And Elijah came to all the people, and said,
“How long will you falter between two opinions?
If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.”
- 1 Kings 18:21
And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD,
choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,
whether the gods which your fathers served
that were on the other side of the River,
or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.
But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
- Joshua 24:15
Multitude, multitudes in the valley of decision!
For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
The sun and moon will grow dark,
And the stars will diminish their brightness.
The LORD will roar in Zion,
And utter His voice from Jerusalem;
The heavens and earth will shake;
But the LORD will be a shelter for His people,
And the strength of the children of Israel.
- Joel 3:14-16
For nation will rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom.
And there will be famines, pestilences,
and earthquakes in various places.
All these are the beginning of sorrows...
- Matthew 24:7
In a speech at the State Department just forty-eight hours before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed in Washington last week, President Obama gave the announcement that he not only fully intended to divide Jerusalem, he was also going to use all resources available to him to give the PLO state all of Israel's land retaken during the 1967 Six Days War.
This announcement reveals how little President Obama understands the heart of God for Israel.
It is a severe test for Prime Minister Netanyahu's leadership and statesmanship.
“How long will you falter between two opinions?
If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.”
- 1 Kings 18:21
And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD,
choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,
whether the gods which your fathers served
that were on the other side of the River,
or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.
But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
- Joshua 24:15
Multitude, multitudes in the valley of decision!
For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
The sun and moon will grow dark,
And the stars will diminish their brightness.
The LORD will roar in Zion,
And utter His voice from Jerusalem;
The heavens and earth will shake;
But the LORD will be a shelter for His people,
And the strength of the children of Israel.
- Joel 3:14-16
For nation will rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom.
And there will be famines, pestilences,
and earthquakes in various places.
All these are the beginning of sorrows...
- Matthew 24:7
In a speech at the State Department just forty-eight hours before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed in Washington last week, President Obama gave the announcement that he not only fully intended to divide Jerusalem, he was also going to use all resources available to him to give the PLO state all of Israel's land retaken during the 1967 Six Days War.
This announcement reveals how little President Obama understands the heart of God for Israel.
It is a severe test for Prime Minister Netanyahu's leadership and statesmanship.
It is a test for the rest of the world as well.
Right before our eyes, the scenario for the endtime battle is unfolding. The choice to stand with Israel is once again being offered to us.
There can be no fence sitters on this important issue. When push comes to shove, each one of us is called to make a stand.
When God gave the covenant promise to Abraham that he will become the father of a great nation, the nation of Israel, God declared that whoever blesses Israel will be blessed, and whoever curses Israel will be cursed.
Will we join the rest of the world in its diabolic plan to wipe Israel off from the face of this earth, or will we align with the heart of God in His eternal plan for Israel?
Will we choose to be blessed?
Or will we choose to be cursed?
The choice is ours.
Right before our eyes, the scenario for the endtime battle is unfolding. The choice to stand with Israel is once again being offered to us.
There can be no fence sitters on this important issue. When push comes to shove, each one of us is called to make a stand.
When God gave the covenant promise to Abraham that he will become the father of a great nation, the nation of Israel, God declared that whoever blesses Israel will be blessed, and whoever curses Israel will be cursed.
The LORD had said to Abram,
“Go from your country,
your people and your father’s household
to the land I will show you.
“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.
- Genesis 12:1-3
“Go from your country,
your people and your father’s household
to the land I will show you.
“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.
- Genesis 12:1-3
Will we join the rest of the world in its diabolic plan to wipe Israel off from the face of this earth, or will we align with the heart of God in His eternal plan for Israel?
Will we choose to be blessed?
Or will we choose to be cursed?
The choice is ours.
When God created man, He gave him a free will, the capacity to make choices.
Adam and Eve were free to eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, including the Tree of Life. Only one tree was forbidden, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Nevertheless they were free to choose.
They chose to eat from the forbidden tree, however, they didn't understand the implications of their choice.
With their choice, death entered the world.
They could have chosen God... they chose self.
They were free to choose life... but they chose death.
No, they didn't understand the consequences of their choice.
Ever since that day, man has found himself in the midst of a difficult battle. Tricked by the enemy into thinking that everything is a choice between good and evil, we are constantly tossed to and fro on the raging seas of choosing between what is right and what is wrong.
Who then becomes the final arbiter for these things?
God is the Ultimate Righteous Judge. But one problem with the fall of man is that nearly everyone has assumed the role of judge.
Every man does what is right in his own eyes.
Throughout the ages, history reveals that man is on a downward spiral leading to his ultimate destruction.
For this reason, and in His mercy, God steps in to send a Redeemer. Jesus has come to open the door to life again, and to undo the works of the enemy.
Jesus paved the way for us to make choices that will save us from eternal death.
To anyone who chooses to to abide under the finished work of Jesus on the Cross, death is a defeated foe.
The enemy has instilled into us the mindset that the choice is always between good and evil.
God, on the other hand, always invites us to choose between life and death.
Moses makes this clear in his amazing sermon to the Israelites before his death:
Daily we are being invited by God to make wise and intelligent choices... choices that will lead to life, and not to death.
