Skip to main content

Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem


How painful to watch the escalating tension currently in Israel which has led to numerous stabbings and attacks. I have just returned from Jerusalem where some friends and I witnessed a confrontation between Palestinian women and the police at Lion's Gate. We quickly sized up the situation and made a hasty retreat but were somewhat shaken by the intensity of the affray. It was only a few days later when a Palestinian stabbed two Israelis and started shooting wildly into the crowd at this very spot. The stabbings have continued daily throughout the city since this incident. 

 I appeal to my Christian friends to continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May the anger be restrained! We know terrorism changes nothing, but only deepens the wounds which already exist. 

I grew up in N.Ireland during the Troubles and can testify that three decades of terrorism changed nothing politically! Hurt was added to hurt, families were broken, fear increased and daily life was frequently disrupted. For what? NOTHING changed politically. Political change has come only through dialogue and the laying down of arms. For the most part we have peace, although there are still manifestations of unrest and evil from time to time. 

There will be no true peace in this world until the Prince of Shalom, the Messiah, comes back and stands on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4). Until then we must contend in prayer for the restraint of evil!

Pool of Bethesda

Jerusalem is a place where the power of God resides more than in any other city I've ever visited. After all, it is the City of the Great King where God has placed His name. My friend, Karen and I decided to visit the Pool of Bethesda one afternoon as it was closed on previous attempts.  We had been on the ramparts of the Old City and Karen had complained of swollen knees. As we stood high above one of the cisterns, we prayed for each other and the presence of the Lord was keenly felt. Karen testified that her knees felt much better. This was in the place where the man had been healed by Jesus after an illness of 38 years.

  
In the midst of all the pain and trials of life, Yeshua still heals those who come to Him to seek His help. He is alive! His desire is to save, heal and restore. That is why He died on the cross and took our sins so we could have a relationship with the Living God!

Golgotha

This trip to Israel during the Feast of the Tabernacles left many profound impressions as we visited various venues and events. It was a privilege to be with a group of choice Christians from different parts of the world and to experience God in a very special way.

 My deepest impression is the need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem as never before. God's timetable will surely unfold as He has ordained and perilous times will come, but our present desire is for peace and preservation of life.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Mystery that is Macedonia

When I first came to Macedonia on a visit in 2001, I found this little country so intriguing and breathtakingly beautiful that I happily accepted the invitation to return for a longer period. That ‘longer period’ has now extended itself to several years during which I have had many enriching, memorable experiences. I thought it might be interesting to jot down a few observations about the difference in culture. I appeal to my Macedonian readers not to misunderstand my intentions. What I have observed are customs and habits which are as normal to you as breathing and sleeping, but to someone from an entirely different culture, they are both interesting and noteworthy. It is always thrilling for me to explore how various nations function and it is nothing short of a privilege to experience a foreign culture first-hand. Hospitality Macedonians are a friendly, hospitable people. I do not know how many times they have almost literally killed me with kindness. Indeed, I have often...
8 comments
Read more

Is Belief In God Blind Faith?

Stephen Hawking famously said: There is no heaven or afterlife for broken-down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark. Comparing the human brain to a computer, he firmly declared his atheistic stance. Dr John Lennox’s reply to this statement turned it on its head: Atheism is a fairy story for people afraid of the light! Who has the correct perception? Are we just living in a sphere of darkness without God or can we find evidence for God’s light and creatorial power? Evidence for God’s existence The order and design of creation. This is the most compelling sign in my opinion. I cannot look at the beauty and detail of creation without marvelling at the Creator. In the 1980s theoretical biologist, Dr Hans Meinhardt, began to wonder how the beautiful patterns of shells formed. As he researched, he discovered that the rules which govern the formation of the patterns in nature such as leaf arrangements, sand dunes and snowflakes, were the s...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Christmas Memory

As I settle in my seat on the balcony of this historical German church, I can hardly contain my excitement. A feeling of jubilant anticipation pervades the air as people find their seats and the orchestra warms up. The  Thomanerchor  (St. Thomas Choir) *  files into lines at the front of the church and a reverent hush finally settles over the audience. The timpani drums roll, the notes from the flutes and oboes flutter delicately to the church rafters, and the trumpets sound joyfully: Jauchzet, frohlocket! Auf, preiset die Tage …   (Shout for joy, exult, rise up, praise the day) resounds the choir. Transported by the heavenly tones, I close my eyes. In my mind, it is the 25th of December, 1734. Cantor Johann Sebastian Bach is leading the elite male choir on this chilly, Christmas morning. For the first time, the magnificent tones of the  Christmas Oratorio  are reverberating in St. Thomas Church, Leipzig. Und sie gebar ihren ersten Sohn ...
Post a Comment
Read more