I encourage you to read the post, and comments, at Sola Dei Gloria on the subject of Christian love. The time it takes to read it will be time well spent, especially when we consider the days that we are living in.
Read post and comments here …
http://pjmiller.wordpress.com/2008/02/27/and-because-iniquity-shall-abound/
DANIEL‘S SEVENTIETH WEEK – Future or Fulfilled?
by Ralph Woodrow
Excerpt:
“… there was a definite time in the Divine plan when Jesus would die. He came to fulfill the Scriptures, and there is only one Old Testament scripture which predicted the time of his death—the prophecy which stated that Messiah would be cut off in the midst of the 70th week—at the close of three and a half years of ministry. How perfectly the prophecy was fulfilled in Christ!”
But those who say the confirming of the covenant and causing sacrifices to cease in the midst of the week refers to a future Antichrist, completely destroy this beautiful fulfillment and are at a complete loss to show where in the Old Testament the time of our Lord’s death was predicted.”
Some time ago a Christian friend asked about Zionism. At the time I couldn’t give a simple answer because I didn’t fully understand it myself. This is my attempt to give a short basic answer to that question.
“ZIONISM is an international political movement that originally supported the reestablishment of a homeland for the Jewish People in Palestine, and continues primarily as support for the modern state of Israel.” (Wikipedia)
In 1891 by the Austrian publicist Nathan Birnbaum used the word “Zionism” to describe this movement.
A ZIONIST is someone who supports the movement.
A CHRISTIAN ZIONIST is a Christian who supports the movement.
Many Christians support Zionism because they have been taught to do so in today’s church world. It is taught that God’s covenant with Abraham regarding land is to be applied to modern day political secular Israel. The teachings of Christian Zionism are based on an unscriptural interpretation of bible passages in the Old Testament such as Genesis 12:1-3.
Genesis 12:1-3 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
This often heard portion of scripture, “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee,” is taken completely out of context when applied to unbelieving Jews. In our day, the only blessing from God is upon the believer, both Jew and Gentile, who is filled with the Holy Ghost. The wrath of God is upon all unbelievers, whether they be Jew or Gentile.
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
A Christian Zionist gives unconditional support to political secular Israel, as if God’s Israel and political secular Israel are one and the same. Christian Zionists support the Jewish people, and the nation of Israel, in all they do to gain or keep land. Christian Zionism incorrectly identifies who God’s Israel really is. It’s focus is on unregenerate ethnic Israel and an earthly piece of land, instead of focusing on the fact that everything designated in the bible as “forever” is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
In supporting Christian Zionism, many Christians could inadvertently end up supporting bloodshed and injustice. We as Christians are to love all people. As believers in Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, this is one subject we want to understand correctly, because lives and eternal souls are at stake.
Yesterday at the nursing home, after greeting my father, I pulled his wheelchair away from the table where he was sitting to bring him to the lounge. I immediately noticed that he didn’t have his shoes on, and that his feet were swollen and bandaged. You could see blood through the gauge bandages. It was quite upsetting. A medical condition that he has had for several years was causing this problem with his feet. My father’s nursing home is close enough so that I can visit regularly, but not close enough to monitor his care from day to day. I’m praying, that if it be the Lord’s will, we can move him closer to us so that we can better minister to him physically and spiritually. There have been hindrances to this move in the past, and I am praying that the Lord would give a release.
The trials of growing old.
The trials of watching my father grow old.
When we settled in the lounge, my husband started playing some hymns on his guitar. There was a little girl in the room who was sitting in the lounge while her family was visiting with a relative. She enjoyed the songs, and the guitar, and asked to hear more. She liked our Son Shine large print hymn book so I gave her the extra book I had with me. The songbook contains not only hymns, but bible verses in large print. We started to talk about Jesus, and the Holy Ghost. She asked questions, and told me to wait until she went to get her cousin, also ten years old. When she came back with her cousin, she arranged the chairs so that we could all face each other. They both listened attentively as I shared the gospel with them. My husband then gave them tiny booklet bible tracts that he had with him. I told their relatives that they had children who were eager to learn. I know that certain childhood experiences can stand out in our minds for the rest of our lives. My hope is that the children will remember what happened yesterday at the nursing home, and all that they learned about Jesus and the bible.
After the children left, we took my father and went to visit a resident who is confined to his room. He and his wife are Christians, and it is really a sight to behold his joy, enthusiasm, and love for the Lord shine through this difficult time in his life. We sang, and prayed, and the nurse outside his room joined in. As I stood there I thought to myself “this is where it’s at.” This is what Christianity is all about. Sharing the love of God with those around us, and bringing his comfort to the afflicted. What more could we ask for?
I often write about my parents so I thought I’d post some photos. It was one year ago today that my mother had her second stroke. After spending a month in the hospital, she went to be witht the Lord. My father is still alive, and is 91 years old. Some, like my parents, live to reach old age. Other’s don’t. But even if we do live to be old, our lives are as a flower that falleth away, and we need to prepare for eternity.
The first photo is my mother on her wedding day, January 10th, 1947.
The second photo is of my mother, taken in November 10th, 2006, four months before her death. It was her 89th birthday. She had a joyful look upon her face even though she suffered much.
The third photo is of both my parents when they were living in the nursing home together.
The fourth photo is of my parents and I together, during one of my visits to the nursing home. It was taken in September 2006, and the cake on the tray is a birthday cake for my father’s 90th birthday.
Psalm 103:15-16 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
1 Peter 1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Isaiah 40:6-8 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
