What Is God Doing in Israel?

Shalom Bob:

I appreciated your email about the bombings. I believe that God has promised not to remove Israel from the land a third time, which means He has limited His own options to now drawing them back to Himself by this painful discipline of terrorism. I don't blame God for the bombings, they are the fault of the decieved men and women that plan them, and the prince of the air that feeds their deception. At the same time, God has approved all the happens in order to draw back His beloved and chosen ones into His arms.

In the past He used other nations to drive Israel off their eternally promised land, when they would not yield their heart to Him. In these days, I believe He has carefully planned to draw them back, inch by inch, by showing them that they cannot trust in their modern day versions of "horses and chariots". The dismantling of pride in the beginning of helping them yield to Him! They also cannot trust in Allies (as in Obadiah). They can trust in Him alone!

Now let me address your desire to be a help to Israel. It may be that God is, in fact, calling you to be in Israel. Please know that I am not discouraging that, if it is God's call in your life. I have spent one quarter of my life living there, and God put me there. You will want to know, however, an additional piece to the puzzle. As I travel, I have found that God is raising up, in virtually every town, city or village I speak in, some who have a special, God-given love for Israel. Many have never been there, and most have no idea why they feel the way they do. I have read or seen the description of how you are feeling about Israel a thousand or more times!! I believe God is calling a select number, not by any human program, but direct from the throne room, to love and intercede for Israel.

Now the clincher: I believe the thing we lack most in our outreach and ministry to Israel is the sincere intercessory prayer to move forward. In the wake of 9-11, all the staff we have, and the staff of many other ministries felt like we were punched in the gut! We were walking around beat up. I believe that for a time many of God's people, consumed with grief and shock, quit interceding for world missions, and stopped lifting up the weary hands of those who were working. In those hours, around the globe, the enemy made advances as the believers licked their own wounds. I tell you the truth, mission staff all over the world reported the feeling of powerlessness for a time.

What am I trying to say? I believe that we are only beginning to understand how powerful our prayers are. You are not a spectator or a victim to the events of the world. You and I are more powerful than those that advise the President of the US or the Prime Minister of Israel in this. We can intercede with the King of Kings!

I believe that we must sincerely, earnestly and daily pray for Israel. Ask God for tender mercy in His loving plan to draw her back to Him. Be specific and targeted, not so much in trying to unravel the political aspects of the struggle (the part many Christians seem to spend all their time on) but rather ask God specifically to show those that are hurting how they can find Him. We have staff there, as do other organizations. We can work, but we need the prayers of God's people to uphold the hands of that staff. Join the team, and if you have been praying, turn up the fire. What God gives you a heart for, God intends for you to intercede for. It IS a God thing!

That's my take on it,

Dr. Randall D. Smith
Director