The Drums of War are beating, what can the Believer do? (June 2001)

Shalom Friends of CTSP:

Outside my window a "plague of darkness" is falling. The dust storm rolled in this morning, and I cannot see Bethlehem or Jerusalem from my windows (as I usually can), instead I see a blond dust wall. The darkness can be eerie, but I prefer to see it as a warm, fuzzy blanket putting the nation to sleep for awhile. I always hope the heat and dust will discourage those who feel they must fight!

I received this in my inbox this morning from a Christian organization in Jerusalem. I was crushed inside as I read each line. I want you to read the whole thing, but please look at the bottom and my response article. I am not including the organization or the name of the author, not to plagarize, but to be gracious as I have some very hard comments in my response. I send this to you because the hour is critical, we are coming into a critical time for the nation of Israel,

Quoted exactly:

ISRAEL MUST FIGHT

"Prepare for War. Beat your ploughshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say: 'I am strong'" (Joel 3:9,10) The Bible is full of examples where Israel at times was directed by G-d to fight and finish the fight until victory to solve her problems with those who in hatred rose up against her and with it against the G-d Who specifically has
dared to call Himself the G-d of Israel. This is clearly spelled out, amongst others, in the words of Psalm 83, where King David equates the enemies of Israel with the enemies of G-d Himself when he writes:

"Do not keep silent, O G-d. Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O G-d. For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your shattered ones. They have said, 'Come and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.'"

It is a pity that for the sake of space we at this moment cannot quote this Psalm in its entirety for it is so relevant to the crisis and situation in which Israel finds herself today! The whole confederate of nations encamped like wolves against her only with one purpose, like Hitler: to obliterate Israel from the face of the earth: Itbach al Jahud! (Slaughter the Jews!) This is the characteristic that is being described by most of the Psalmist of the nations who have arraigned themselves against Israel. Their final aim is to swallow up Israel as a sovereign nation so that the name of Israel may be remembered no more!

Till this day, this is still the main and overall wish of the Palestinians and Muslim nations, and there are many, many quotes of their own spokespersons all over the Arab Muslim world to prove this. Not only the West Bank or a freeze of Israeli settlements there, but Israel as a nation has to be swallowed up by a sea of hatred and Jihad. The Evil One hates the name of Israel for it reminds him too much of the G-d whose name is tied to this name, EL or Elohim, and Who at the same time calls Himself the G-d of Isra-EL. So Israel has to vanish and the Evil One has always had in history enough people on his side to do this work for him: From Amalek to the Philistines; from the Babylonians to the Romans; from Hitler and the Nazi's
to Saddam Hussein, Gadaffi, Arafat, the Hizbullah and Hamas, and many others.

It is a pity that most of the nations, in fear of losing their financial and economic benefits, leave Israel bleeding and fighting alone while they excessively criticize Israel to preserve their ties with the rich oil Arab and Muslim world. It is truly pitiful to see that whereas these nations who, in the light of the horrors of the holocaust, have vowed again and again never to let it happen again, have at times been instrumental in letting the modern Hitlers, like Saddam Hussein, develop weapons of mass destruction, deadly VX gas with which, while the West again looks on, multitudes of Jewish men, women and children in Israel can be gassed again.
It is truly appalling to see with what double standards the world is ever ready to treat Israel. What is expected from Israel no nation would ever allow to happen when it would ever consider happening concern the safety and security of their own people and country.

And even today Israel, by trying to please even her so-called friends in the United States and Europe, is exacting an enormous price from her own battered and sorely tried people. No nation, not one, would accept such indiscriminate violence and terror against its own citizens without responding in force. But Israel is told again and again to restrain herself, not to over react, but America and the West can bomb entire cities like Hiroshima, Nasaki, Dresden, Berlin and Darmstadt; brutally bomb Yugoslavia's infrastructure and bridges; thousands of fleeing soldiers in Iraq, to enforce their will and then it is accepted. But Israel is not even
allowed to bomb the headquarters often empty of people from where the most indiscriminate murderous attacks are being planned and initiated. The West has therefore lost all moral right and authority to dictate to Israel.

Moving are the words of the mother of Gilad Zar, one of the latest victims of the awful wave of Palestinian terror that has scourged this land and people [Arutz 7, Wednesday, 29 May 2001]:

"Gilad, my first-born son. I do not feel worthy enough to eulogize you. I don't know how I will speak about you, instead of with you and to you. Our hearts are torn apart with pain, even if we accept the Divine decree. Master of the Universe: What do You demand of us? Just make it known to us, and we will do it! We are a large and warm family, we will support one another - and You, G-d, "Arise, have mercy on Zion, it is time to favor her, the time has come!" Thank you, my G-d, for the son you gave us. It is too bad that his time on earth is over. G-d gave, and G-d took, may the Name of G-d be blessed."

May G-d indeed have mercy upon Zion and help Israel to do what He commanded to Joshua before he was to enter into Jericho and the Land promised to Israel by God:

"Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them." (Joshua 1:60)
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END OF QUOTED PORTION.

My friends, I am grieved in a way that is hard to describe. This was a horrible week. Israelis were stunned with the lost dear ones in a building collapse in Jerusalem at a wedding. Shootings and acts of terror have affected just about every family in the nation in some way. Israel is a big small town, and everyone is feeling the pressure. Tourism is at the absurb point, and a significant portion of the State is now officially unemployed. In the Arab areas of Jericho, Bethlehem and Bet Jala, the situation for our
neighbors has been very difficult as well. With the attacks of various units being staged from their house tops and backyards, the local friends, some of them believers, have suffered from the closures from their jobs, and the destruction of their homes in the crossfire between two armed entities that are each fighting for their respective causes. Out our back door the battle has been loud and long, and we grow as weary as the rest of the nation, awaiting some kind of break in the storm.

As a believer, I am not insulated from the feelings of my neighbors. I have honestly fought the rollercoaster of emotions that have ranged from anger to depression. We have watched attack after attack, and wondered when it would end. Watching the news we have seen distortions that make our hairs curl, and fight rage when we saw with our own eyes what truly happened. Lies and distortion abound, and hate grows on all sides.

What is a believer to do? Shall I discern God's will for the people here, telling them to kill one another, as these dear brothers have done? While I understand the pain and suffering of the mother above, my response is different. I WILL NOT CALL UPON PEOPLE TO TAKE THE LIVES OF OTHERS. I will not silently sit back while the Gospel is silenced in favor of political agenda, no matter what agenda is involved. If we come to this people and share more hate, and drum beat them toward war, we have not served God. Our God has told us how to bring PEACE. It will not come from the UN, nor from
the EU, it will come when the hearts of men are surrendered to the One who can make them whole again.

I will die for HIM, but not for DIRT, be it Holyland dirt or not. I serve a Kingdom not of this world, and I am not ashamed of the One I serve. I am, however, ashamed of the way some of our beloved are behaving. We are not here to spread hate, or cause war! We are here to comfort and love all of
the people of this land. Mr. Arafat needs a walk with the Living God, so does Mr. Sharon. If Paul thought he could reach Nero, why not give ourselves to this end?

I must close, you have all been patient. I want to say without apology that I will continue to encourage people around the world to step back from the brink of our war, and encourage all of the people of the land to fall before the One who can change our hearts. That is the cause for which I am willing
to live, or, if need be, to die. The One who authored my life, will be the One at the finish line. Our compass needs to point to pleasing Him by fulfilling the call He gave us. Any other call, no matter how well meaning, is a second best call.

Pray for the Peace of our Beleagured City. Pray for Grace in our believing Community. Pray that we can shine in the midst of a dust storm..

Blessings,

Randall D. Smith
Director