For Zion's Sake -By Brother Chuck
By Brother Chuck
"For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch" (Isaiah 62:1).
For Zion's sake, there are some things we must not keep silent about. Zion represents the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. For example, we must not keep silent about the atrocities committed by Hitler against the Jewish people during World War II. Nor should we keep quite about those who blessed Israel during this horrible time in human history.
"I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth" (Isaiah 62:6-7 NIV).
God has promised that He will bless those who bless Israel (Genesis 12:2-3), you may have wondered how you can bless Israel. Corrie ten Boom knew what it meant to bless this chosen nation and to stand with the Jewish people and she knew what it meant, and what it cost, to love them. Corrie ten Boom and her family, all devout Christians lived in Amsterdam, Netherlands, near Haarlem. (By the way, I've toured her home.) The Ten Booms had provided a hiding place in their home for persecuted Jews during World War II and helped the Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust. By all accounts, the Ten Boom family saved nearly 800 lives. "You can't love God without loving the Jewish people." said Corrie. Eventually, the Gestapo arrested Corrie, her father, and her sister Betsie. Corrie at the age of 60, and Betsie were sent to Ravensbruck, Concentration Camp, in Germany.
On December 28, 1944, after ten months of incarceration in concentration camps, Corrie Ten Boom was free. She had lost her father and beloved sister to the horrors of Nazi death camps. Gaunt, filthy, and weak, Corrie made her way to the railway station and boarded a train for a three-day journey home to Holland. She later found out that an order had been given at the end of that very week to kill all women her age and older. An error in prison paperwork was the catalyst God used to release her.
Corrie vowed if God allowed her to live, she would tell as many people as possible about the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. She also promised to go wherever He led. She miraculously obtained a small New Testament from a prison worker and smuggled it past guards. "Before long we were holding clandestine Bible study groups for an ever-growing group of believers, and Barracks 28 became known throughout the camp as 'the crazy place, where they hope.'"
God gave her a
promise, telling her that she would reach far more people than she
could imagine with the gospel message. For the next four decades
following her release from prison, Corrie traveled extensively,
speaking in more than sixty countries, captivating audiences with her
inspiring faith and love for God. She is the author of nine books,
one of which is The Hiding Place, a personal account of her arrest
and time spent in prison. She also produced five films. "God has
plans-not problems-for our lives." Before she died in the
concentration camp in Ravensbruck, my sister Betsie said to me,
'Corrie, your whole life has been a training for the work you are
doing here in prison-and for the work you will do afterward.'
Consider those words. Your whole life, and the entirety of your Christian walk has been training for what you will still accomplish for the Kingdom of God. "I will bless those who bless you." God's eternal purposes for Israel still remain and it is important for all Christians to pray for and work towards the salvation of the Jewish people through faith in Christ.
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels." For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, "Peace be within you." For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity" (Psalm 122:6-9 NIV).
Below are some ways you can bless Israel:
Pray for Israel. Prayer can change the course of a nation.
Be a watchman on the wall. Speak loudly in defense of the Jewish People. Don't remain silent.
Feed the poor. Give to Israeli charities. Reach out to those in need.
Bring hope by taking or sending Bibles or taking a mission trip to the heartland.
Volunteer to be a bridge to the Jewish People. Serve.
Sound the Trumpet of Salvation. Evangelize in Tel Aviv. "To the Jew first, and then to the Gentile" (Romans 1:16 NIV)
Perhaps you have some ideas on how we can bless Israel. Share them below in the comment section.
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