Christian's Show Israel their Solidarity Part I

In the past year, much has happened. Iran has increased its nuclear program and increased its threats to Israel. Hezbollah has invaded Israel and now there is an uneasy cease-fire in Israel.

I believe the battle for Jerusalem has already begun. In January I published a book by Pastor John Hagee called “Jerusalem Countdown” which has sold more than 750,000 copies. It chronicles in chilling detail the serious threat that Israel faces at this time and why Christians must stand with Israel as never before.

In the past year something very wonderful has happened in the Christian community with thousands of Christian Zionists banding together in the newly formed Christians United for Israel. I serve as director of Region 6 including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

Last November, something historic happened in Orlando. We had our first ever “A Night to Honor Israel”. About 1,000 Christians and Jews turned out to stand in solidarity with Israel and to begin to appreciate the common bond we have as people who serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

We patterned it after Pastor Hagee’s events that he has held annually since 1981 in San Antonio.

I attended his event in the fall of 2004. That night his church was packed. The building was charged with electricity. Heaven came down and kissed the earth.

I longed for such an event in my city. I asked Pastor Hagee to help me and he agreed.

During Central Florida’s inaugural “A Night to Honor Israel” we sang “Ha Tikva” and also the “Star Spangled Banner.” We were blessed by rabbis and heard wonderful speeches from the Israeli Counsel General Dr. Itzak Ben Gad from Miami. We enjoyed a wonderful black choir that sang Christian songs from the Bible. One rabbi told me he was inspired but regretted that every Jew in the area wasn’t there.

Pastor Hagee’s electrifying speech reminded us why Christians support Israel. God said to Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse” (Gen. 12:3NKJV).

This is God’s foreign policy statement concerning the Jewish people.

And then he walked us through the pages of history to remind us of the nations that persecuted the Jews that have been crushed by the mighty hand of God.

I can almost hear him now with his deep baritone voice and Texas accent saying:

“Pharaoh’s army was drowned in the Red Sea. The first born in every Egyptian home died. Where are the Babylonians? Where are the Greeks? Where are the Persians? Where is the Ottoman Empire? Where is that lunatic Adolph Hitler and His Nazi hordes? All are historical footnotes in the bone-yard of history.
Where is Israel? Where are the Jewish people? (They are) alive and well, ruling the only democratic society in the Middle East, and America’s only friend in the region.”

That night was very special. We collected $30,000 for Magen David Adom to buy an ambulance. With money from some local churches and from the readers of Charisma magazine, we collected a total of $120,000.

There was so much love in the room that night. People laughed and cried. Strangers hugged each other. Bridges were built between Christians and Jews like nothing ever held before. One rabbi called it “historic.”
Our message that night was this: Israel, you are not alone. This year two nights to honor Israel will be held in the state of Florida. One will be held in Jacksonville on Nov.13 and the other in Orlando on Nov. 14, Pastor Hagee will speak at both. For more information or to register for “A Night to Honor Israel” go to http://www.nighttohonorisrael.org/register.php.