Christian Writers Circle

Grace to Support Israel

by Brenda D. Flowers

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for his only son, … (Zechariah 12:10, NKJV)

I (Paul) say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. (Romans 11:1, NKJV)

Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. (Romans 11: 5, NKJV)

On October 6, 2024, I attended a special service at World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee (www.wochurch.org). I had heard about the service on Bott Radio.

Yael Eckstein, President and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (www.ifc.org) and Pastor Allen Jackson were going to share with the body of Christ an important commemorative message to honor the October 7, 2023 victims and their families and to share the current state in war-torn Israel.

Although World Outreach Church is not my home church and is a 30 minute drive away, during my quiet time that morning, I sensed God’s prompting for me to attend this service.

 Yael had traveled with her children the long distance from Jerusalem, her home city, to be able to share her testimony in Tennessee.

What is a thirty minute drive compared to the thousands of miles she had traveled? (“How far is it from Nashville, Tennessee to Jerusalem, Israel?” “It is 6,427 miles as the crow flies.”, Siri answered.)

What an honor it was to hear Yael share her personal stories in real time in my home state.

As I entered the parking lot of the church, I saw small Israeli flags planted on the property. I was impressed by the number of flags.

When it was Yael’s turn to speak at the service, I learned from her that each of the 1,200 flags commemorated the lives of the over 1,200 innocent men, women and children massacred on October 7, 2023. Yael told stories of individuals she knew personally who had died that fateful day.

Yael further explained that these “Flags of Fellowship” could be seen on the grounds of churches and campuses in each state of the United States.

“Flags of Fellowship is an opportunity for thousands of Christians to take a BOLD stand and show solidarity for the Jewish people.” (www.ifc.org)

I realized a message of hope goes forth as people unite to show love and support for the people of Israel.

Yael, who lives in Jerusalem with her husband and four children, has been impacted personally by the ongoing attacks. She shared how recently she and her youngest children had to rush to a bomb shelter to be protected from on-going missile fire.

Yet, in spite of many dangers, she along with Christians and Jews are bravely taking steps to help the people of this special land. They are going to the frontlines to help hurting people no matter their ethnic background, sharing the love of God.

Her personal stories touched my heart.

I appreciated how Yael stressed that the battle being fought in Israel although physical is truly a spiritual battle. She emphasized how important it is for us as the body of Christ to pray for Israel and to stand up against anti-semitism and evil.

Pastor Allen ended the service with a prayer and with the encouragement for us to be ambassadors to share how God loves the people of the land of Israel.

As I thought about this, I realized how I need God’s grace to know how to pray and support Israel.

I trust that God, by His grace, will guide me and each of us to our part in being the hands and feet of Jesus. It is God’s will.

May we join together to pray as He calls us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. (Psalm 122)

We can trust God’s promises. He is faithful and blesses us as we honor Him by being obedient to His Word.

Meditate on this truth:  One day King Jesus will reign in New Jerusalem. (Revelation 21)

Imagine when we Christians are with Jesus in all of His glory!