GOD DEFENDS ISRAEL! – Revelation Central

ALL MY FOUNTAINS ARE IN YOU

Moses had completed his 40-year mission of guiding the Israelites through the wilderness, now the Promised Land was but a few steps away. Canaan was 60% desert, with approximately two-million Jews ready to inherit it, but what good would this land be without water? So before the Israelites took one step into their inheritance, Moses combined God’s promise to grant them land with his promise to grant them water: “For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills” (Dt.8:7). I have a question: How could God possibly fulfill this promise when Canaan was 60% desert? Where were these “brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out”? God answered this question in Isaiah. . . .

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LAST DAYS

What makes the Last Days unique? As the Prophets and Apostles described them, they included dark sayings, foreboding warnings, and coded messages. Did you know that the dispensation known as the Last Days has a definite starting point? But equally important, Jesus and the Apostles embedded a dynamic “Call to Action” to Christians for these days that must not be ignored! Additionally, there is a primary message, along with an overriding objective, for all people to recognize. Finally, the Bible includes a preset day of termination for the Last Days.

WHAT NEVER HAPPENED ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT

Let’s journey back several thousand years to Jerusalem during Passover week. This was the holiest of the seven Hebrew festivals that attracted thousands of worshipers. Some traveled hundreds of miles to attend this celebration in the religious capital of the world—Jerusalem. What a sight it must have been! For seven days the Priests appeared in their royal apparel, led the people in worship, offered sacrifices, and blew shofars (2 Chronicles 30:21). Everything was leading to the Day of Atonement when the High Priest would present the blood of a Passover lamb for the people’s sins. Not only was Jerusalem sightly its aroma was pungent.

A CHRISTMAS TRIP

Luke says as these shepherds watched their flocks during the night, the glory of God shined all around them. Now can you imagine that? It’s pitch black and then, suddenly, everything around them is illuminated! Then an angel appears and announces that the awaited Savior of the world has been born and is lying in swaddling clothes in a manger in Bethlehem. But it’s still not over. Besides this angelic messenger and the glory of God that is all around them, a vast, multitude of angels appears praising God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (2:13).

PARDON ME!

In Psalm 32, David proclaims the blessedness of the one whose sins are forgiven. And he does this in a unique way. He uses three expressions for sin and then employs three expressions of God’s pardon for sin. Here’s what I mean: David called one category of sins transgressions, which indicates “rebellion against God”; another he simply called sin, which describes “knowingly missing the mark”; and the third category he called iniquity, which speaks of a “vile perversion.” Those terms cover the entire gamut of our sinfulness—major and minor. But then after showing us three categories of sin he uses three expressions to show how God pardons our sins:

Speak Lord, But is it Really You?

Of all experiences that exhilarate people, chief among them is when God speaks directly to the human soul. One inspired word to a thirsty, hungry traveler can refresh and sustain more than a thousand meals. It was Elijah who heard God’s instruction to “rise and eat” that received nourishment to navigate 285 miles for the following forty days

GOD RAISES DEAD DREAMS

Scripture uses death to identify man’s greatest enemy and there’s nothing man fears more. When a person expires, losing all vital signs, doctors, medicine, and science stand powerless in its presence. Only God can resurrect. But this sermon doesn’t deal with the physical cessation of life, it deals with death of a different nature. The death of God’s divinely inspired promises and visions. I’m persuaded that many Christians are in the gestation stage of a specific promise God has given them. Perhaps years ago He planted a dream and you’re still awaiting its fruition. Maybe even hope has begged you to admit that promise is dead. But the God that resurrected Christ from the dead can resurrect your promise.

by Robert D. Pace

In recent weeks, Hamas has launched thousands of rockets into Israel, yet Israel’s borders stand impenetrable! Remarkably, Arabs are admitting that the Israelis’ God circumvents the direction of their missiles! Inquisitr.com headlined a report, “Israel Miracle? Gaza Strip Hamas Complain, ‘Their God Changes The Paths Of Our Rockets In Mid-Air’” (7-20-14). The story of misdirected missiles is not the only mystery associated with this battle. During July 2014, the course of nature brought a dense fog and provided cover for Israeli troops to advance unnoticed against Hamas. Here is a paragraph from an article written by Rabbi Tzvi Gluckin entitled, “The Hamas Miracle”:

“A lot of my religious friends are talking about miracles. “How can it be?” They say. “Thousands of rockets are raining down on Israel! The number of dead should be much higher! The amount of damage is minimal!” And they are right. It is miraculous. Rockets miss their targets. They miss populated areas. The wind blows them off course. My friends argue about the Iron Dome, too. “MIT said Iron Dome doesn’t work. Too many rockets slip through, and yet – a miracle – they miss their targets. Iron Dome’s failures are a sure sign of God’s love.” They even quote Hamas. “Our rockets are good,” says Hamas. “Obviously their God loves them.”

From a Christian perspective there is no doubt that God defends His Covenant people. And the Lord of Hosts will continue defending the Israelis for years to come. It’s the repeated promise of Scripture! However, the “Lord, mighty in battle” does more than raise a shield of defense for His people. The Bible makes it clear that God actively opposes, even retaliates against, those that impugn His people.(Genesis 12:3; Zechariah 12:1-3). Since Israel regained its Statehood in 1948, God has given the Israelis an unfeigned string of victories against their enemies. Can there be an explanation for this? Let’s investigate:

About 800 BC Isaiah and Ezekiel, and later Jesus, prophesied that the Jewish people would be dispersed from their homeland and driven into the nations of the world. Moreover, in 70 AD Roman troops invaded Israel burned Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, and scattered the Jews into the nations! But the Biblical Prophets also predicted that the Jews would return to their homeland in the “latter days.” Thus, scattered to 133 nations and without National Statehood for over 2400 years, the 20th Century brought a mysterious re-migrating of Jewish people back to their homeland. Again, in 1948, Bible prophecy proved true when Israel regained its national sovereignty and the United Nations recognized it as a State. With barely a handful of Jewish settlers living in Israel at the turn of the 20th Century, today over 8 million Jews reside there!

Hamas, Hezbollah and terrorist organizations will continue to attack the Israelis. Ezekiel 38-39 even forecasts a vast coalition of nations arising against Israel in the “latter days.” While much of the world opposes any retaliatory action from Israel against its enemies one fact remains certain. God has made up His mind. As the “Lord of Hosts” He will vigorously defend His Covenant people, Israel!