Staying the course

Rev. Malcolm Hedding applies Bible teachings to the issues facing Israel today.

By MALCOLM HEDDING
Staying the course (photo credit: www.wordpress.com )
Staying the course
(photo credit: www.wordpress.com )
Spiritual life is maintained by dedication and placing oneself in a position that exposes one to God’s will and purpose. That is, we should be people of prayer and of the Word of God (Philippians 4:6).
Paul likens the believer’s journey to that of an athlete, a farmer and a soldier (2 Timothy 2:1-7). All this tells us that we should endure, sow patiently and be ready for conflict. In short, we must “stay the course.”
To be sure, the road we walk as Christians is not an easy one. It has many twists and turns. Therefore, we must learn to persevere. This means we must get our personal walk with God right so we are free to pursue His wider agenda.
Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
Sadly, most Christians are ensnared with their own problems and never get to the place where they are available to serve the wider interests of Heaven. A South American preacher once called this “the eternal childhood of the believer.” He was right! Today, the Christian Church has been immobilized by this problem. All the while, the world burns and becomes more dangerous, especially the Middle East.
The Arab Spring has taken a turn for the worse, as Islamists everywhere exploit longing for democracy to seize power and pursue a renewed caliphate that aims to eliminate Israel and eventually dominate the world. Syria will be next on the list, and then no doubt Jordan. When this process ends, it will set its sights on Israel. About this we should have no doubt. Scripture counsels that this battle is not simply a physical or political one but indeed a spiritual one, meaning that it will be won or lost in the place of prayer (Ephesians 6:12).
Daniel, the Hebrew Prophet, was extremely busy administering the Babylonian empire, but he still gave himself to urgent intercession on behalf of his people Israel. He stayed the course and lived to see his people released from exile and reestablished in Jerusalem. His prayers are still impacting events today and will do so for decades to come.
What a testimony to the power of prayer and to a single life that was free to pursue the will of God.
Israel needs our dedicated prayers, as does the Church. God is looking for those who will give themselves as a sacrifice to His will (Romans 12:1-2), and with supplications and thanksgiving (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Prayer is indeed hard work, and for this reason the prayer meetings of any church in the world are always the least attended. It requires staying the course and dying to self. This is not easily done, but it must be, because prayer is the real power behind all that is done in the Kingdom of God.
All prayer must be made according to the Word of God. When Daniel learned the Prophet Jeremiah had foretold that the Babylonian exile would last only 70 years, he held up this passage before the God of Heaven and prayed for its fulfillment (Daniel 9:1-2). God heard him, honored his sacrifice and sent an angel to confirm this.
We, too, have magnificent promises concerning Israel that we can hold up before the throne of God. Isaiah 62 states that we have been placed as watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem, to give God no rest in reminding Him of His promises, until He “establishes Jerusalem as a praise in the earth.”
There are many more promises like this, but the question is: “Who will stay the course?” Iran is now well placed to manufacture a nuclear weapon, thanks to the dithering of the international community. Tehran has threatened to annihilate Israel.
What will stop her? The answer is found in the Bible, but who will believe this and apply it in prayer and action? Truly, in this urgent time, God again is looking all over the earth for people who will arise, stay the course and seek His face as never before.
The hour is late, but Jesus said watch and pray. It is a powerful tool able to bring down mighty strongholds, but it is also the most neglected tool in our arsenal of spiritual weapons (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). Spiritual life is maintained by dedication and placing oneself in a position that exposes one to God’s will and purpose. That is, we should be people of prayer and of the Word of God (Philippians 4:6).
Paul likens the believer’s journey to that of an athlete, a farmer and a soldier (2 Timothy 2:1-7). All this tells us that we should endure, sow patiently and be ready for conflict. In short, we must “stay the course.”
To be sure, the road we walk as Christians is not an easy one. It has many twists and turns. Therefore, we must learn to persevere. This means we must get our personal walk with God right so we are free to pursue His wider agenda.
Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
Sadly, most Christians are ensnared with their own problems and never get to the place where they are available to serve the wider interests of Heaven. A South American preacher once called this “the eternal childhood of the believer.” He was right! Today, the Christian Church has been immobilized by this problem. All the while, the world burns and becomes more dangerous, especially the Middle East.
The Arab Spring has taken a turn for the worse, as Islamists everywhere exploit longing for democracy to seize power and pursue a renewed caliphate that aims to eliminate Israel and eventually dominate the world. Syria will be next on the list, and then no doubt Jordan. When this process ends, it will set its sights on Israel. About this we should have no doubt. Scripture counsels that this battle is not simply a physical or political one but indeed a spiritual one, meaning that it will be won or lost in the place of prayer (Ephesians 6:12).
Daniel, the Hebrew Prophet, was extremely busy administering the Babylonian empire, but he still gave himself to urgent intercession on behalf of his people Israel. He stayed the course and lived to see his people released from exile and reestablished in Jerusalem. His prayers are still impacting events today and will do so for decades to come.
