Anti-Jewish/Israel in the Media and Beyond

On February 1, Holocaust survivor and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel was attacked in a hotel elevator by a Holocaust denier. Most of the world was appalled by such a violent action made against a 70+ year-old man, especially a man who had endured so much in Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and beyond. However, on the world wide web one finds the self-proclaimed writings of the alleged attacker.

He is proud of himself. Tzedakah Ministries will not personally direct you to his article but the hatred of his words were beyond vile.

Though this kind of hatred is appalling, one would not be surprised to find it on Neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic websites. Unfortunately, anti-Jewish rhetoric also can be read in major magazines and national newspapers. Those who espouse anti-Jewish and anti-Israel opinions are often major players in the religious and political stage. One particular minister blames Israel almost totally for the Middle East crisis (USA Today, February 11, 2007). A major political writer promotes the view that the current crisis involving Iran can be laid completely at the feet of Israel. In fact, this same writer (Human Events, January 9, 2007), proposes that Israel is trying to draw the world into a war with Iran. A war that he claims would only benefit the modern state of Israel.

Tzedakah Ministries disagrees with the opinions of both writers. Israel is not to blame for all the problems in the Middle East. Almost a third of all Israeli youths anticipate a second Holocaust (http://www.jnewswire.com/article/1907), so why would they push for a war with Iran?

So what is our task as believers in Jesus and supporters of the Jewish people? Pray for the Jewish people. Defend them from media attacks that are both wrong and anti-Jewish. Stand strong and let the Jewish people (in Israel and around the world) know that they are not alone. But most of all, share the Gospel with the Jewish people as this is the news that they most need to hear and read.

What Are Our Options?

A day or week cannot go by without a declaration coming from the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, concerning Iran's determination to secure nuclear weapons or their desire to destroy the modern State of Israel. The recent capture and parade of the British soldiers on television prove the point that Ahmadinejad does not seem to care about world opinion. He seems to only care about power, Islamic domination, and the destruction of God's Chosen People.

If the Iranian president cannot destroy the physical state of Israel, he often resorts to denigrating the memory and the horror of the Holocaust by denying the death of six million Jewish souls. In fact, a conference in Tehran last fall was dedicated to downplaying the horrors of the Holocaust, all in the name of historical revisionism.

Do you think that perhaps these last two paragraphs are an exaggeration of the issue? If you doubt the veracity of this position, please go to www.tzedakahministries.org/CurrentNews.htm and read the numerous articles about the Iranian president and his virulent hatred for Israel and the Jewish people. And please note that only a few of the hundreds of articles are listed as there is just not enough space on the website to list them all.

But before we become overwhelmed by the news reports and the growing influence of radical Islam, we must ask ourselves what are the options that Christians have in regards to the Iranian crisis and the clear and present danger that Israel faces in April 2007 and beyond?
First, we must acknowledge and confront the problem. To ignore the Iranian crisis will not make it go away or lessen its impact. Second, we must stand strong in our support for Israel and the Jewish people living in the Holy Land. Please note that Tzedakah Ministries is not advocating an unexamined form of Christian Zionism. The Israeli government can and often does make mistakes and these errors should be recognized. However, this crisis requires concern for and support of Israel.

Third, and most important, we must pray for both the nation of Israel and the Iranian people. Obviously, the Israelis are in desperate need of prayer. Many are frightened and are waiting for a nuclear attack. The time is right for a Christian witness in the midst of this crisis. Let's pray for the missionaries living in Israel who are on the "front lines" of evangelism.
However, we must also pray for the Iranians living under an oppressive regime. According to surveys, most Iranians long for freedom and another orm of leadership. They are trapped. They need the prayers of Christians worldwide.

Israelis, Iranians, and all people living in the world need Jesus. The key to solving this Iranian crisis is one of prayer and evangelism. Reactions and overreactions will not solve the crisis. Only the love and power of Messiah Jesus can solve this dangerous world problem. Only Jesus as the Sar Shalom (the prince of peace) can bring hope to the world's tribulations and heartaches.

Obviously, a final solution to the Iranian crisis and all world events will only be resolved when Jesus returns to establish His kingdom. However, we can do our part by praying for Israel. We can pray for the Iranians. We must pray for all the people involved in this crisis as prayer is our best, and perhaps only, option. Shalom. God bless.

Passover - The Missing Connection

A recent article in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette asked the question whether Christians can truly understand Passover? And now that Passover is over, the question can be asked - can or even should Christians seek to participate in the beauty and majesty of the Passover banquet? Is Passover restricted to being only a non-Messianic Jewish observance?

If you look across at the Ministry Calendar section, you can probably guess the answer that Tzedakah Ministries is going to give. Of course, Christians can and must remember the story of the Passover. It is not only the story of deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, it is also the visual reality of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

From the Matzah Tash to the significance of the four cups (especially the third cup of Redemption), Passover proclaims the reality of the sacrificial lamb - Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus himself understood this significance as He illustrated after the meal that He was the Matzah and the Cup of Redemption (read all the Gospel accounts but especially Matthew 26). In fact, Jesus declared that He would not drink of the Cup of Praise (Fourth Cup) until He drinks it with us in the kingdom.

Ultimately, Resurrection Sunday (also known as Easter) is not possible without the beauty of the Passover dinner and Passover Lamb. In order for Messiah Jesus to be our Lord, He first had to fulfill the requirements of the sacrificial lamb. He did. He is. And now we as believers in Jesus can all rejoice in both the Passover and the Resurrection.