The enemy is within the church

An Israeli pastor has issued an urgent call to prayer in the face of international attempts to delegitimise his country. He states that two of the "rising forces of academics and theologians are being fed by the marriage of two [Christian] streams".

Christians Together has received an urgent request for prayer from an Israeli-born messianic Jewish pastor asking for prayer from those evangelical Christians who recognise God's end-time purposes for the Jewish people and the land of Israel.

The writers name and other details have been removed in order to protect his identity.

The war against Israel is demonically-inspired and the Bible tells us that it will intensify as we get ever-closer to the Lord's return. It is imperative that Bible-believing Christians understand God's prophetic word and get on His side. The alternative invites disaster.

See article: 'Israel at the centre of God's purposes'.

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by Israeli Messianic pastor

International isolation
Some of you are aware of the fact that the enemy has unleashed a ferocious war against Israel, its legitimacy and existence. While this war has been going on ever since the Lord began to restore Zion in the late 1880’s, it has gained momentum and size in the world and has reached such proportions that Gabriela Shalev, Israel’s outgoing ambassador to the UN has told American journalists on Monday that, “Israel is the most isolated, lonely country in the world,” and that the biggest threat to its existence is international attempts to de-legitimize it.

The enemy is within the church
This war against Israel is being fought now within the Church by a new rising force of academics and theologians being fed by the marriage of two streams: Replacement theology and Palestinian Christian Liberation theology.

We cannot analyze these two streams in depth here, but it can be said that the erroneous belief that the Christians are the new Israel and that the Jews’ divine election has been revoked, and that Christians will inherit the Land of Israel, coupled with the perception of modern Israel as evil and illegitimate, has led to explosion of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel hatred within the Church.

In Palestinian Christian Liberation Theology, God is seen as the God of those who are oppressed; the Palestinians are viewed as the oppressed and the Jews are their oppressors. Thus, pressure must be put on Israel so the oppressed will one day be set free and enter their ‘Promised Land’, which is being denied them.

Some leaders in this movement such as former Anglican bishop of Jerusalem, Riah Abu El-Assal have gone as far as claiming that the Palestinian Christians “are the true Israel.” More and more conferences are being held in the US and in Europe and even in Israel and whole denominations are being influenced to ‘switch sides’ and come out against Israel.

What is the danger?
Evangelical Christianity is now the last bastion of Israel support in the western world. If the enemy can topple this stronghold, if he can cause prayer for Israel to cease, then the way is open for the total destruction of Israel.

The last anti-Israel conference held in Bethlehem last March has awakened the Israeli [believers] and such ministries as [name of organisation] in Jerusalem, to the gravity of the situation.
I recently received two invitations to speak. The first at [an international conference] at [a significant date in the Jewish calendar] and the second to speak at a national leaders’ meeting in the Land regarding Israel’s role and call in the last days.

[The writer goes on to advise that a group of visiting Christians are going to Bethlehem Bible College which, he says 'is a bastion of Palestinian Christian Liberation Theology' - Ed.]

Here is what we are asking you to pray for:

That the Lord will absolutely keep us in the Spirit and not let us be riled up in our soul, (these issues are so fundamental to our being that we could easily succumb to the temptation to become soulish – thus exposing ourselves to the enemy’s attacks.)
That we would be led of God in each case and that He would fill our mouth with His Word! We want the Fire of His Word to burn within us. (We are in a time of preparation for these engagements, and we need the mind of the Lord).
That the Lord would protect us and keep us - our whole family - under His blood and protection. (The spirit behind these movements is so agitated and active in the world, and we dare not even touch these things without asking for His covering, blessing and protection.)
Please remember to pray for our engagement [on certain dates], we will also give you soon the dates of the other speaking engagements.
Thank you for standing with us and for us and for all God wants to do in this His Land.

Liberation Theology grew up within the Roman Catholic Church in South America in the 1950s. It is based around the issues of human need, justice, racial oppression.

DVD of Inverness meeting
One American/Jewish leader who lives in Israel spoke recently in Inverness and gave an interview to Christians Together will attending a week-long prayer conference near Huntly.
The following is a trailer produced by Thistle Channel TV who can supply a DVD of both the Inverness meeting and the recorded interview. The Inverness meeting includes a question and answer session addressing questions posed by those present in the audience.
The DVD comes with a free CD of an earlier talk by an Israeli pastor. In it he addresses Christians in the UK on the subject of what he believes God is saying to us in 'Britain's Last Mandate'.

Sorry, your browser is unable to play this type of file. You can still download it

In the interview (below) Rev. David Torrance - a senior now-retired Church of Scotland minister gave an interview to Christians Together on his view.

Christians Together, 23/07/2010