Posted on 04/12/2024 4:37:33 PM PDT by Roman_War_Criminal
In a prophecy written by Zechariah about 3,000 years ago, we learn, “Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples all around. Now the one in siege against Jerusalem will also be against Judah. But it will be in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who heave it up will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it” (Zechariah 12:2-3.) It is very unfortunate, but it is part of the word of God and it is guaranteed to happen, but how soon?
In a nutshell, at some point in history, the whole world (Yes, that includes the United States) will go against Jerusalem and by proxy, the Jewish people. This is a prophecy that just a few years ago would have appeared to be in the distant future, but today, it very well could be unraveling in front of our very eyes. One Bible teacher succinctly put it this way, “You’ve now reached the point where right-wing isolationists & nationalists have essentially the same anti-Zionist & anti-Semitic beliefs as left-wing neo-Marxists & Hamas supporters. Can you think of any other issue where the polarization between Left & Right has dissolved in such a way and led to a more-or-less unified position?
A perfect example of that is the recent interview that Tucker Carlson conducted with Pastor Munther Isaac of Bethlehem Bible College. Munther Isaac is a Lutheran Pastor in Bethlehem and is the academic Dean of Bethlehem Bible College. He is no friend of Israel and behind a thin veneer of Christian love and reconciliation, he promotes a one-sided agenda, throws Israel under the proverbial bus, and supports Hamas. What was Tucker thinking?
Was Tucker used by Munther Isaac without being prepared? How much does he really know about that man? That interview was a clear endorsement of Munther Isaac and the Palestinian narrative, and it was laced with lies and based on false premises. Frankly, Tucker seemed to be completely out of his lane, unprepared and unresponsive, but it could be worse, maybe he was unashamed and aware of who he was talking with. At the end of the interview, Tucker closed by saying to Munther Isaac, “that was a thoroughly decent and sensible analysis,” when in fact, it was a thoroughly biased and deceptive analysis.
Munther Isaac is also the Director of the biennial Conference “Christ at the Checkpoint,” which is a gathering of “Christians” claiming that they seek, peace, reconciliation and biblical love. This sounds really commendable at a time when the whole Middle East seems to be sitting on a powder keg with a very short fuse. Biblically speaking, anything done in the name of Yeshua and following His teaching should lead to peace and turning the other cheek. Furthermore, the leadership of CatC claims that, “The conference brings Palestinian and international Evangelical leaders, to study and explore the rise of religious extremism within Christianity, Judaism, and Islam and how this impacts the Israel/Palestine conflict. We will also explore what the Bible has to say about religious extremism in any form. Together, we will seek a Biblical response to religious extremism, and find ways that provide an alternative through living out the kingdom of God. “
On May 21-26, 2024, the seventh “Christ at the Checkpoint (CatC) Conference will take place in Bethlehem. The theme will be, “DO JUSTICE, LOVE MERCY: CHRISTIAN WITNESS IN CONTEXTS OF OPPRESSION.” From their own website, they give the world their mission, which is: “The aim of Christ at the Checkpoint is to provide an opportunity for Evangelical Christians to prayerfully seek a proper awareness of issues of peace, justice, and reconciliation. We seek to renew the biblical call for justice and mercy in contexts of oppression and compel a unified mission of the global Church.”
Their mission appears to deal with any form of extremism within Christianity, Judaism and Islam. In and of itself, this seems balanced and very informative, but the problem is that CatC conferences build every two years on the work accomplished by the previous conference(s), and as such, CatC has gained a reputation that increasingly lacks ethical stability. The first six conferences were all advertised under the banner of “reconciliation,” but at the end of the day, each one resembled more a witch hunt against Israel than a dialogue to find a healthy compromise. Unfortunately, many evangelicals are blinded by Palestinian victimhood rhetoric.
Much could be gleaned from the CatC Manifesto, for which I wrote an analysis. To be honest, as I recognized that it included some truths, half-truths and lies, all mixed, which makes it even harder to decrypt, I had to look at each of the 12 articles carefully. It is well worth reviewing. (in bold are the exact words of the manifesto as published on the CatC website.)
1. The Kingdom of God has come. Evangelicals must reclaim the prophetic role in bringing peace, justice and reconciliation in Palestine and Israel. DISAGREED: Kingdom Now Theology claims, among other things, that Yeshua’s Kingdom was inaugurated at His First Coming while Scripture states that He will reign as Messianic King on the throne of David from Jerusalem, in a yet-to-come Millennial Messianic Kingdom (Psalm 72:8, 11, 17; Isaiah 9:7, 11:6-11; Jeremiah 23:6, Zechariah 3:10
2. Reconciliation recognizes God’s image in one another. AGREED:God created man and woman in His image, regardless of ethnicity (Genesis 1:27; 5:1; 9:6; 1 Corinthians 11:7; Ephesians 4:24). However, inviting blatant anti-Israel speakers year after year defeats that purpose.
