Pray for the Jews...and for the Arabs...!

An article I came across on Christianity Today's website this morning (to read it, click here - be sure to read the other articles it links to!) drives home the complex realities of war in the Middle East. As a Bible-believing Christian, I of course have a very special love and appreciation in my heart for the Jewish people and their unique role in God's plan for human history. We are, for instance, commanded by Scripture to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem." (Psalms 122:6) I preached not long ago in Tel Aviv for Avi Mizrachi. (www.dugit.org) During the recent conflict, I kept thinking of where he lived, some miles north of the city, and wondered if the missiles had reached as far south as his home. He is a precious man of God with a wonderful wife and beautiful daughters. I remembered the bomb shelter built into his house, and was glad he had it.

I also found myself deeply moved whenever I thought of bombs falling even farther north. Having spent a few blessed days ministering to some two hundred Arabic speaking pastors and wives from across the region during the during the same trip that included my stop in Israel, I kept thinking of those I had met from Lebanon. "How were they?" I wondered. "Were their little children safe? Were they traumatized by the shelling? Had their church buildings been destroyed? Were any of their flock killed by Hezbollah when trying to flee the affected area?"

At the feet of Jesus, there are no Jews, Arabs, Syrians, Iranians, or Americans, but only sons and daughters of God. (Galatians 3:28) My heart aches for all of them...as I am sure His does!

Pastor Mark