“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! ‘May they be secure who love you!Peace be within your walls and security within your towers’!” (Psalm 122:6-7). Our hearts are broken as we have watched Hamas terrorists bring death and destruction to southern Israel. The brutality of their actions is nothing short of evil, and Israel now must defend itself against their wicked enemies. As Bible-believing Christians, we unequivocally stand with Israel, and we offer our prayers and support to them.
As you know the timing of this war also came amidst our church’s scheduled plans to send two groups to the Middle East. We had a mission trip scheduled to leave for Egypt last Sunday afternoon, and we had another group planning to leave for Israel on November 5th. We have now cancelled both trips out of safety precautions. We will continue to support our ministry partners in the Middle East, and I look forward to seeing ABC return to both Egypt and Israel in due time.
For now, I encourage you to pray. As an American, I thank God for Israel. They stand out in the Middle East as an ally that shares our western values. However, as a Christian, I thank God for Israel even more. The Word of God and the Son of God both came through Israel. God used Israel to open up the door of salvation for the entire world. And we know God still has special plans for Israel, so I pray that America will remember God’s promise: “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).
Don’t forget that we are going to light up our neighborhoods this Sunday after church with some bag drops. Pray over the names on your “go” card, and I hope you take some time to invite them to I Love My Church Sunday on October 22nd. Have a great week, and I’ll see you at 8:45am or 11:15am.
Onward and upward,
Jonathan Spencer
www.jonathanspencer.org 