The Heart of Jerusalem

The Heart of Jerusalem

10/27/15

Many of us know that Jerusalem is more than a capital of a nation, that it holds the heartbeat of God and also symbolizes many global conditions.  Jerusalem is a strategic landmark both for the secular world and for the spiritual world and its control is essential for the stability of said worlds.  Jerusalem can also be identified as the struggle within the human heart as well, for just as the city itself our hearts are constantly being watched by our enemy, waiting for the opportune time to strike and establish chaos.  But just like the physical city, we can have lasting and eternal peace if we choose to believe in the One true Creator, but if not then our hearts shall always be the epitome of destruction.

On my cell phone, I have an app that gives me breaking news stories.  These stories appear on my phone at all times of the day and night and it does not matter what the circumstance, it will shine brightly and sound the alarm when the stories become public knowledge.  Every time I hear the alarm sound my heart flutters a bit for I know that something dire has occurred somewhere in the world.  Now, not all the breaking news stories are bad for there are some good alerts that come through as well but far less than the bad ones.  As each alert sounds, my mind wonders begins to wonder about what could have occurred now, for I know that with each alert mankind has attributed their own ruling somewhere in the world.

Many of these recent breaking news flashes and alerts have dealt with Israel, Palestine and the Middle East in general and they have been fast and furious over the last three months or so.  It seems like a new development occurs each hour of the day in that region and sometimes I find it difficult to stay current with the events.  But this should not be anything new since the Bible has predicted troubled times for our future and it states that as time begins to wind down these events will only increase in number, in size, and in ferocity.  It is hard for me to imagine things becoming worse quicker but that is what I am realizing to be the case as each day passes.

The Bible repeatedly states that we pray for Israel and to specifically and especially pray for Jerusalem.  Over the decades of my life, I have to admit that I have not always been faithful in completing this task even though I have always been a staunch supporter of Israel and her existence.  For the past five years or so, praying for Israel and Jerusalem has become an increasingly wonderful experience for me, it has allowed my heart to grow stronger for this country and this city and through this opportunity my love for Israel and the Jewish nation has both physically and spiritually strengthened.  During this time, I have also realized that by accomplishing this prayer time for Israel that my walk and relationship with God has also increased and strengthened; I do not feel that this is a coincidence either and if I asked those who continuously and earnestly pray for Israel that they probably would say something similar.

A minister once stated that the status of Jerusalem will directly reflect the status of the world.  In other words, if Jerusalem is in turmoil then the remaining portions of the world will be in the same condition and vice versa.  This statement has always been proven correct and I firmly believe that this statement shall continue to ring true as long as humans walk this planet for it directly reflects the condition of our lives.

We are currently witnessing a period of huge unrest in all parts of the Middle East, with wars and violence headlining every part of the daily news.  My breaking news alerts are filled with short phrases that detail certain settings that have just occurred. While other countries in the Middle East are engaged in wars and other types of military campaigns, Israel and Jerusalem are in a state of shock by the attacks of its own citizens.  I am reminded that it was a fellow Jew who assassinated its own Prime Minister in 1995 and now some of its Arab-Israeli citizens are attacking others within the confines of their own country. 

This begs the question of can how does a country survive when its own violently attacks itself?  When asking this question one also has to admit that other countries are in this same situation and this must include the individual as well.  Can the actions within the Middle East, especially the city of Jerusalem be a reflection of what is ongoing within the heart of every individual on the planet?  The answer to this question may seem far-fetched but in reality it is the truth and we should do our best to recognize this fact as much as possible.  This in turn leads to a divided state and we all know what happens when a state is divided against itself.

