'You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house'. Matthew 5:14-15 AMP.

Every Sunday countless people all over the world sit in church buildings with a false sense of security... they assume that their morality, lifelong church membership, or baptism will earn them a place in heaven... while many of these folks have a sincere desire to please God, they are confused about what the Christian life is all about... they think in terms of doing rather than being... So they imitate the actions of good Christians: going to a weekly service, praying, reading the Bible, and trying to be decent people.

However, salvation is not the product of our good works... we come into the world with a corrupt nature, and our wrongdoing is born of a heart turned away from the Lord... Because we are all sinful people, we sin... it's that simple... The good news is that in the salvation experience, we are given a brand-new nature (2 Cor. 5:17). Our sin is wiped away because Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself to pay the penalty we owed... from the moment we trust in Him, the Holy Spirit dwells in our heart so we can live righteously.

The world values action, but God prioritizes relationship-specifically a right relationship with Him... People who scurry about flaunting religiosity are missing out on the deeply satisfying and joyous intimacy between a believer and the heavenly Father.

We can help correct others' tragic misunderstanding by being ready to explain the reason for our hope. (See 1 Peter 3:15.) Knowing Christ is what matters... so speak of the personal relationship with Him that's possible when a person admits his or her need and trusts in the Saviour.

Do you feel genuinely loved, or is there a nagging sense of emptiness in your life that never seems to go away? For some people, the arrival of Valentine's Day brings no assurance of affection, only a reminder that something's missing. When this most basic of life's needs goes unmet, we can easily try to find substitutes to fill the void. In a search for fulfillment, some people enter into unwise or sinful relationships. Others turn to career advancement, the pursuit of success and wealth, endless shopping, or a quest for pleasure. But there is no substitute for genuine love.

As our Creator, God has placed a hunger for love in each of our hearts. But it's a longing that can never be satisfied completely by other people because every human relationship eventually brings disappointment. Only the Lord can fill our empty hearts. And because He doesn't want anyone to feel starved for love, He's made provisions for us to experience the joy and fulfillment only available in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Yet, instead of turning to Him, many people continue to live with the heartache of feeling unloved.

Perhaps you're unsatisfied in your relationships and are longing for more, but you don't really believe it's causing a problem in your life. That's because it's possible to become accustomed to the emptiness and think it's normal. But the symptoms are still there, waiting for you to open your eyes and face them.

Those who feel unloved often have trouble loving themselves. This could be due to feelings of rejection that manifest as a sense of unworthiness. Another symptom is a tendency to be jealous of others who seem to have better relationships than we do. With a focus on what's lacking in our lives, self-pity soon follows. Even when we're with others, we may feel isolated and alone. It just seems like everyone else is satisfied and fulfilled while we're lonely and empty.

The most defeating aspect of being starved for love is that it makes us unable to freely love others. That's because genuine love is a selfless commitment to another person. It flows from a heart seeking to do what is best for someone else. However, if our emotional tank is empty, we'll be on the lookout for someone to meet our needs rather than someone to love. The only solution to this cycle of self-defeat is to let God satisfy us with His love.

That's why we need to understand the characteristics of divine love. First of all, the Lord is the true source of love. The Bible says that God is love-it's His nature. This means it isn't conditioned upon our behavior or lovability (1 John 4:16). Whenever we feel unloved, the problem is our perception. The only way to live securely in God's love is to believe and abide in it. Instead of focusing on our own unworthiness, we need to count His Word as true, accept His love by faith, and filter all our experiences through this truth. The more we get to know the Lord through His Word and prayer, the more we'll abide in His love and feel it surrounding and upholding us. When people fail us, our hearts will find comfort in the guarantee of God's love for us.

Second, His love restores. God's love is not just a warm, fuzzy emotion but is expressive and active. The proof is found in Romans 5:8: 'But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.' He first shows us His love by meeting our most urgent needs-to be forgiven and then restored to fellowship with Him. Once we've entered into that relationship through Christ, He continues to demonstrate His love by restoring us in other ways too. He brings healing to our hurts and sorrows, rebuilds our sense of self-worth, calms our fears with a sense of security, and satisfies our longings until we're emotionally complete.

