Why this Israeli does not celebrate Israeli Independence Day

 John 8:31-47

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." 

They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"

 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.  Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word.  I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father." 

 "Abraham is our father," they answered.

"If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would do the things Abraham did.  As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things.  You are doing the things your own father does."

"We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself."

Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me.  Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.  You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.  Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!  Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me?  He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." 

šIsrael Ÿ Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37) Ÿ No Breath Ÿ Slaves to Sin›

 Many Christians visit Israel with excitement and a desire to join with the Israelis in praising the God of Israel in song and dance.

Celebrations are fun!  Sukkot (Tabernacles), for example, is a fun holiday – marching through the streets of Jerusalem, waving banners and demonstrating support of the restored nation of Israel!  Scriptures flow from the mouths of prophets about gentiles helping to bring the Jews to the Land and helping them to rebuild and settle the waste places.  Isn’t it wonderful the way the desert is blossoming like a rose, etc. etc.

 Scarcely a thought is given to the fact that most of these verses are relevant to the time when King Messiah will be physically sitting on a throne in Jerusalem and ruling the world.  That time is not yet come.  Scarcely a thought is given to Y’shua’s command to go and be a witness to every person.  What happened to the idea that first a person must be born again?  Y’shua said the Kingdom of God is within you.  What good is a celebration without the godly nature to go with it?  It does no good to populate a righteous kingdom with unrighteous people.

 It does no good to ask forgiveness for past acts of past generations without giving the good news.  All the emotional contrition in the world will not bring one soul to the Messiah.  Only the Living Word empowered by the Holy Spirit can give life to the dead!  Without the resurrection power of Y’shua who shed his blood for us, we are the walking dead – nothing more.

 The reality is that Israelis are heading, no, rushing headlong into hell every day!  And the Christians are dancing……

 This is not the time for celebrating Israel’s Independence because she is bound and enslaved in sin and she is not free.  This is not the time to celebrate the desert blossoming like a rose, because it’s not. Israel has been trying to make the kingdom on earth without the help of Almighty God. Any improvements you see are offset by the fact that she has polluted every waterway in the Land with factory run-off and raw sewage, and has polluted the desert by openly dumping nuclear and biological waste.  She has sickened the inhabitants, Jew and non-Jew alike, with cancer and other incurable ills.

 Socially, Israel has entered the global arena and is tarnished with her mistreatment of women, children and the elderly.  Enslaving women and children and placing them in the prostitution trade against their will is commonplace and because the police are so corrupt, nothing is done about it.  Much has been written about the neglect of the elderly and the holocaust survivors so I will not go into detail in this article. Drugs are rampant and some of the most successful drug lords in the world happen to be Israelis.  Her religious and political leaders are the worst.  They are like hireling shepherds preying upon the lambs instead of feeding them.    See Ezekiel 34 for a complete description of them according to God. You see, it is an Anti-Messiah mindset: Israel is not free. The people are bound up in the slavery of sin and are following the dictates of her father, according to the words of Y’shua.  She needs the Lord.

Y’shua said, “I am the Truth and the Truth shall set you free!”

This is wonderful news, but unless we get it to the people, what good is it?

 My fellow believer – this is not the time to celebrate Israel.  This is the time to weep, fast and pray over her.  Look at her with the eyes of truth and reality.  Too many believers have been guilty of Israel-worship and looking at her with rose-colored glasses.    This is not godly or wise.  Worship belongs to the Lord and to Him only.   Praise the Lord for what He is doing and pray that Israel’s eyes will be opened to their Messiah.  Your salvation may be assured, but there are millions of enslaved Israelis that need to be set free.  Y’shua is the answer!  He is the ONLY answer.  Share your testimony!

šY›

 Matt 9:15

Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.”

I believe Independence Day should be declared a (voluntary) fast day among believers.  Not a rule – We have been set free – let’s break the yoke of oppression for our brothers and sisters in the Name of Y’shua.  See Isaiah 58:6-12

Esther 4:14b

 “…who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"

Lura Maiman Beckford