As Christians, we have been instructed to pray for Israel and Jerusalem as stated above, but recently I have noticed that there are more non-Christians being vocal about this country and city than we have been.  This is a concern to me and it makes a flagrant statement of defiance against God’s Word and what He commands us to do.  There is a reason for us to pray for these two entities and it all has to do with our spiritual status with the inclusion of the natural as well.  Many times God has shown us that it is important that we understand that the state of our world is a reflection of how our personal statuses are with God.  The world shall always be in direct conflict and total opposition of what God has to offer and it makes sense that if we are in a state of constant rejection of God that the world’s projections will be protruding from our lives.

It is a common and known fact that the more we depend on the world for our existence and as our guide the more turmoil we will be living within.  One may argue against this pattern but I ask you to take a look in history and it will become clear.  Even when the Roman Empire declared Christianity as its sole and official state religion their world stabilized for a short time but then fell into chaos.  Why did this occur?  It was because they chose to set their acclaims and their eyes on themselves instead of God and to be honest, what would one expect from a foundation based upon accepting such a “religion” through demands and conditions from God.  It is when we place the focus upon ourselves, humans, that we come into trouble.  It is not God nor is it His ways.

It is a difficult teeter totter when it comes to Israel and Jerusalem for there are many entities vying for its control.  There is no more important city and country within the world and their existence and stability defines the world; yes, they are that important.  It is true that when these places are in turmoil the rest of the world is as well and placing it into a personal level when your heart is torn and in pain the rest of your body is in the same state, guaranteed.  Think about this comparison and one shall see that it is a true statement.  I am in no way demeaning the state of Israel and / or the city of Jerusalem and what is said concerning its existence, instead I am deeming their importance on an individual level and wishing the reader understood that both settings are in direct relationship with each other.

I expand this topic by asking another question: when is your heart at peace the most?  Is it when you are facing troubles of unknown origin or even ones from a known origin, or is it at rest and peace more when you truly place your troubles in the hands of God?  In order to do this, you must have communication with God, which means talking (praying) with Him.  What are we supposed to do with Israel and Jerusalem?  The similarities are striking and I believe it is time we understand this principle in play here for if we are communicating with God our lives are at peace even when there are ugly scenes before us. 

God understands that the majority of the world shall hate Israel and everything that she stands for.  We also know that the majority of the world shall reject God as well based on the sole purpose that His ways go against what the world teaches and provides.  The world is deemed on self and thus cannot provide anything further which can only result in confusion, frustration, and lies.  Look at the way that the world portrays Israel.  The world takes the blessings that they have been given and they totally reject their plans of democracy.  Can we see this type of action within our own country?  The obvious answer is yes! Look at the violence in Ferguson, Missouri and Baltimore, Maryland, search for the Occupy Movements that have penetrated many areas of our country over the past few years, “Google” the protest against the many entities for profit in this country and it will not be difficult to see that we are proclaiming the exact same division.

God is simply stating that the nation of Israel and especially the city of Jerusalem represents the state of our lives and more specifically the condition of our hearts.  Both examples are representative of this vision and it is of dire importance that we figure this out immediately.  We need to be fervently praying for Israel and for the peace of Jerusalem and we need to be doing the exact same prayers for our lives.  For if Israel and Jerusalem are not at rest, neither can our lives for both represent God and the ways of His existence.

Church, you have played around long enough and it is high time you wake up and get on your knees and off your pewed rears and begin to pray.  It is through your continual prayers and activities that push forward the Kingdom of God and it is due to your lack of continual prayers and actions that we allow our enemy’s kingdom to advance.  Peace or no peace, there cannot be a middle ground, in the Middle East or in our lives.  This topic that God has given to us shows that the Bible IS a personal book and that it DOES serve as a daily reference in our lives.  This book has proven to us countless times before that if we take its contents to heart and abide by these contents then our lives will live in peace instead of turmoil.  The only way that we can avoid this turmoil is to turn our hearts back to God’s Word and through this “prayer” He shall restore His peace to our lives, both personal and national.  Remember, your body serves as the nation of Israel in God’s eyes and your heart is revered as the city of Jerusalem and the conditions of both are of great importance and concern to God.

DLB