Daily devotion – Hatred!
Imagine being hated so much by someone that the only thing that would appease them is your death? As I listen to the world news this morning, I hear of nation after nation vilifying the people and nation of Israel. As I read through Twitter, I see crowd after crowd of angry protesters in many Western nations, crying out for genocide to be carried out against the people of Israel. Signs of gas chambers and rubbish bins with Jews being cast into them held up in public.
Imagine being Jewish parents and each morning looking at your children and knowing they are living in a world that wishes them dead. It’s heartbreaking!
This hatred against Israel is driven by one source. Satan and his cohort are fuelling the minds and hearts of so many foolish people to such extremes of behaviour. This is a spiritual conflict. Make no bones about it. This is not some tribal or other such retribution. This is a pure evil force that seeks one thing – the complete removal of the nation of Israel from this earth.
This rage from Satan has been going on since the beginning of time. Throughout the Bible, we read of time after time, nations being used by Satan to attempt to eradicate the children of God. His chosen people. Even now in Australia, on our streets and in our communities, the stench and reach of this antisemitism is growing.
In Genesis 12, God begins his next significant move on a man after Noah: Abraham. God spoke these words to Abraham, who was 75 years old then.
Gen 12:2
I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
Gen 12:3
I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
We here at Calvary Chapel Secret Harbour must be courageous and robust against the work of Satan and his attack on Israel. Let us continue to pray for God’s chosen people. Let us support and help them in every way we can. We are looking at a ministry run by a dear friend of ours in Israel that provides food, shelter and support in Israel. We are praying that the head of this ministry, Jim Stretchberry, may come and visit with us and share with us how we here in Secret Harbour can make a firm footprint in actual support of God’s chosen people. Be in prayer for this ministry, please.
(Jim Stretchberry is the executive director of AEBM (American European BETHEL Mission), which is being used by God in a significant way in Israel. Bethel is the hostel AEBM owns and operates in Haifa.)
This could also open excellent doors for us from CCSH to minister in Haifa with Jim.
On the home front, we will continue to fly the flag of Israel and pray for them as God has commanded us.
But take a moment to put yourself in every Jewish person’s shoes. Especially if you are a parent. Let us pray for the peace of Israel.
Jesus told us that we, too, will, in the Last Days, face the same enemy as Israel. Be prepared, as the Church of Jesus Christ will come under the same hatred and vitriol that Israel is now.
Let us never forget that God is in control, that no one will remove the people of Israel from this world, and that the Church of Jesus Christ was promised that there was nothing in this world that would be able to overcome us.
All praise and honour be to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!