- Rabbis in Jerusalem forbid Jews from participating in
a major evangelical event this week.
-
- Thousands of Christians will arrive in Jerusalem
for the 28th annual Christian celebration of Succot, the Jewish Feast of
Tabernacles. This holiday is observed yearly by Israelis and also thousands
of evangelicals. They have been welcomed some past years.
-
- This year, Jews are banned from attending-even
though Christians promise to say nothing about their Lord and Savior!
-
- Evangelicals must, of course, view the ban
as a slap in the face. But they have no right to be surprised. Jews-both
in Israel and the US-have long been leery about accepting support from
the millions of "Christian Zionists" who want to hurry Christ's
return by unconditionally blessing the Jewish state.
-
- Many American rabbis refuse to embrace this
alliance, even boycotting John Hagee's "Nights to Honor Israel."
They support Israel's bans on Christian witnessing. Jewish activists of
the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith seek to ban the Bible and Christian
evangelism in our country as well, through ominous "anti-hate"
legislation.
-
- Some Jews appreciate Christians' support
and disagree with the rabbis' decision to forbid Jews from joining their
celebration. But even these Jews accept Christian Zionists without supporting
authentic Christianity at all.
-
- Jerusalem Post columnist Michael Freund nagged
that this is "no way to treat our Christian friends." But he
disapproved of the rabbis' decision only because Christian proselytizing
was already banned. How much friendship does he offer real Christians,
who seek to spread their eternal hope? Precious little. Freund writes that
"The threat posed by missionary activity in Israel is real, and steps
must be taken to curtail it." He says evangelists "surreptitiously
seek to bring about our spiritual demise," and he's glad their work
is illegal. He's only sorry that Christian Zionists-who've promised to
forbid the name of Jesus-are falsely grouped with these subversives.
-
- I'm sorry, too. Things would be simpler if
those who agree to be silent about the gospel would quit calling themselves
"Christian Zionists." Zionist would do. Their actions are not
those of Christians. And because they deny the name of Jesus, He has promised
to deny them before God.
-
- Unfortunately, far too many misled evangelicals
accept the lie of a "dual covenant" in which Christ's blood is
only needed by Gentiles, and Jews can be saved without accepting Him. Such
Christians have silently and voluntarily accepted a ban on sharing the
gospel, for the past 27 years of parades and tours of Israel.
-
- Their big September event will add $18 million
to the local Jewish economy, and hugely boost its tourism industry, according
to the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. This means that evangelicals
contribute $18 million in one week to a society and government that bans
them from speaking, with love, of our Savior!
-
- This self-imposed gag on the Holy Spirit
would nauseate believers throughout history and in other countries, who
spill their own blood before denying the gospel. Throughout Christian history,
believers have been martyred, imprisoned, and tortured rather than shut
their mouths about Christ.
-
- John Bunyan, an English preacher, spent nearly
twelve years in prison where he wrote his masterpiece Pilgrim's Progress.
It's said John was offered his freedom if he promised not to preach and
he replied, "If you let me out of jail today, tomorrow I will be preaching
again." That is the spirit of a true Christian.
-
- Yet modern evangelicals have gone silent
voluntarily! They are like a woman who left her husband for the seductive
lover of Zionism, only to slowly wake to a cold reality of being beaten
by that lover. Evangelicals have lost their theological loyalty to Jesus
Christ and to His church in this world, which is presently being persecuted
by unrepentant Jews in Israel and in the United States as well.
-
- Such Christians should return, repentantly,
to Jesus whose name is worth any price.
-
- And the Jews who persecute their message
would do well to remember the Pharisee Gamaliel, who wisely advised a group
of rabbis about to persecute some early believers. Gamaliel said to let
the Christians go. "For if their purpose or activity is of human origin,
it will fail," he said. "But if it is from God, you will not
be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against
God."
-
- Why are Jews so afraid of Christians' witnessing?
Maybe it is because true believers, throughout the world, testify to the
real power of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Maybe it is because two thousand
years after Jesus returned to heaven, His light still brightens our world
with a power that persecution only intensifies.
-
- Modern evangelicals must value this light
far more than they do, and proclaim the name of Christ as the joyful news
it is. They should exalt His name in Israel as loudly as they should in
the US. When they do, then there will truly be something to celebrate in
Jerusalem.
-
-
|
