FROM THE PRESIDENT
Shalom and greetings in our
Messiah,
I hope this special newsletter,
focusing on the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, will fuel your prayer life
and help you fulfill the mandate in
Psalm 122:6 to “pray for the peace of
Jerusalem.”
The recent announcement by
the president of the United States
recognizing Jerusalem as the capital
of Israel—a signal to start the
process of moving the U.S. Embassy
from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem—
has caused us all to ponder
the question of Jerusalem
more carefully. The re-
sponse of the United Nations
further complicated the issue when
128 member nations voted against
the decision and only nine voted
in favor of it. Those against the
decision claim that the unity of
Jerusalem can only be settled once
a peace agreement
is decided upon
and implemented.
The countries
that stood with
the United States
and Israel were
Togo, Honduras,
Nauru, Palau,
Mi c r o n e s i a ,
Gu a t e m a l a ,
and Marshall
Islands.
On a side note, it is amazing
to see what a small country can do
to impact the flow of history. In a
visit to Israel in 2016, Guatemalan
president, Jimmy Morales, was
honored by the Knesset for the role
Guatemala played in the formation
of the State of Israel.
A news brief by the Jewish
Telegraphic Agency describes the
Knesset president’s statement:
Knesset President Yuli Edelstein said the ties between
Israel and Guatemala “are deep and historic.”
“Before Israel’s establishment, on the eve of the U.N.
decision on November 29 in 1947, we still remember
and appreciate the actions of Guatemala’s ambassador to
the U.N., Dr. Jorge Garcia Granados, who enlisted Latin
American states to vote in favor of the partition plan,”
Edelstein said Tuesday.
“It could be that without Guatemala, the resolution
on that fateful day would not have passed, and history
would be very different.” 1
Granados also cast the first vote for the creation of the State
of Israel.
The fate of Jerusalem is a controversial political issue, and
Israel’s neighbors and their supporters around the globe vehemently
disagree with the recent decision. Yet, as important and
symbolic as it is, the Jerusalem decision is just one of the challenges
we face in a complex and conflicted region.
The alignment of nations in the Middle East is a web of
tensions that is difficult for Westerners to fully understand.
Most disciples of Jesus are not experts on Middle Eastern politics!
But this region is the focus of the Bible in both the Old
and New Testaments and the nation of Israel, in particular, is
the subject of many biblical promises. However, Israel’s neighbors
FEBRUARY 2018 / THE CHOSEN PEOPLE - 2
also have a historical and even a
prophetic role in the future of the region
(Isaiah 19). Therefore, Christians
are very concerned about the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict and hungry for
more information about the situation.
I hope this newsletter will give you
a more balanced perspective on the
conflict as you are introduced to Palestinians
and former Muslims who love
the Lord Jesus and the Jewish people!
Don’t you agree that we need
to see all of life’s issues through the lens of the Bible and
our relationship with God through the Messiah Jesus? It is
critical for us to make sure that we square our perspective on
controversial issues such as the conflict in the Middle East with
our understanding of Scripture.
The Apostle Paul writes,
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you
may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and
acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
Believers will not agree on every issue, but we must make
sure that Scripture informs our views on significant topics so that
IS JERUSALEM
THE CAPITAL OF
ISRAEL?
The U.S. Embassy’s
move to Jerusalem
will infuriate Israel’s
neighbors