given us. You see, a lot of Jewish people I have so much sympathy on, because throughout the ages, Christians have killed them in the name of Jesus. In the Crusades and so on. In Nazi Germany not long ago, they were killed in the name of Jesus. And churches sat back in Germany and did nothing. Many did stand up and speak, but many also did nothing. And when you consider that, are you really shocked that they don't want anything to do with this character named Jesus? Especially then on top of that, when they have been taught that he abolishes the Torah, that he abolishes the fourth commandment. You know, at the end of the day, we are to be a people now, a restored remnant of spirit and truth that shows the real Yeshua to our Jewish brothers and sisters. In a time like this, when they are surrounded by enemies and they are going to make bad decisions at times, by the way, I am not going to defend every decision of the Israeli government. Far from it. Yeshua is going to be the only righteous king, as I've said. But at the same time, we have to pray for them. We have to pray for everyone involved. But we have to pray for the Jewish people's eyes to be opened and for us to be empowered to be a light of righteousness and holy holiness. Not of compromise like those Christians who have come before us, but a light of the true holy nature of our Messiah. Yeshua, the Messiah, the King of Kings who will rule from Jerusalem, who is born of the house of Judah, of the line of David, the Messiah that has come for the Jew first and also to the Gentiles, the rest, the Greeks, the Messiah who first went in his ministry, his own ministry, first went among the Jewish people and he spoke and gave the gospel to them first. That means that they were on his heart. And even though they rejected him, they are still on his heart. And they should then be also on our hearts. Sam.