Israel: My Thoughts for Christians During This Time

Hey friends, Alison Lewis here from Secret Spring. Just want to pop on and share my heart, touch base. A lot has happened since I last posted my intro. I've been really thankful to God for some amazing opportunities at our church to help facilitate a parenting class. It's a great group of people, and we're learning and growing together in our parenting. Some other things have been going on, so I haven't had as much time to pop on. But in light of what's going on with Israel and in the news, it's very easy to get overwhelmed and wonder what's the truth and navigate these tough times. I am no expert; I come humbly learning as I go. But I want to come on and encourage you that these times are very unique, but the Lord has equipped us for it. If we realize we're lacking in an area, we can ask Him, and the Holy Spirit will bring revelation and insight and help us navigate. One of the most important things needed right now is for us to get into the Word of God, to seek to open the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and revelation to understand it, especially as it pertains to Israel, and for discernment to navigate so many lies that are coming through. I'm not even talking mainstream media, because it's been shown they can't be trusted, but on the internet and different stories, we need discernment to know the truth. I've been trying to strengthen myself in the Lord and have a greater friendship with Holy Spirit, because that inner knowing that comes from the Spirit of God will help us discern lies from truth. We have to encourage one another and be in faith community, have brothers and sisters where we can say, 'This is what I sense the Lord is saying,' and we can wrestle with it. So I want to encourage you to really get in the Word now more than ever. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, pray for miraculous intervention in this conflict, and for the innocent people on both sides who are getting hurt, abducted, and killed. We want to pray for comfort for them. But there's a very real enemy, and it's so much bigger than political. It's the enemy, and it's the epic story of good versus evil laid out in the Bible. We have to remember that as we hear news and reports. The enemy wants to go after God, and he can't, so he goes after God's people. Israel is the apple of God's eye, and as believers, we've been engrafted in as Gentiles into the family of God. We need to stand and pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for our brothers and sisters, that all evil will be exposed, God will bring justice, there will be accelerated growth in the body of Christ, Jews would be open to Jesus as Messiah, have encounters, and there'd be supernatural provision as they're in a really tough time. So keep praying, keep seeking the Lord. The last few years have been eye-opening of this new world that's emerged, and this is a new season. We've never gone this way before, therefore we need to rely on God through the Holy Spirit to be our teacher, our guide, and to navigate these times, to stay out of fear, and to know that God is sovereign. He's in charge and will accomplish His purposes. As the body of Christ, we have to stand, grow, mature, and be equipped for every good work and for continuing to share the good news of Jesus Christ and the message of the kingdom of God being at hand, to be a light in these tumultuous times. I believe the Lord is taking all of our roots deeper into Him and the Word, strengthening us because the Bible's clear that in this world we will have troubles, tribulations. This is just the beginning of the cosmic battle between good and evil, where God is thwarting the will of Satan through us as believers. We're undoing the works of the enemy as we're commissioned to do through Jesus. All this steeps in us as the children of God, the sons and daughters of the one true God, stepping up, becoming mature, and preparing ourselves to usher in the return of Jesus Christ. We don't know when that will be. There's a lot of talk that it's really soon, but there are differing opinions based on the Bible. I tend to gravitate to the scriptural idea that God is coming, Jesus is not going to be unequally yoked with the church. I think we can all agree that right now the church is not a pure and spotless bride; we have a bit of purifying to do. Therefore, it's the church as the body of Christ being an equal yoke to Jesus that the Father will commission His Son for marriage, and He will return for that. So we have to put off fear, be sober, be ready, and pay attention to Israel and what's happening, because that is the mirror in which we understand the biblical timeline and make sense of what's going on. God has chosen Israel as His firstborn, so we must pay attention, intercede for them, and unite for peace and justice. Again, it's not a time for fear; it's sober. The closer I get to God and the more intimate I get with Holy Spirit, the more it grieves my heart for my brothers and sisters in Israel and what they're facing daily, especially this past weekend with these brutal attacks. So I want to come on here and encourage that we need each other. As the body of Christ, we need to band together, stand on the Word of God, know the Word of God, and fervently ask the Lord to give wisdom and insight so we have discernment to know truth from lies. I just want to bless you, bless your families, and speak peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ.