(This is a note I sent out to the people going with TCRG to the Holy Land in February, 2018, in light of the announcement by President Trump the US Embassy would be moving to Jerusalem):
But now I have chosen Jerusalem for my Name to be there…II Chronicles 6:6
I wanted to jot down a few thoughts about the remarkable events of this past week. An American President who would finally say that our American Embassy is going to relocate to Jerusalem, Israel, from Tel Aviv acknowledging the belief that Jerusalem is the recognized capital city of the people of Israel—is of “Biblical” significance. Jerusalem is significant for so many reasons. The very basic reason is because God names it as the “Holy City.” There are many ways to look at the thought of Jerusalem in Scripture. There are two things that are shared by both the Jew and Christian (Judeo-Christian) value: 1. It was the place Abraham brought Isaac to be sacrificed. 2. It is the place the Messiah will make His Throne. (The variation on number between the Jew and Christian is the Christian believes the “coming Messiah” constitutes the “Second Coming of Christ.”) The Second Coming of Christ where He will split open the Eastern Gate of the Old City (closed up by Muslim Conqueror Salideen who did so because he had heard the legend of a Hebrew King coming through it. Ha!)
A study of Scripture reveals how special Jerusalem is to God. It is a special moment in American history when an American President has acknowledged that Jerusalem is a special place to America.
The “Abrahamic Covenant” is something we learn from and lean on. God said to Abraham—“I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you.” The Hebrews are a family. God chose them to show the world how He (God) could interconnect with us through the family relationship.
Jerusalem is the center of many of the End Times prophecies from the Book of Revelation.
I find myself so excited about what is happening that I wrote about four pages (that I just deleted)! I want to let you know that these are exciting times we live. As far as our February 2018 Tour there are few things Marceil and I wanted you to keep in mind:
First—the news from Israel is always sensationalized. We have been on the streets of Jerusalem when news stories broke, and things just didn’t happen the way it was reported. The news of certain riots, days of rage, protests etc. are occurring in isolated areas.
Second—instead of being nervous, be excitedly prayerful! Continue to pray daily for our trip.
Third—the company we use for our tours is IGT. They are the largest Tour Company in Israel. They are a Jewish Company. They are on top of the latest security issues and safety concerns. We always stay current on what is happening even during the tour and adjust accordingly. The reason we state in all of our itineraries “the Tour Guide” has the final say on any adjustments to the tour itinerary, is for times like right now. If Hamas are staging protests in Bethlehem today, we likely wouldn’t be going into Bethlehem, but somewhere else instead.
Fourth—we should always pray for “the peace of Jerusalem.” However, remember that is a deep abiding spiritual peace, not some kind of political propaganda for the sake of keeping the Palestinians happy. God told Haqar (Ishmael’s mother) to “go back and submit to Sarah.” I write about this in my book, “Stay in Your Lane.” God’s will is for the Palestinians to submit to the Hebrews. They are far from that—so we need to continually pray for God’s will to be done.
The Christian Resource Group 