All Eyes Turn To Israel
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· 7 viewsOur attention and thoughts and prayers need to be upon Israel in these last days!
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How many of you guys watch, or read, or keep up with the news at all?
How many of you guys watch, or read, or keep up with the news at all?
What are some of the predominant things that usually occupy the mainstream news sources?
PRESIDENT TRUMP is a top story, ALWAYS!
Left and right wing politics!
Economy and finances
Sports
Lifestyles (Hollywood and music and fashion stuff)
Any gun shootings.
Other deterrents like the whole college ACT, SAT activity in the last day and the illegal use of monies to bribe and gain illegal access into major universities!
What do all of these things serve to do?
Right, they hold our attention and capture our thoughts and minds.
Do you remember when you were little and how you would think about and dream about things that you wanted to do, or to become when you were older (an athlete, a scientist, a doctor/surgeon, a preacher, a superhero, etc.)?
Well, what happened to most of those dreams? Were they all fulfilled and you came to see them in the full fruition?
For most of us, that would be a “NO”, right?
Why? Why do we lose sight of the things that we dream of as children?
For most of us, the world begins to feed in to our lives and minds, the “REALITY” of being an adult and the cares and concerns of this world, choke out what where and what our hearts and minds used to be focused upon, right?
Well, that same thing goes in our adult lives. We start something new and become passionate about it, (a new book series, a new hobby, a new job, a new exercise regimen, etc.) and eventually, the new wears off and we being to drift in our thoughts and our attention, to other NEW things
We no longer hold with the same regard, that which so passionately captured our hearts as before, right?
That’s not to say that we don’t care at all anymore for these things, but rather, we just have placed our priorities in different places.
Solomon talked about the things of this life that fight for our attention and the things in this life that we go after, and that, in the end, he determined, these things were futile and vein.
In fact, Solomon made the final analysis of life as follows, in , ,
8 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless.”
13 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. 14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.
Is everything that has a major impact upon our lives, something that is necessarily large in size, or quantity?
Is everything that has a major impact upon our lives, something that is necessarily large in size, or quantity?
What I mean is this, there are many things that we focus upon, that are small, in relative size, but that have a major impact.
And these little things that I am speaking of, naturally and easily capture our thoughts and attention, without very much need for prompting or reminding.
Things that easily capture our hearts and minds.
For instance:
The monthly bank statement captures many people’s attention each month and without very much prompting. I mean, out of all of the barrage of mail that comes in your mail box, or email box, that piece of information, is usually looked over with great detail.
It’s one small document, but with some great relevance, AMEN?!
The Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup, The World Series, the NCAA National Championship, the Final Four, etc. These are all small in size, when compared to the number of games that lead up to these events, and yet, one game determines the overall winner.
It’s not how poorly, or how great you start, but rather, it’s how good you finish!
You may somewhere in the ballpark of 50 names or more of people in your life that are important to you and whose birthdays and anniversary dates you keep up with.
And yet, there is only ONE small little date that had better be in at the forefront of your mind gentlemen, at all times, right?
YOUR ANNIVERSARY DATE, had better resonate in your minds and be there with pinpoint precision, or else!
It is one small date, but WOW the outcome of remembering that date!
We pay taxes all throughout the year, and yet, there is one day of the year, in which the dreaded tax subject impacts the majority of us!
I know that there have been bears spotted in my subdivision in the last year and that there are other wild animals that roam the hills around here, and yet, it is the small and ominous black widow, that lurks in the dark and remote places around my house, that I need to be cautious and attentive of, when I reach into a dark place, or slip on a pair of shoes that have been in the garage!
My overall point is that there are things that we pay close attention to, either because we find them of extreme interest and love, or because we know and believe that there are repercussions for ignoring these things. Do you understand what I am saying?
My overall point is that there are things that we pay close attention to, either because we find them of extreme interest and love, or because we know and believe that there are repercussions for ignoring these things. Do you understand what I am saying?
So, I want to give you a few verses tonight and have you read them out loud, and then I will see if everyone gathers where I am going with these verses and with the point that I just made.
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2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
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2 For you are a people holy to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
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4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession.
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16 The Lord’s voice will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth will shake. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a strong fortress for the people of Israel. 17 “Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, live in Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy forever, and foreign armies will never conquer her again.
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8 For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye: 9 “Behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me. 10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. 11 And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. 12 And the Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.” 13 Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.
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37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”
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41 But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. 42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. 43 Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. 44 They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”
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1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” 5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”
Can anyone tell my what these verses all have in common? That is, what is the central focal point of these verses; the main theme?
Right, Israel being God’s special people and Jerusalem being the place that He chose to dwell and call His chosen capital city.
Biblical prophecy is centered around Israel and especially end times prophecy, right?
Biblical prophecy is centered around Israel and especially end times prophecy, right?
Throughout history, Israel has been persecuted and condemned by more nations, than anyone else.
In fact, if you look it up, with regard to the United Nations resolutions concerning Israel. As of 2013, Israel had been condemned in 45 resolutions by United Nations Human Rights Council. Since its creation in 2006—the Council had resolved almost more resolutions condemning Israel than on the rest of the world combined.
Why? Why so much animosity and hate towards Israel?
They, like the point that I was making earlier, are small and seemingly insignificant, in comparison to the rest of the world!
Israel, the entire nation, is not as big as the state of New Jersey in the United States!
It is a dot in the middle of the nations, that exist around it and that desire to annihilate it.
SHOW PIC OF MIDDLE EAST
You know, the prophetic clock of Israel has been ticking since 1948, when Israel became a nation again.
In , when Jesus was foretelling of what was to come before His return, He mentioned the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place. The holy place would most likely be the temple.
Well, the temple was destroyed in 70 AD and as of yet, has not been rebuilt.
So, there were several key things that needed to take place for the end times to be fulfilled.
Israel had to return and become a nation again, as God declared that He would gather the people of the nation of Israel together again and make her a nation and that He would give them back Israel for good.
Israel wold need to regain Jerusalem, to build the temple again, as Jerusalem was the place that God chose to dwell.