We Are Friends of Israel

Recently, while on tour in Israel, a few of us had an opportunity to go to the Israeli Parliament - the Knesset - and express our support for the nation of Israel to a few Knesset members. There were about eight people in our delegation from various places in the world. We were all believers in Christ and had a desire to say simply that we care about Israel. "We are grafted into the Jewish tree" - as explained by Paul in Romans 11.

Israel at present is surrounded by enemies that desire to see its destruction. Millions of evangelical Christians in the U.S.A., on the other hand, are true friends of Israel. We support Israelis by our prayers, by our votes here at home, and by traveling to their country. We want Israel to be sovereign, to decide for its future by democratic means. Some Israelis anticipate the coming of the Messiah while we believe He came in Jesus Christ as prophesied in Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, Micah 5:2 and in many other Scriptures.

It is important to recognize these people and their God-ordained purpose in history. "God at various times and in various ways spoke in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken unto us by his son" (Hebrews 1:1-2). He has spoken through dreams, Mosaic Law, priesthood, kings, cities, wars, miracles and prophecies recorded in the Scriptures. We have benefited tremendously by the Jews giving us the Scriptures. These are the evidence of God's existence and the testimony of His love for us. Gentiles around the world have received Christ as their Messiah. At the Jordan River, we had a baptism and in the locker room at this site there were people from Malaysia and Nigeria. All day long tour buses crisscrossed the country with Gentiles who otherwise would embrace mythologies and vain religions. Isaiah wrote, "The people that walked in darkness have seen great light. ..." (Isa 9:2). As a result of believing in Jesus Christ, we are circumcised in our hearts and lips. We are of the "seed" which is Christ (Galatians 3). Through history, evil men have used differences for reasons of oppression, slander, and persecution. We have many reasons to embrace Israel as a friend.

In a speech last fall by Benjamin Netanyahu, in Washington, D.C., he made reference to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. On its walls are written his words that clearly express the fundamentals of Western civilization. These are rooted in the Judeo-Christian ethic. We are wedded in our hearts and minds to these people and this invaluable history. We are friends of Israel.