3. Racial ethnicity alone does not guarantee the benefits of the Abrahamic Covenant. DISAGREED:The benefits of the Abrahamic Covenant are multifaceted. They include God’s promises to both the Jewish people and the nations (non-Jews) through Abraham, yet the physical land is ONLY promised to the Jewish people, ethnic descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 12:1-3, 7; 13:15;17:7-8, 19; 25:5-6; 26:3; 28:3-4; 35:9-15).
4. The Church in the land of the Holy One, has born witness to Christ since the days of Pentecost. It must be empowered to continue to be light and salt in the region, if there is to be hope in the midst of conflict. AGREED:Yeshua’s last command to His disciples was to make disciples of ALL NATIONS (Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 24:47)
5. Any exclusive claim to the land of the Bible in the name of God is not in line with the teaching of Scripture. DISAGREED: The land of Israel belongs to God Himself (Leviticus 25:23). He chose to make a covenant with Abraham that would include that piece of land (Genesis 15:18-19) as an eternal AND unconditional part of that covenant. Additionally, God’s gifts are irrevocable (Romans 11:29).
6. All forms of violence must be refuted unequivocally. AGREED: Yeshua always taught peace between His followers and unbelievers as much as possible, making Christianity a unique faith in which disciples of Messiah must EVEN love their enemies (Matthew 5:39-48; Luke 6:27-35, Romans 12:17-21). Munther Isaac’s support of Hamas is a slap in the face of article 6.
7. Palestinian Christians must not lose the capacity to self-criticism if they wish to remain prophetic. AGREED: In any conflict, ALL parties must be willing to recognize fault and be prepared to adjust accordingly. (Proverbs 18:12; Ephesians 4:2; Philippians 2:3; Colossians 3:1-17.)
8. There are real injustices taking place in the Palestinian territories and the suffering of the Palestinian people can no longer be ignored. Any solution must respect the equity and rights of Israel and Palestinian communities. PARTIALLY AGREED AND DISAGREED: While mutual respect of human beings as being made in God’s image is at the core of peace and reconciliation, what is meant by “injustices in the Palestinian territories” remains to be defined. (Genesis 1:27; 5:1; 9:6; 1 Corinthians 11:7; Ephesians 4:24.) The further we advance in history, the more accepted the Palestinian narrative becomes. Unfortunately, it is not founded on historical facts but purely fabricated. Please don’t take my word for it, take the time to study the facts!
9. For Palestinian Christians, the occupation is the core issue of the conflict. PARTIALLY AGREED AND DISAGREED: While nobody enjoys living in a land that they feel is theirs and yet is occupied by a foreign people group, it remains to be proven biblically that Jewish people are the occupiers. All previous Scriptures cited about the land lead to an opposite view (See verses under points 3 and 5). Additionally, anyone claiming occupation of Gaza is ignoring that Palestinians have been given full authority of the strip since 2005, with zero Israeli occupation, and that there was a ceasefire there since 2005, which was broken by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
10. Any challenge of the injustices taking place in the Holy Land must be done in Christian love. Criticism of Israel and the occupation cannot be confused with anti-Semitism and the delegitimization of the State of Israel. AGREED: While it is possible to disagree with Israeli policies, much of what has been labeled as anti-Israelism or even anti-Zionism has really been antisemitism in disguise. Genuine Christian love is at the core of any reconciliation and is irrespective of color or race. (2 Corinthians 5:14; Ephesians 3:19; Colossians 3:14). CatC continues to invite a plethora of speakers who are very good at pointing the finger at Israel as the “occupier” and “apartheid state”, but rarely do they speak of radical Islam, terrorism and/or antisemitism.
11. Respectful dialogue between Palestinian and Messianic believers must continue. Though we may disagree on secondary matters of theology, the Gospel of Jesus and his ethical teaching take precedence. PARTIALLY AGREED AND DISAGREED: Respectful dialogue means that both sides must be heard, and both sides must listen. Agreeing on the Gospel of Yeshua doesn’t negate God’s covenants with the Jewish people (Romans 1:16; 9-11.) Even the 2016 “Larnaca Document” signed in Cyprus between Palestinian Christians and Messianic believers sounds more like a trap than a true breakthrough. For instance, in their article 2.2, both parties agree to disagree on what constitutes lethal violence. Seriously? So, Israel’s counter-terrorism actions against Hamas should be seen as one version of “lethal violence” on equal footing with Hamas’s bloody terrorism?
12. Christians must understand the global context for the rise of extremist Islam. We challenge stereotyping of all faith forms that betray God’s commandment to love our neighbors and enemies. AGREED: While again I find the statement misleading as it could be taken to mean that there is a justification for radical Islam’s violence, I agree that Christian love is always the foundation of any lasting peace and reconciliation (See verses under points 6).
So, forgive me for not getting too hopeful about the seventh iteration of “Christ at the Checkpoint.” I think that it has progressively gotten worse. How can we possibly speak of Christian love, justice and in the same breath praise Hamas for October 7., 2023. This conference, led by Munther Isaac is based on their manifesto, and this is what Tucker Carlson–knowingly or not–promoted during his interview.