Third, God's love flows through us to others. The deposit of His love fills the empty places in our hearts, and like a fountain, overflows to the people around us (1 John 4:19). Instead of seeking someone to meet our needs, we'll be able to give sacrificially of ourselves to benefit others. Knowing that we are so deeply loved by God empowers us to forgive those who wrong us, be kind to those who misunderstand or misjudge us, and joyfully reach out to serve and share His love with others.

When I think about my past, I remember my struggle to believe God truly loved me. Assuming that His love was dependent upon my character and behavior, I was on an emotional rollercoaster. I can't describe what a difference it's made in my life since I settled that issue and accepted His amazing, unconditional love for me. Now He gives me an awesome sense of love for people I don't even know. The same thing can happen to you. When He plants His love in your heart, it grows and matures, satisfying your emotional hunger and filling you up to overflowing, so you can express love freely to others.

Have you ever wondered if your life has a purpose? The Word of God says it does-one that is both noble and desirable: Every believer was created by God to love and be loved... God loves you personally and individually, without limit or qualification. He desires to shower you with His affection and kindness. Let me assure you of several things:

God's love is the most important thing we can know about Him. ..

The very essence of God's being-in other words, His personality and nature-is love (1 John 4:8). It is the reason Jesus came to earth, lived a victorious life, and then died to restore man's relationship with the Father (John 3:16). The most important decision we can ever make is to receive this gift of God... The Lord's affection is absolute, unwavering, and sacrificial. Moreover, God's love is not subject to favoritism. He cares for the sinner as much as He does for the saint. In our human pride or our desire to be "somebody special," we may find that fact difficult to swallow. But God grants love to each person... The Bible tells us that the rain falls on the just and the unjust, and the sun shines on the righteous and the wicked (Matt. 5:45). This means that with or without faith in God, everyone experiences certain benefits and blessings from Him. But the person who receives Jesus as Savior is in a position to reap the blessings that accompany an outpouring of love into his or her life... The Lord's love is not based upon what we do, what we have, or what we achieve. He freely gives it to us simply because we are His creation. You cannot win or earn more of God's favor-it has nothing to do with performance. Accept and delight in that truth.

The most important response we can make is to reciprocate God's love.

John said it simply and eloquently: "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19, NKJV). And Jesus said the first and foremost commandment was this: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matt. 22:37). The only acceptable response to God's great outpouring of love toward you is to love Him back... We can choose to rebel. And while this doesn't affect God's nature, it will change us. Those who refuse to acknowledge and receive divine love cut themselves off from great blessing. Not only that, but such individuals typically yield to anger, hatred, and bitterness. To harden one's heart toward God is the supreme act of rebellion-in doing so, a person hurts himself far more than he hurts others. Humbly receiving God, on the other hand, brings good into one's life.

Satan constantly tries to convince us that if we follow Jesus, we will have to give up personal freedom, identity, and pleasure. But those who live apart from God's love inevitably discover their rebellion did not make them any freer. They may not go to jail, but they end up in emotional or psychological prisons-caught in addiction or trapped by feelings of resentment. The longer they live separated from the Lord's love and mercy, the less pleasure they find in life. In that situation, it is easy to become cynical, jaded, critical, and in the end, apathetic to nearly everything... But those who embrace and reciprocate God's love enjoy inner freedom they never imagined. They develop as individuals, discovering hidden talents and abilities. They experience true delight in God's creation and know the joy of perpetual discovery... When we choose to love and obey God, we can be sure He will guide us toward doing what will bring about the greatest fulfillment in life.

God's love is our ultimate reason to hope. ..

If we know with certainty that God loves us and desires good for our lives, what is there to fear? Hope in Christ is for everyone. It compels us not to remain in a state of dread, doubt, or worry but to seek transformation by the Holy Spirit's power. Trust encourages us to anticipate God's best and look for the dawning of a new day... Our heavenly Father is generous-even extravagant-in His love. Open your heart and let the Lord shower more of His good gifts upon you. You won't regret yielding your life to Him.