We are free to choose our eternal destiny, the most important choice we will ever make.
Choose life that you... may live!
But many other choices confront us each day. And we need to pray for God to give us wisdom and enlightenment to make choices that lead to life!
Each day we face the choice to walk in obedience... in joy... in faith... in hope... in kindness... and in truth.
We need to choose our words... the way we spend our money... and our time.
To pray... or not to pray.
To forgive... or to become bitter and resentful.
To believe in the Lordship of Jesus... or to reject His offer of eternal life.
Choices are ever before us.
Choices are the hinges on which our destiny turns.
Prime Minister Netanyahu rightly says that the hinge of history is turning.
And each one of us has a role to play... a choice to make.
We are definitely living in the last days. No one knows the day and the hour when the end will come... but Jesus teaches us how to discern.
Learn your lesson from the fig tree, Jesus tells us:
The prophet Joel writes about the multitudes in the valley of decision... the coming day when the nations of the world will be judged according to the way they treated the nation of Israel.
Will we stand with Israel in this difficult hour?
The choice is between life, and death.
The choice is ours to make.
Watch: Prime Minister Netanyahu's landmark speech before US congress during which he received 29 rounds of applause, 26 of which were standing ovations.
Transcript and Video: Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech before US Congress joint meeting on May 24, 2011
Read: Mike Evans Jerusalem Prayer Team article: Fate of Israel Up For Grabs
Read: Israelis slam Obama's dangerous peace policies (Israel Today Magazine)
Read: Conservative News and Views: Obama Israel Speech Fuels Rage
Read: Is the President God's Instrument of Judgment on America?
Adam and Eve were free to eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, including the Tree of Life. Only one tree was forbidden, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Nevertheless they were free to choose.
They chose to eat from the forbidden tree, however, they didn't understand the implications of their choice.
With their choice, death entered the world.
They could have chosen God... they chose self.
They were free to choose life... but they chose death.
No, they didn't understand the consequences of their choice.
Ever since that day, man has found himself in the midst of a difficult battle. Tricked by the enemy into thinking that everything is a choice between good and evil, we are constantly tossed to and fro on the raging seas of choosing between what is right and what is wrong.
Who then becomes the final arbiter for these things?
God is the Ultimate Righteous Judge. But one problem with the fall of man is that nearly everyone has assumed the role of judge.
Every man does what is right in his own eyes.
Throughout the ages, history reveals that man is on a downward spiral leading to his ultimate destruction.
For this reason, and in His mercy, God steps in to send a Redeemer. Jesus has come to open the door to life again, and to undo the works of the enemy.
Jesus paved the way for us to make choices that will save us from eternal death.
To anyone who chooses to to abide under the finished work of Jesus on the Cross, death is a defeated foe.
The enemy has instilled into us the mindset that the choice is always between good and evil.
God, on the other hand, always invites us to choose between life and death.
Moses makes this clear in his amazing sermon to the Israelites before his death:
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you,
that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing;
therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
that you may love the Lord your God,
that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him,
for He is your life and the length of your days;
and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers,
to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.
- Deuteronomy 30: 19, 20
that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing;
therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
that you may love the Lord your God,
that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him,
for He is your life and the length of your days;
and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers,
to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.
Daily we are being invited by God to make wise and intelligent choices... choices that will lead to life, and not to death.
We are free to choose our eternal destiny, the most important choice we will ever make.
Choose life that you... may live!
But many other choices confront us each day. And we need to pray for God to give us wisdom and enlightenment to make choices that lead to life!
Each day we face the choice to walk in obedience... in joy... in faith... in hope... in kindness... and in truth.
We need to choose our words... the way we spend our money... and our time.
To pray... or not to pray.
To forgive... or to become bitter and resentful.
To believe in the Lordship of Jesus... or to reject His offer of eternal life.
Choices are ever before us.
Choices are the hinges on which our destiny turns.
Prime Minister Netanyahu rightly says that the hinge of history is turning.
And each one of us has a role to play... a choice to make.
We are definitely living in the last days. No one knows the day and the hour when the end will come... but Jesus teaches us how to discern.
Learn your lesson from the fig tree, Jesus tells us:
Now learn this parable from the fig tree:
When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves,
you know that summer is near.
So you also, when you see all these things,
know that it is near—at the doors!
When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves,
you know that summer is near.
So you also, when you see all these things,
know that it is near—at the doors!
- Matthew 24:32, 33
"It" in the passage quoted above refers to the day of the Lord... the day of His return... the end of the world.
Israel is the fig tree that we are to learn our lesson from.
"It" in the passage quoted above refers to the day of the Lord... the day of His return... the end of the world.
Israel is the fig tree that we are to learn our lesson from.
The prophet Joel writes about the multitudes in the valley of decision... the coming day when the nations of the world will be judged according to the way they treated the nation of Israel.
I will gather all nations
and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
There I will put them on trial
for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel,
because they scattered my people among the nations
and divided up my land.
- J0el 3:2
Read Joel 3
and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
There I will put them on trial
for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel,
because they scattered my people among the nations
and divided up my land.
- J0el 3:2
Read Joel 3
Will we stand with Israel in this difficult hour?
