Fr. Schnabel in Jerusalem was told that he and his brothers should leave. He decided to stay amidst the War in Gaza, and the result is that he said persecution has ramped up, that on a daily basis people spit at his feet or on his pectoral cross, or say derogatory things about Jesus in the very streets of Jerusalem (EWTN News, 09/18/2024, https://www.ncregister.com/cna/christian-community-comes-closer-together-amid-attacks-in-the-holy-land?amp). I would encourage the Father by saying he is sharing in Christ’s sufferings, “Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him.” (Matthew 26:67).
Fr. Schnabel shared that while there are no pilgrims, a major source of income, the Christian communities of all churches and denominations have been gathering together top support one another, causing them to grow closer (EWTN News, 09/18/2024). This often happens in persecution, the Church becomes stronger and more closely knot together, even perhaps mirroring Jesus’ desire for unity in The Gospel of John Chapter Seventeen.
Persecutions against Christians has been rising, as churches in Galilee are damaged (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-40485720.amp), The Church of Ascension was set on fire inside by Jewish Zionist Zealot (https://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/jerusalem/arson-attack-at-jerusalems-church-of-the-ascension/2017/03/09/), and Fr. Schnabel reports people have thrown rocks through the windows of his Church. In fact, I documented and called to action Christians when The Knesset (Israel’s Congress or Parliament) had a radical Jewish Party want to ban New Testaments, close churches, remove crosses and all signs of Jesus from the Holy Land in 2023. Thankfully PM Benjamin Netanyahu pot a stop to that Anti-Christ Bill (see my post on this ban that was stopped: https://sirjeffreypendragonblog.blogspot.com/2023/03/jesus-to-be-banned-in-israel-knesset.html?m=1).
We must not forget our Lord Jesus said, “Then they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.” (Matthew 24:9). Notice it does not say all nations except Israel. The Body of Christ needs to prepare, enmity towards Christ and His Church is growing. I believe it could be the fulfillment of Scripture, that we may be seeing the antichrist rising, for it says the work of Satan goes before him, “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” (2 Thessalonians 2:7-10).
I am glad to see our God The Trinity is using this evil of persecution for good by drawing the churches and Christian communities together. We must always open our eyes to see He is at work, that he repurposes the bad, “As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.” (Genesis 50:20). I urge us to pray for our brothers and sisters in Jerusalem, to pray they are fortified to endure the enmity of unbelievers, and realize that Jesus Himself also suffered in the city, even dying on a cross for our sins and rising from the dead. That they hold fast to their hope, that those mistreated Christians also mistreat Christ, “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’
“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life,” (Matthew 25:23-48). In fact those verses clarify that Jesus suffers when we do, because He said when you do this for his brothers and sisters (believers, Christians) it is done to Him, because He lives in us, “All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.” (1 John 4:15).
The Day of Judgement will come to those who did not repent as Saul who persecuted the Church became Paul The Apostle of Christ. Pray for those enemies in Jerusalem, that they turn from Sauls into Pauls. That the witness of Christians enduring and not retaliating, and turning the other cheek moves their hearts to faith in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment