Christian, Jews

The Miraculous Story of Israel: Strength Amid Adversity

“The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.โ€ Genesis 17:8

Written by Berel Salomon:

Thereโ€™s something about Israel that makes people uncomfortable, and itโ€™s not what they say it is.

Theyโ€™ll point to politics, settlements, borders, and wars. But scratch beneath the outrage, and youโ€™ll find something deeper. A discomfort not with what Israel does, but with what Israel is.

A nation this small should not be this strong. Period.

Israel has no oil. No special natural resources. A population barely the size of a mid-sized American city. They are surrounded by enemies. Hated in the United Nations. Targeted by terror. Condemned by celebrities. Boycotted, slandered, and attacked.

And still, they thrive like thereโ€™s no tomorrow.

In military. In medicine. In security. In technology. In agriculture. In intelligence. In morality. In sheer, unbreakable will.

They turn desert into farmland.

They make water from air.

They intercept rockets in mid-air.

They rescue hostages under the nose of the worldโ€™s worst regimes.

They survive wars that were supposed to wipe them out, and win.

The world watches this and canโ€™t make sense of it.

So they do what people do when they witness strength they canโ€™t understand.

They assume it must be cheating.

It must be American aid.

It must be foreign lobbying.

It must be oppression.

It must be theft.

It must be some dark trick that gave the Jews this kind of power.

It must be blackmail.

Because heaven forbid itโ€™s something else.

Heaven forbid itโ€™s real.

Heaven forbid itโ€™s earned.

Or worse, destined.

The Jewish people were supposed to disappear a long, long time ago. Thatโ€™s how the story of exiled, enslaved, hated minorities is supposed to end. But the Jews didnโ€™t disappear. They actually came home, rebuilt their land, revived their language, and brought their dead back to life โ€” in memory, in identity, and in strength.

Thatโ€™s not normal.

Itโ€™s not political.

Itโ€™s biblical.

Thereโ€™s no cheat code that explains how a group of people return to their homeland after 2,000 years.

There is no rational path from gas chambers to global influence.

And there is no historical precedent for surviving the Babylonians, the Romans, the Crusaders, the Inquisition, the pogroms, and the Holocaust, and still showing up to work on Monday in Tel Aviv.

Israel doesnโ€™t make sense.

Unless you believe in something beyond the math.

This is what drives the world crazy. Because if Israel is real, if this improbable, ancient, hated nation is somehow still chosen, protected, and thriving, then maybe God isnโ€™t a myth after all.

Maybe Heโ€™s still in the story.

Maybe history isnโ€™t random.

Maybe evil doesnโ€™t get the last word.

Maybe the Jews are not just a peopleโ€ฆ but a testimony.

Thatโ€™s what they canโ€™t stand.

Because once you admit that Israelโ€™s survival isnโ€™t just impressive, but divine, everything changes. Your moral compass has to reset. Your assumptions about history, power, and justice collapse. You realize youโ€™re not watching the end of an empire. Youโ€™re witnessing the beginning of something eternal.

So they deny it.

They smear it.

And rage against it.

Because itโ€™s easier to call a miracle โ€œcheatingโ€ than to face the possibility that God keeps His promises.

And Heโ€™s keeping them still!

“The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, โ€œLook around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.โ€ Genesis 13:14-17

In His Love, Cindy

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

Christian, Jews

Lessons from Esther: God’s Purpose in Our Lives

The story of Esther teaches us that God purposely guides His people’s steps even when we are not aware of it, even when things don’t make sense. But God has a purpose in what He does in the lives of those He loves. Every thread woven into the fabric of the Christian life is part of the ultimate tapestry that someday they will view in glory.”

Dr. David Jeremiah

The Book of Esther tells an amazing story of political intrigue along with the faith and courage of a young, Jewish woman named Esther. We can learn many things from reading it, but I want to focus on this: While deliverance from the enemy looked impossible, God already had a plan in action.

King Xerxes was searching for a new queen. He appointed commissioners to search his vast empire for the most beautiful women and bring them to his harem. Esther was one of those chosen.

The beautiful Esther dazzled King Xerxes more than any of the others. Enthralled with her loveliness, he made her his queen.

According to history, Xerxes was a king of war. He assembled the largest and most well-equipped fighting force ever put into the field up to that time. He amassed an army of over two million men and four thousand ships. Known to be merciless, Xerxes was not a man to be trifled with.

One day, Mordecai (Esther’s adoptive father) overheard some men plotting to kill the King. Unknown to anyone, including the King, evil was about to encroach the palace.

This evil sprang from an egomaniacal man named Haman, a high-ranking official in the king’s court. Haman hated Mordecai because Mordecai would not bow down to him. The anti-Semitic Haman devised a sinister plan to annihilate all of the Jews in the Persian Empire.

Haman tricked the king into issuing a decree to all 127 provinces with the order to destroy and kill all the Jews – young and old, women and children.

When Mordecai uncovered Haman’s conspiracy, he urged Esther to approach the king and beg for mercy. He said,

“Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)

Esther knew the law commanded that if anyone approached the king without being summoned, they would be put to death. The only exception was if the king extended his scepter.

Esther understood this and knew she would be putting her life in imminent danger. She sent word to Mordecai and requested that all the Jews of the city fast and pray for three days and nights. She said,

“When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4: 16)

On the third day, Esther adorned herself in her royal robes and approached the king in his inner court. When he saw her, he was pleased and held out his golden scepter. He asked her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”

Esther replied, “If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come to the banquet I have prepared.”

While they were at the banquet, the king asked her again, “What is your request?” Esther asked the king and Haman to come back for another banquet the next day.

On his way home Haman passed Mordecai, and again Mordecai would not bow down to him. Enraged, Haman went home and boasted to his friends about his vast wealth and all that he had. “And that’s not all,” bragged Haman. “I am the only one Queen Esther invited to attend the banquet tomorrow for the king. But this brings me no pleasure as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.”

At his friends’ urging, Haman built a gallows and conspired to hang Mordecai there. Haman didn’t know it, but his evil pride would soon bring him down.

That night, the king was reminded that nothing had ever been done to honor Mordecai for saving him from a murderous plot.

Haman had entered the king’s palace to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai, but before Haman could speak, the king asked Haman, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?”

Haman thought to himself, “Who would the king possibly want to honor more than me?” So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. Let the princes robe the man and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’ “

“Go at once,”the king commanded Haman. “Do just as you suggested for Mordecai the Jew!”

I wish I could have seen his face! Talk about shock! Things are looking bad for Haman, but they are going to get even worse!

At the second banquet for the king and Haman, the king asked Esther again what she desired.

She said, “Grant me my life and spare my people. For I and my people have been sold for destruction, slaughter, and annihilation.”

King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is the man who has dared to do such a thing?”

Esther said, “The adversary and enemy is this vile Haman.”

The king stormed out in a rage. Haman was terrified. He threw himself upon the Queen’s couch and begged for his life. Then, the king walked back in and found Haman falling on the couch where Esther was reclining.

“The king cried, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?” Haman was immediately taken away and hanged on the Gallows he had built for Mordecai.

King Xerxes gave Esther Haman’s estate. He also gave Mordecai his signet ring and told him to write a decree on behalf of all the Jews and seal it with his ring. The Jews got relief from their enemies and celebrated with joy and feasting. They called it the Feast of Purim and it is still celebrated today.

Perhaps, like Esther, you have also been brought to your position for such a time as this!

Read the book of Esther here.

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

RealChristianWomen.blog  

 

ยนCartwright, Mark. “Persian Wars.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 06 Apr 2016. Web. 27 Oct 2018.

Christian

A Prayer for Israel

Heavenly Father,
ย 
The psalmist tells us to โ€œpray for the peace of Jerusalem.โ€
ย 
So I pray for peace for Your chosen people, Israel, and their beloved city today.
ย 
You have planned for Israel, provided for Israel, and protected Israel for thousands of years.
But as in days of old, there are those today who seek to harm, even destroy, Your people.
ย 
So I ask you to keep Israel in Your loving care. Put a spiritual hedge of protection around Your people and their land.
ย 
Watch over this nation as a Good Shepherd watches over His flock, and may Your chosen people find their ultimate safety and security in You.
ย 
While You watch over Your people, may Your Spirit awaken in them a hunger to embrace their Messiahโ€”the One who died for themโ€”until they see Him
face-to-face.
ย 
We pray this in His name,
ย 
Amen.

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

Friday’s Verse, 10/4/24

“Hear, O Israel” … “For you are a people holyย to theย Lordย your God.ย Theย Lordย your God has chosenย you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.” Deuteronomy 6:4 and 7:6 NIV

Comments: Israel (in blue on the map) is about the size of the state of New Jersey in the U.S. The countries and their proxies surrounding it are trying to annihilate the Jewish people.

Israel is still God’s treasured possession. We would do well to remember it.

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

Verses for Meditation, 7/25/24

“For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jewsย on behalf of Godโ€™s truth, so that the promisesย made to the patriarchs might be confirmedย and, moreover, that the Gentilesย might glorify Godย for his mercy.” Romans 15:8 NIV (emphasis mine)

Study Bible Notes: “Paul points out that Christ came first as a servant to His own people (Matt. 15:24). Paul may have done that to humble the haughty Gentiles in the Roman church.” (David Jeremiah)

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

Quote of the Week, 6/19/24

As Christians, we are called to uphold the principles of justice, compassion, and truth. We must navigate these complex issues with discernment, rejecting the allure of divisive rhetoric and standing firm against antisemitism in all its forms. In the face of this challenge, may the Church be guided by the power of the Holy Spirit to champion the cause of truth and support the Jewish people amidst the satanic onslaught of antisemitism.

Thomas Fretwell, Senior Pastor at Calvary Chapel Hastings

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Photo taken at Columbia University, New York

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

Verse for Meditation, 4/11/24

“Rememberย your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self:ย โ€˜I will make your descendants as numerous as the starsย in the sky and I will give your descendants all this landย I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.โ€™โ€ Exodus 32:13 NV (emphasis mine)

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Photo by Sander Crombach on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

Offer Gratitude, Not Hatred

For believers in Jesus, Hanukkah is a sobering reminder of the evil force of antisemitism in the world. As believers, we should emulate Godโ€™s love for His chosen people by standing against antisemitism. (For an explanation of Hanukkah read this.)

I am shocked at the degree to which hatred has spread throughout our world today toward the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. Demonstrators chant โ€œFree Palestineโ€ and โ€œFrom the river to the seaโ€. But when interviewed, less than half even knew what their chant meant. (Wall Street Journal)

“This terrifying pattern of antisemitic attacks has been relentless since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, with no signs of diminishing,” Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the ADL, said in a statement. “The lid to the sewers is off, and Jewish communities all across the country are being inundated with hate.

CBS News

God had a plan to bless the world through the Jews.

“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 NIV

He sent His son, Jesus, to save the world. No wonder Satan hates and wants to destroy the Jewish people.

Theย Lordย had said to Abram, โ€œGo from your country, your people and your fatherโ€™s householdย to the landย I will show you.

โ€œI will make you into a great nation,
    and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.โ€
Genesis 12:1-3 NIV (emphasis mine)

These words popped out to me today:

โ€œand all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.โ€

The Jewish people continue to bless the world even today. Although Jews are a small percentage of the population (0.2%), they have made an astounding number of contributions in the fields of medicine, science, art, and music for which everyone should be grateful.

Here are just a few:

  • Jonas Salk (creator of the first polio vaccine)
  • Albert Sabin (oral polio vaccine)
  • Galileo (pioneered the use of the telescope for observing the night sky. His discoveries undermined traditional ideas about a perfect and unchanging cosmos with the Earth at its center.)
  • Elie Wiesel (political activist, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored 57 books)
  • Albert Einstein
  • Jerry Lewis (who raised more than $2 billion dollars for his Muscular Dystrophy Association Charity, Jerryโ€™s Kids)
  •  Isaac Singer (inventor of the sewing machine)

(This list could go on and on, but I’ll stop here for the sake of brevity.)

The pro-Hamas demonstrators, when interviewed, showed little to no knowledge of the history of Judaism or the establishment of the Jewish state.

Ignorance allows dictators and terrorists to pursue their objectives while a properly informed public preserves and protects what is important to a free and civilized society.

If you believe such things are important, offer some gratitude, not hostility, to the Jews.”

Cal Thomas, Gratitude and Ingratitude: Jews have contributed greatly to our world

And now, let’s look at another part of the passage:

“I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;”

God said that.

I want to thank Steve Brewer, The Brew is Amusing, for inspiring me to write. Steve is one of my go-to sources for writing inspiration.

Photo by Gary Sankary on Unsplash

Christian

Friday’s Verse, 12/1/23

“For this is what theย Lordย Almighty says: โ€œAfter the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered youโ€”for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eyeโ€”ย I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them.ย Then you will know that theย Lordย Almighty has sent me.” Zechariah 2:8-9 NIV Read full chapter

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

RealChristianWomen.blog ย 

Christian, women

You Were Born for Such a Time as This: The Story of Esther

The story of Esther teaches us that God purposely guides His people’s steps even when we are not aware of it, even when things don’t make sense. But God has a purpose in what He does in the lives of those He loves. Every thread woven into the fabric of the Christian life is part of the ultimate tapestry that someday they will view in glory.”

Dr. david jeremiah

The book of Esther tells an amazing story of political intrigue along with the faith and courage of a young, Jewish woman named Esther. We can learn many things from reading it, but I want to focus on this: While deliverance from the enemy looked impossible, God already had a plan in action.

King Xerxes was searching for a new queen. Heย appointed commissioners to search his vast empire for the most beautiful women and bring them to his harem. Esther was one of those chosen. I seriously doubt that Esther was happy about being forcefully taken to the king’s harem!

The beautiful Esther dazzled King Xerxes more than any of the others. Enthralled with her loveliness, he made her his queen.

This story gets even more interesting when you know a little about King Xerxes and the Persian Empire. Although not in the Bible, history reveals the kind of man he was.

Xerxes was a king of war. He assembled the largest and most well equipped fighting force ever put into the field up to that time in history. He amassed an army of over two million men and four thousand ships. Known to be merciless, Xerxes was not a man to be trifled with.

One day, Mordecai overheard some men plotting to kill the King. Unknown to anyone, including the King, evil was about to encroach the palace and all 127 provinces of the Persian Empire.

This evil sprang from an egomaniacal man named Haman who was a high ranking official in the King’s court. Haman hated Mordecai because Mordecai would not bow down to him. The anti-Semitic Haman devised a sinister plan to annihilate all of the Jews in the Persian Empire.

Haman tricked the king into issuing a decree to all 127 provinces with the order to destroy and kill all the Jews – young and old, women and children.

When Mordecai uncovered Haman’s conspiracy, he urged Esther to approach the king and beg for mercy. He said,

“Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)

Esther knew the law commanded that if anyone approached the king without being summoned, they would be put to death. The only exception was if the king extended his scepter.

Esther understood this and knew she would be putting her life in imminent danger. She sent word to Mordecai and requested that all the Jews of the city fast and pray for three days and nights. She said,

“When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4: 16)

On the third day, Esther adorned herself in her royal robes and approached the king in his inner court. When he saw her, he was pleased and held out his golden scepter. He asked her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”

Esther replied, “If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come to the banquet I have prepared.”

While they were at the banquet, the king asked her again, “What is your request?” Esther asked the king and Haman to come back for another banquet the next day.

On his way home Haman passed Mordecai, and again Mordecai would not bow down to him. Enraged, Haman went home and boasted to his friends about his vast wealth and all that he had. “And that’s not all,” bragged Haman. “I am the only one Queen Esther invited to attend the banquet tomorrow for the king. But this brings me no pleasure as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.”

At his friends’ urging, Haman built a gallows and conspired to hang Mordecai there. Haman didn’t know it, but his evil pride would soon bring him down.

That night, the King was reminded that nothing had ever been done to honor Mordecai for saving him from a murderous plot.

Haman had entered the King’s palace to speak to the King about hanging Mordecai, but before Haman could speak, the king asked Haman, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?”

Haman thought to himself, “Who would the king possibly want to honor more than me?” So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. Let the princes robe the man and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’ “

“Go at once,”the king commanded Haman. “Do just as you suggested for Mordecai the Jew!”

I wish I could have seen his face! Talk about shock! Things are looking bad for Haman, but they are going to get even worse!

At the second banquet for the king and Haman, the king asked Esther again what she desired.

She said, “Grant me my life and spare my people. For I and my people have been sold for destruction, slaughter, and annihilation.”

King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is the man who has dared to do such a thing?”

Esther said, “The adversary and enemy is this vile Haman.”

The king stormed out in a rage. Haman was terrified. He threw himself upon the Queen’s couch and begged for his life. Then, the king walked back in and found Haman falling on the couch where Esther was reclining.

“The king cried, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?” Haman was immediately taken away and hanged on the Gallows he had built for Mordecai.

King Xerxes gave Esther Haman’s estate. He also gave Mordecai his signet ring and told him to write a decree on behalf of all the Jews and seal it with his ring. The Jews got relief from their enemies and celebrated with joy and feasting. They called it the Feast of Purim and it is still celebrated today.

Perhaps, like Esther, you have also been brought to your position

for such a time as this!

Read the book of Esther here.

With Love, 

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is fullsizeoutput_576.jpeg

Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog  

 Photo by Alice Alinari on Unsplash

ยนCartwright, Mark. “Persian Wars.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 06 Apr 2016. Web. 27 Oct 2018.