The choice is between life, and death.
The choice is ours to make.
Watch: Prime Minister Netanyahu's landmark speech before US congress during which he received 29 rounds of applause, 26 of which were standing ovations.
Transcript and Video: Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech before US Congress joint meeting on May 24, 2011
Read: Mike Evans Jerusalem Prayer Team article: Fate of Israel Up For Grabs
Read: Israelis slam Obama's dangerous peace policies (Israel Today Magazine)
Read: Conservative News and Views: Obama Israel Speech Fuels Rage
Read: Is the President God's Instrument of Judgment on America?
19 comments:
I and many others in the United States were very disturbed by President Obama's speech. First, it goes against God's desires. Second, it certainly does not bode well for us.
I stand with Israel!
Hi Lidj -
Thank you so much for this excellent piece.
I join with you and Mari in support of Israel. They are GOD'S
elect - his firstborn, so says the Word of GOD.
Exodus 4:22,23 - KJV
And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me:...
My daily prayers include Israel because salvation is of the Jews.
John 4:22 - KJV
Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
Romans 1:16 - KJV
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first,...
Hi Lidj. Thank you for a terrific essay on the times in which we live. I am ashamed of our president. And I am ashamed that our nation does not even consider what God wants us to do. We will get what we deserve.
Lidj,
Thanks for the poignant reminder that God's word is true, His character does not change, and His heart for his people does not change. For the Hebrew and for his adopted children. Would we take hope if we thought God forgot about us, who are saved in Jesus? Why would he forget His first and chosen ones? It's nice to see and hear another perspective other than an American one, and also one that states the truth of His word, no others. Thanks so much for this post!
"The enemy has instilled into us the mindset that the choice is always between good and evil.
God, on the other hand, always offers us to choose between life and death."
I've never paused long enough to think about good/evil, life/death in this way.
Very though provoking post, friend.
I stand with Israel!
peace~elaine
Dear Lidj,
I am with Israel one hundred percent.
They who do not remember history are doomed to live it over again.
Isral cannot give up Jerusalem. Jerusalem belong to the Jews according to the scripture.
(And I wonder, who does Obama think he is, interfering in a country's internal affairs this way. What if the president of the Philippines should tell where the borders of the USA should run, and how they were to deal with their many internal conflicts.
I am angry and scared. Then again I think of the prophesy; "I lay in Israel a stumble stone." I do hope my country has the sense to stay out of this madness, but I fear not.
Felisol
PS---Thank you, Lidj, for your comments on my blog. I'll say it again---You are sensational!...and such an inspiration to me.
Hi Lidj! This is such an important post and so well written. I am believing we are in the end times, too. The Bible verses were good that you shared, too.
The photo of your hibiscus after the rain was simply beautiful! Elijah is so very precious, I know you fell in love with him the instant you saw him, I should really say before he was born you were in love with him. I know words can't describe such love. You are so blessed. Thank you for being such an inspiration for others. Have a relaxing weekend with your family.
Cindy ~♥~
thanks for posting. wow!
Hi Lidj,
I agree with everyone here, this is a great post and I fear for Obama. We are to support Israel and pray for this nation.
Time is running out.
Blessings,
<><
This is such an excellent post Lidj! I agree with everything you've said. Our president, along with many others, does not understand that this is God's nation, Israel. He has always been their protector and defender. I though Netanyahu's speech was so outstanding.
Yes, I too stand with Israel.
Excellent post Lidj!
xo
Each day I am given, "I shall not die, but live and tell of the works of the Lord" -- Psalm 118:17
I choose LIFE!
Great TRUTH, Lidj. Thank you for taking the time to post this.
stay blessed
Keep standing!
Patrina <")><
I choose blessing. Wondering all this choice entails...not sure what this choice may cost. For now, praying for the peace and preservation of Israel.
I loved this post and have been thinking about it for the past two days! I don't comment much because I read your blog in my reader, but I am reading! Do you know about my new blog, www.semkee.blogspot.com? I am writing there regularly now. I wish I could meet you but am glad you are a sister in Christ! :)
Dear Lidj,
About 30 years ago the Lord opened my eyes to certain things. What you have posted here is the absolute truth. I have stood with Israel and will continue to stand with her. I was so blessed to know where your heart is on this crucial matter. Hugs
I stand with Israel and pray for the peace of Jerusalem every day. Love the black and white post here, Lidj. There is no middle ground here or compromise.
Shalom,
Mary
Amen! I stand in agreement with you and in support of Israel.
Praying...
The choice indeed is ours to make. I stand with GOD and with Israel!!
Blessings to you!
God's vision for our family was given to our head, Bim with this verse: Genesis 12:1-3, in 1993. Since then, we stand by Israel as our guard and shield.
There's a free e-book on line with great information about Israel. link here: http://www.cufi.org/site/PageServer?pagename=JoinCUFI_Israel101
Praying with you!
Yes, Lidj--we all have a choice to make. I am an American, but I would support Israel, God's chosen country, first. Our President thinking he has the power to divide Jerusalem is hubris on hiss part. God gave Israel the land. God has given it back again. What God has given, heaven help the man who tries to take it away.
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