Then one of the elders said to me, 'Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.' Revelation 5:5

On this last day of the year, we look to the future and wonder, could this be the year of Christ's return? If so, you will experience for the first time what it feels like to be pure and blameless. You will see your loved one walk without a limp. You will witness the stroke-survivor walk without his cane. You will know family members and friends as God intended them to be all along, their best attributes shining brightly, and their worst traits gone with the wind. No bruises on your daughter, free from the shackles of an abusive marriage. No confused thoughts, no mental illness, no Alzheimer's disease. .

You will see what lessons the angels and demons learned about God from observing Him at work in your mother, languishing in that nursing home. You will stand amazed at how your perseverance through pain sent repercussions rumbling through the lives of people you never knew were watching. You will be awestruck to see how your endurance through hardship forced others you hardly even knew to make tough decisions about God and suffering. Oh, what a wonderful day that will be!

If you faced deep heartache and disappointment this year, take encouragement that soon the Lamb who sits on the throne - the Lion of the tribe of Judah - will triumph. Every tear will be wiped away. Let this fact encourage you for the weeks and months ahead. Commit afresh and anew to deepen your walk with Jesus Christ in the New Year, preserving for yourself "a rich inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you" (I Peter 1:4).

Lord Jesus, I look forward to the day when you will receive endless praise and honor and glory for your amazing grace. Thank you for preserving my life through this year and impart fresh grace in my heart to honor and obey you in the year ahead.

What do you consider most significant about Christmas? Many people would say visiting with relatives, attending parties, or giving and receiving gifts. For believers, however, Christmas is far more than a December holiday with time off from work. It is a personal promise from God to mankind.

The significance of this special day is embodied in two scriptural names. In the first chapter of Matthew, an angel of the Lord told Joseph that Mary, his fiancé..e, would bear a son conceived of the Holy Spirit. He instructed Joseph to name the child 'Jesus'. (v. 21). He also announced that the birth would fulfill Isaiah's prophecy: 'They shall call His name Immanuel',which translated means 'God with us' (v. 23, referring to Isaiah 7:14).

Let's examine the two names in this passage-Jesus and Immanuel. The name 'Jesus' is a transliteration of the Old Testament Hebrew word Joshua, meaning 'the Lord is salvation' When the angel said, 'You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins' (v. 21), he was pointing to the significance of that original Christmas: God provided a solution for your sin and mine, as well as for the sin of the entire world-past, present, and future.

Seven hundred years before Christ's birth, Isaiah's prophecy was a word of hope and encouragement to Judah as it faced a great crisis. The prophet's message was an indication of what God was about to do then as well as what would ultimately be fulfilled in the Messiah's advent. Immanuel, a name full of promise, was God's way of assuring the Old Testament saints that He was with them. Taken together, these two names encompass what we need for our entire life: Jesus, the pardoner of our sins, and Immanuel, the divine presence within us to help and guide every moment of every day. The names and the promises in them are the foundation for every facet of Christian life.

So how did God engineer that first Christmas to fulfill the promises of Jesus and Immanuel? His method was the incarnation. On the night Christ was born, the eternal God-motivated by love-entered the human family. He was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit and physically born of a virgin. Jesus never ceased to be God, and He remained perfectly sinless in His being.

If the incarnation hadn't taken place exactly as it did, then we would still be living in our sin. According to Scripture, the punishment for sin is death (Rom. 6:23). The Bible also says that God rejects any imperfect sacrifice (Deut. 17:1). Jesus, because of His absolute sinlessness, is the only one who could save us by offering Himself as a payment for our sin debt.

Apart from the birth of God in human flesh, every one of us would have to stand before God with all of our sin resting upon us, and our sins would separate us from Him (Isa. 59:2). So the incarnation is the promise of Jesus-the Lord is salvation-for every person in the world.

But that was not the full extent of God's awesome plan. He also promised us His presence, which was fulfilled in the birth of Immanuel. Jesus was 'God with us', the incarnate Deity, who physically lived and walked among men to show us what the heavenly Father is like.

Before His crucifixion, Jesus encouraged His disciples with the promise of God's indwelling presence. Christ said that when He went away, He would ask the Father to send the Spirit of truth, who 'abides with you and will be in you' to teach, remind, comfort, and guide every step of the way (John 14:17, 26).