Shame on you Tucker Carlson for promoting a Hamas sympathizer as a Middle East peacemaker! If you wanted to conduct an interview of biblical proportions, you were successful in that you got us all a bit closer to the fulfillment of Zechariah 12.
Carlson and this "Palestinian Pastor" fraud Isaac are erring massively with their propaganda. It won't go well for those who stumble upon the burdensome stone of Jerusalem.
Its been quite a week folks inside Israeli the Haredim the most Orthodox of Jews in the thousands protested being drafted into Israel’s army...
https://israelnationalnews.com/news/388330
Tucker was used by the “Palestinian Pastor” and now he’s been cast in a negative light, and in this case, rightfully so. He’s definitely been knocked down several notches in my view. We need to be more careful about what he broadcasts.
If it’s the group I’m thinking of, they prefer spending all their time studying the Torah and are on public support in Israel.
He’s always been a bit quaky on Israel - always.
This to me was the last straw.
The “Palestinian Pastor” is a heretic worthy of nothing more than condemnation. He even calls Jesus a “Palestinian” - are you serious?
More proof that God is separating everybody and that burdensome stone of Jerusalem is doing a fine job of weeding out those who wish to come against Him.
This group shocks many Conservatives because they believe G-d wants them on the Dole.
One such faction in New York State endorsed Hillary Clinton for US Senate enraging people in this forum but the harsh reality is that if they are given welfare benefits they will do that.
As for drafting them in Israel Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to go slow but the Leftist High Court and Attorney General forced the issue leading to these protests.
Oh please
I was amazed at how well our group was received by them, and equally amazed at how much they hated Israel.
I was amazed at how well our group was received by them, and equally amazed at how much they hated Israel.
Christians tolerate and parse an enormous amount of hostility and vanguard action from the left by leftist Jews
Why don’t you lecture us and then on that?
Instead of ascribing those of us opposed to a Middle East ground war with my son fighting it as anti semites?
Be careful what you wish for because God is WAY ahead of you.
I’m not surprised by your story.
Sounds like what I have heard from others who have visited Bethlehem and Hebron.
Genesis 12:3 is a hard pill to swallow.
“Thruzusan
trnhourruh
§กายายนกร
CHANCELLERY
ARMENIAN PATRIARCHATE OF
JERUSALEM
SEPAULTIN
ontuuluu：
Date:
3 April, 2024
Communique
Today, on April 3rd, 2024 around 11 o’clock, an unlawful eviction was initiated by Israeli Police on the grounds of the Cow’s Garden located within the premises of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The eviction began with the destruction of Armenian Patriarchate property, and assaults on clergy and indigenous Armenians.
The officer leading the eviction was Assaf Harel.
The group of officers were asked to present permits for the eviction, the destruction of property, and physical removal of priests and indigenous Armenians from the premises.
Permits or court orders were NOT presented and they continued to protect and assist the representatives of Xana Gardens in their destruction of property.
During attempts to stop the unlawful activity, several members of the police continued to state that they have come with permits without ever presenting them.
We were met with a continued response “We are here to defend the rights of the workers of Xana Gardens.”
The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem is one of the Custodians of the Holy Land and overseers of one of the four Quarters of Jerusalem. We fully expect the due process that is purportedly granted to all within Jerusalem and demand answers from the Israeli Police and the Israeli Government for their participation in today’s events.
It is clear that today’s provocations are an attempt to set a precedent against the Armenian Quarter and its lawful lands. We will continue to stand our ground and ask for Christians worldwide to spotlight these never-ending encroachments on the peaceful Armenian Christian community.
Tann.
DIVAN OF THE ARMENIAN PATRIARCHATE”
This is ongoing. Israel is cleansing all Christians from areas under their control. It’s despicable.
Good grief!
Your projection is way beyond what some woke racist lib would even say to a White Hetro Male.
Go look for a fight somewhere else old man.
Says who? You?
LOL!
They’ll be imprisoning about 5% of their population who are Ethnic Jews as well.
Nobody said it was easy to follow Christ.
Go elsewhere to show off your Jew-Hatred.
Jonathan Greenblatt, is that you?
I keep warning ⚠️⚠️⚠️ a friend of mine
That Old Serpent called the Devil and Satan WILL deceive most of the world 🌏🌎🌍 into going to war against Israel.
It will be the last mistake they ever make.
For eternity.
(I was amazed at how well our group was received by them, and equally amazed at how much they hated Israel.)
Yep. Not surprised.
What a raging anti Christian! I see where you get your name. It must be part of your anti Christian fantasy. I assume you celebrate the crucifixion of Christ and wish you could have been one of the Roman War Criminals involved. You’re as bad as any church burning Muslim. What despicable scum. Thank goodness, you’re not filthying up the Christian Faith by your presence in it.
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