Far better than God simply being 'with me' is God within me, for me, and through me! And that is His promise to every generation of believers-the incomparable, supernatural, immeasurable God will take up residence inside us and be everything we need. Once He lives within you, there will never be a time you have to walk without Him (Heb. 13:5).

In light of the wonderful promise of God's redemption and presence, believers should be confident and courageous. We don't have a single need He can't satisfy. How can we worry when the sovereign, almighty God is with us?

So this year, as you gather on Christmas morning, I encourage you and your family to kneel and give thanks to almighty God. The incarnation is the very essence of Christmas. There's nothing wrong with the gifts or festivities, as long as they don't crowd out what belongs in first place: Christmas is about God breaking into humanity, shattering time, and becoming life and hope and help to all mankind.

God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NKJV)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. (Revelation 5:11)

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians1:18)

For as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. (Philippians 3:18)

May the love of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ bring you hope, courage, peace and joy this Easter Brother's and Sister's of myCBN, in Jesus' name Amen.

HE HAS RISEN! HE IS ALIVE!

Wait--Why He Wants Me To Wait ? .

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried:

Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.

I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,

... And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait".

"Wait? You say, wait! " my indignant reply.

"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!

Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?

By Faith, I have asked, and am claiming your Word.

My future and all to which I can relate

hangs in the balance, and YOU tell me to WAIT?

I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign,

or even a 'no' to which I can resign. .

And Lord, You promised that if we believe

we need but to ask, and we shall receive.

And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:

I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate

As my Master replied once again, "You must wait."

So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut

and grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting.... for what?"

He seemed, then, to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine,

And he tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.

I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.

I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.

All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.

You would have what you want

But, you wouldn't know Me.

You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint.

You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.

You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair.

You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.

You'd not know the joy of resting in Me

When darkness and silence were all you could see.

You'd never experience that fullness of love

As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove.

You'd know that I give and I save.... (for a start),

But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

The glow of My comfort late into the night,

The faith that I give when you walk without sight,

The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked

Of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST.

You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,

What it means that "My grace is sufficient for Thee."

Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come true,

But, Oh, the Loss! If I lost what I'm doing in you!

So, be silent, My Child, and in time you will see

That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.

And though oft' may My answers seem terribly late,

My most precious answer of all is still, "WAIT."

Author Unknown.

"And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him." (Isaiah 30:18)

"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." (Psalm 27:13-14)

God's Word brings us a comforting promise, along with an insightful command as we face a new year: "Let your conversation be without covetousness. and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man shall do unto me" (Hebrews 13:5-6).

We can live this coming year without fear if we apply these four incredibly wonderful truths to our lives and root them deep into our hearts.

The Contentment of His Provision

Contentment is not getting what you want, but it is wanting what you already have. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 says, "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us therewith be content." If you know Jesus Christ, you have contentment. If you've got clothes on your back, something to eat, and Jesus Christ in your heart, you're rich!

Do you know why we have fear? Because we think our needs or the needs of someone we love are not going to be met. Or we fear that the things we think are meeting our needs are going to be taken away from us. The deepest need of your heart can only be met in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Companionship of His Presence

I don't know what I'm going to face next year. But there's one thing I know, He will never leave me. Are you a child of God? He will never leave you either. Isn't that wonderful!

What's another reason we may fear in the coming year? Because we're afraid we're going to have to face something we don't understand, and we're going to have to face it alone.

When God's Word promises that God will never forsake you, it literally means that He will never abandon you. He will not give up on you. We need to practice the presence of the Lord this coming year. When the devil comes and knocks at you heart's door, you can simply say, "Jesus, please go answer the door."

The Confidence of His Promise

We're going to zero in on a little phrase in our verses in Hebrews, "He hath said." A promise is no better than the one who makes it. Who says, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee"? It is the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God. This is the confidence of His promise.

In the coming year, when you say, "God, I just don't have the strength." The omnipotent God will answer, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." When you say, "God, I'm afraid of what is going to happen." The omnipresent God says, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." And when you say, "God, I don't know what to do." The omniscient God will respond, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." He himself hath said it.

The Comfort of His Protection

Hebrews 13:6 promises, "So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Now, put that with verse 5, which says, "He hath said."

Like I said earlier, I don't know what you're going to go through this coming year. But I know you can boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, so I will not fear what man shall do to me." When you find your contentment, companionship, and confidence in Jesus. Then, you'll find your comfort and courage in Jesus.

I believe this will Bless someone today, it is quite long but worth it, Be Blessed!

In September 1960, I woke up one morning with six hungry babies and just 75 cents in my pocket. Their Father was gone. The boys ranged from three months to seven years. their sister was two. Their Dad had never been much more than a presence they feared. Whenever they heard his tyres crunch on the gravel driveway they would scramble to hide under their beds. He did manage to leave $15 a week to buy groceries. Now that He had decided to leave there would be no more beatings, but no food either.

If there was a welfare system in effect in southern Indiana at that time, I certainly knew nothing about it. I scrubbed the kids until they looked brand new and then put on my best home-made dress. I loaded them into the rusty old car and drove off to find a job. The seven of us went to every factory, store and restaurant in our small town. Nothing. The kids stayed crammed into the car and tried to be quiet while I tried to convince whoever would listen that I was willing to learn or do anything. I had to have a job. Still nothing.

The last place we went to, just a few miles out of town, was an old drive-in that had been converted into a truck stop. It was called the Big Wheel. An old lady named Granny owned the place, and she peeked out of the window from time to time at all those kids. She needed someone on the graveyard shift, eleven at night until seven in the morning. She paid 65 cents an hour and I could start that night. I raced home and called the teenager down the street who babysat for people. I bargained with her to come and sleep on my sofa for a dollar a night. She could arrive with her pyjamas on and the kids would already be asleep. This seemed like a good arrangement for her, so we made a deal.

That night when the little ones and I knelt to say our Prayers we all thanked God for finding Mummy a job. And so I started at the Big Wheel.

When I got home in the mornings I woke the babysitter up and sent her home with one dollar of my tip money-fully half of what I averaged every night. As the weeks went by, heating bills added a strain to my meagre wage. The tyres on the old car had the consistency of penny balloons and began to leak. I had to fill them with air on the way to work and again every morning before I could go home.

One bleak autumn morning, I dragged myself to the car to go home and found four tyres on the back seat. New tyres! There was no note, no anything, just those beautiful brand new tyres. Had angels taken up residence in Indiana, I wondered.

I made a deal with the local service station. In exchange for his mounting the new tyres, I would clean up his office. I remember it took me a lot longer to scrub his floor than it did for him to do the tyres.

I was now working six nights instead of five and it still wasn't enough. Christmas was coming and I knew there would be no money left for the kids. I found a can of red paint and started repairing and painting some old toys. Then I hid them in the basement so there would be something for Christmas morning.

Clothes were a worry too. I was sewing patches on top of patches on the boy's trousers, and soon they would be too far gone to repair.

On Christmas Eve the usual customers were drinking coffee in the Big Wheel. These were the truckers, Les, Frank and Jim, and a state trooper named Joe. A few musicians were hanging around after a gig at the Legion and dropping nickels into the pinball machine. The regulars all just sat around and talked until the wee hours of this morning, and then left to get home before the sun came up.

When it was time for me to go home at seven o'clock on Christmas morning, I hurried to the car. I was hoping the kids wouldn't wake up before I had managed to get home, get the presents from the basement and place them under the tree. (We had cut down a small cedar tree by the side of the road down by the dump.)

It was still dark and I couldn't see much, but there appeared to be some dark shadows in the car - or was that just a trick of the light ? Something certainly looked different, but it was hard to tell what.

When I reached the car I peered through warily through one of the side windows. Then my jaw dropped in amazement. My old battered car was filled to the top with boxes of all shapes and sizes. I quickly opened the driver's door, scrambled inside and knelt in the front facing the back seat.

Reaching back, I pulled off the lid of the top box. Inside was whole case of little blue jeans, sizes 2-10! I looked inside another box: it was full of shirts to go with the jeans. Then I peeked inside some of the other boxes: there were sweets and nuts and bananas and bags of groceries. There was an enourmous ham for baking, canned vegetables and potatoes. There was pudding and jelly and biscuits, pie filling and flour. There was a whole bag of laundry supplies and cleaning items. And there were five toy trucks and one beautiful doll.

As I drove back through empty streets while the sun slowly rose on the most amazing Christmas Day of my life, I was sobbing with gratitude. And I will never forget the joy on the faces of my little ones that precious morning.

Yes, there were angels in Indiana that long-ago December. And they all hung out at the Big Wheel truck stop.

President Trump has made his announcement. The US recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The Palestinians rage. Hamas threatened a new Intifada. The nations of the world join in their condemnation of the announcement. What are we to make of it?

We declare that Jerusalem is God's eternal city. God has decreed it to be a united city and under the control of the Jewish people. That is not a political statement. It is a spiritual statement! The nations of the world may have other ideas but they will discover at their peril the folly of seeking to go against the will of God.

To understand what is going on, we need to remind ourselves of some of our history. As World War II came to an end in 1945, the British ruled the area of land occupied by the Jewish people today. With the end of World War II, the Jews wanted to move into what they saw as their own homeland. On the other hand, the Arabs didn't see why Jews, who were still the minority in Palestine at that time, should be given their own land. The British didn't know what to do!

NEW STATE OF ISRAEL

On the 29th of November 1947, the United Nations General Assembly voted in favour of a plan dividing the land ruled by the British into two independent states, one Jewish and the other Arab, with Jerusalem having International status under the administration of the United Nations. It was agreed the British mandate to rule Palestine would finish on the 15th May 1948, and all British troops would be out of the region by 1st August 1948. The Jews accepted the plan. The Palestinian Arabs and surrounding Arab states rejected it.

The day before the British withdrawal, the Jews proclaimed the new State of Israel. After nineteen hundred years, Israel was reborn as a nation. The Arab nations responded by sending in forty thousand troops. The new Israel State was attacked on four fronts by five Arab armies. The fighting was fierce but gradually, the new State of Israel got the upper hand, and the Arab states were forced to begin peace talks. In 1949, peace agreements were signed with each of the attacking Arab nation. Israel had won, but none of the Arab nations was prepared to recognize the right of the State of Israel to exist.

A DIVIDED CITY

Jerusalem remained a divided city. Western Jerusalem was in the hands of the Jews. East Jerusalem, including much of the Old City, the Temple Mount and the Jewish Wailing Wall, was in the hands of the Jordanians. This didn't stop the new Israel government declaring on the 23rd January 1950, Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The bitterness felt by the Arab states, at having been defeated by the fledging state of Israel smouldered beneath the surface. That resentment came to a head in 1967. In the May, President Nasser of Egypt, mobilized a hundred thousand of his troops, and a thousand tanks, and placed them on high alert in the Sinai desert within striking distance of the Israeli borders. On the 26th May, President Nasser publicly declared that he intended to destroy Israel. Other Arab States expressed delight at the thought of Israel being destroyed and indicated they would give military support to his action.

BEST FORM OF DEFENSE IS ATTACK

Israel decided the best form of defence was attack! Early in the morning of the 5th June 1967, Israeli aircraft attacked Egyptian airfields, and destroyed most of Egypt's planes. At the end of the day, Israel had air supremacy over all her attacking neighbours. Although fighting continued for a further 5 days, the war was effectively over. Israel had won. Of greatest significance to the Jewish people, and in fulfilment of biblical prophecy, the Israel army, on the 7th June took control of the Arab East Jerusalem, including the Old City, the Temple Mount, the Wailing Wall and other historical sites. For the first time in 2,000 years, all of Jerusalem was now in the hands of the Jewish people. For us, as gentiles, it is impossible to understand the sense of awe, wonder, and sheer emotion that the Jewish people felt at again being in control of their Holy City, and having access to their Holy sites.

There can be no doubting the significance and importance of the City of Jerusalem to the Jewish people.

WHO DOES JERUSALEM BELONG TO?

Each major world religion claims the city of Jerusalem as its own. Jerusalem has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times and captured and recaptured 44 times. Jerusalem is God's eternal city. It is to be a united city and under the control of the Jewish people. That is not a political statement. It is a spiritual statement! The nations of the world may have other ideas but they will discover at their peril the folly of seeking to go against the will of God.

On the 30th July 1980, the Israel Knesset passed its Jerusalem Law, which declared Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Jerusalem. There was an angry response from the world! The UN Security Council passed Resolution 478 declaring that Israel's new law was null and void, and a violation of international law, and numerous resolutions by the UN General Assembly. They called on all member states to withdraw their diplomatic missions from the city.

With a few weeks, the 13 countries who had embassies in Jerusalem, had moved their embassies to Tel Aviv. Israel remained defiant declaring the resolution will not undermine the status of Jerusalem as the capital of a sovereign Israel and as a united city which will never again be torn apart.

In 1995, the US Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act. The new law required that Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel. and the United States Embassy in Israel should be established in Jerusalem no later than May 31, 1999. The legislation, which notes that each sovereign nation, under international law and custom, may designate its own capital, acknowledged that Jerusalem had served as Israel&.rsquo.s capital since 1950 The law asserted that Jerusalem should remain an undivided city.

However, every American President since that time - Bill Clinton, George W Bush and Barak Obama - have opted to waive that order for six-month periods, at a time. The Presidents have cited national security as their excuse for not doing so. The national security they were referring to was the threat of what the Arabs would do if any embassy moved back to Jerusalem. Until now Governments of the world have buckled at the threat from the Arab world and done nothing. Now President Trump has made his announcement that the US recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital. He clearly fears God more than he fears man!

Whatever the nations do, don't despair. Remember God is in control. The final book of the Bible, Revelation, has already been written. As Christians we know that one day soon Christ will return, and that when He comes, it will be to Jerusalem. Until then, we are called to be watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem.

I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem, They shall never hold their peace day or night.

You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent,

And give Him no rest until He establishes

And till he makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

Isaiah 62.6-7

Naming Jerusalem the Capital of Israel Facts:

Historical Significance:

The history of Israel dates back to Genesis and the story of Abram who would become Abraham

Abraham was promised a land by God (the promised land) and that land was Canaan and would later become Israel (Genesis 12- fulfilled when descendant Joshua takes the land in Joshua 6 when the walls come down)

David declared Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel (City of David- II Samuel 5)

Political Significance:

Legally documented in 1950, the Israeli Knesset passed the Jerusalem Law, and declared Jerusalem to be the eternal, undivided capital of the State of Israel

In 1995, Democrat President Bill Clinton signed a statute stating, 'Since 1950, the city of Jerusalem has been the capital of the State of Israel'.

Theological Importance:

Christianity begins in Jerusalem serving as the context for Jesus' life and earthly ministry

The city where Jesus was crucified on a cross

The city where He was laid in a tomb

The city where He rose from the grave

The city where He showed Himself to many others over a forty-day period

The city where many believe Abraham brought Isaac up Mt. Moriah and passed God's test of faith

The city where King Solomon built the magnificent Temple, declaring it a house of prayer for all nations

The city Isaiah envisioned as the world's center where the nations would beat their swords into plowshares, and learn war no more

The city where Jesus wept

Shared Significance with Orthodox Jews:

The significance of Jerusalem to Christians cannot be separated from the significance of Jerusalem to the Jewish people

Their history is our history

We are intertwined through our Old Testament scriptures and spiritual legacy. Their biblical examples are our biblical examples and we share this heritage in Jerusalem as our spiritual capital while Israel also legally proclaims it as her national capital. Their national history has become our spiritual history

Final Thoughts

Naming the city of Jerusalem the capital of Israel is not just a political right of Israel, it is the right of all nations. It is also of great theological importance to Christians world-wide. .. Please join me in praying for the peace of Jerusalem as scripture implores us to do, and we trust her peace and prosperity, not to man made institutions and international efforts, but to the God of all Peace, and to the greatest Jew to have ever lived, Jesus Christ.