What a testimony to the power of prayer and to a single life that was free to pursue the will of God.
Israel needs our dedicated prayers, as does the Church. God is looking for those who will give themselves as a sacrifice to His will (Romans 12:1-2), and with supplications and thanksgiving (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Prayer is indeed hard work, and for this reason the prayer meetings of any church in the world are always the least attended. It requires staying the course and dying to self. This is not easily done, but it must be, because prayer is the real power behind all that is done in the Kingdom of God.
All prayer must be made according to the Word of God. When Daniel learned the Prophet Jeremiah had foretold that the Babylonian exile would last only 70 years, he held up this passage before the God of Heaven and prayed for its fulfillment (Daniel 9:1-2). God heard him, honored his sacrifice and sent an angel to confirm this.
We, too, have magnificent promises concerning Israel that we can hold up before the throne of God. Isaiah 62 states that we have been placed as watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem, to give God no rest in reminding Him of His promises, until He “establishes Jerusalem as a praise in the earth.”
There are many more promises like this, but the question is: “Who will stay the course?” Iran is now well placed to manufacture a nuclear weapon, thanks to the dithering of the international community. Tehran has threatened to annihilate Israel.
What will stop her? The answer is found in the Bible, but who will believe this and apply it in prayer and action? Truly, in this urgent time, God again is looking all over the earth for people who will arise, stay the course and seek His face as never before.
The hour is late, but Jesus said watch and pray. It is a powerful tool able to bring down mighty strongholds, but it is also the most neglected tool in our arsenal of spiritual weapons (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).Spiritual life is maintained by dedication and placing oneself in a position that exposes one to God’s will and purpose. That is, we should be people of prayer and of the Word of God (Philippians 4:6).
Paul likens the believer’s journey to that of an athlete, a farmer and a soldier (2 Timothy 2:1-7). All this tells us that we should endure, sow patiently and be ready for conflict. In short, we must “stay the course.”
To be sure, the road we walk as Christians is not an easy one. It has many twists and turns. Therefore, we must learn to persevere. This means we must get our personal walk with God right so we are free to pursue His wider agenda.
Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
Sadly, most Christians are ensnared with their own problems and never get to the place where they are available to serve the wider interests of Heaven. A South American preacher once called this “the eternal childhood of the believer.” He was right! Today, the Christian Church has been immobilized by this problem. All the while, the world burns and becomes more dangerous, especially the Middle East.
The Arab Spring has taken a turn for the worse, as Islamists everywhere exploit longing for democracy to seize power and pursue a renewed caliphate that aims to eliminate Israel and eventually dominate the world. Syria will be next on the list, and then no doubt Jordan. When this process ends, it will set its sights on Israel. About this we should have no doubt. Scripture counsels that this battle is not simply a physical or political one but indeed a spiritual one, meaning that it will be won or lost in the place of prayer (Ephesians 6:12).
Daniel, the Hebrew Prophet, was extremely busy administering the Babylonian empire, but he still gave himself to urgent intercession on behalf of his people Israel. He stayed the course and lived to see his people released from exile and reestablished in Jerusalem. His prayers are still impacting events today and will do so for decades to come.
What a testimony to the power of prayer and to a single life that was free to pursue the will of God.
Israel needs our dedicated prayers, as does the Church. God is looking for those who will give themselves as a sacrifice to His will (Romans 12:1-2), and with supplications and thanksgiving (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Prayer is indeed hard work, and for this reason the prayer meetings of any church in the world are always the least attended. It requires staying the course and dying to self. This is not easily done, but it must be, because prayer is the real power behind all that is done in the Kingdom of God.
All prayer must be made according to the Word of God. When Daniel learned the Prophet Jeremiah had foretold that the Babylonian exile would last only 70 years, he held up this passage before the God of Heaven and prayed for its fulfillment (Daniel 9:1-2). God heard him, honored his sacrifice and sent an angel to confirm this.
We, too, have magnificent promises concerning Israel that we can hold up before the throne of God. Isaiah 62 states that we have been placed as watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem, to give God no rest in reminding Him of His promises, until He “establishes Jerusalem as a praise in the earth.”
There are many more promises like this, but the question is: “Who will stay the course?” Iran is now well placed to manufacture a nuclear weapon, thanks to the dithering of the international community. Tehran has threatened to annihilate Israel.
What will stop her? The answer is found in the Bible, but who will believe this and apply it in prayer and action? Truly, in this urgent time, God again is looking all over the earth for people who will arise, stay the course and seek His face as never before.
The hour is late, but Jesus said watch and pray. It is a powerful tool able to bring down mighty strongholds, but it is also the most neglected tool in our arsenal of spiritual weapons (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).Spiritual life is maintained by dedication and placing oneself in a position that exposes one to God’s will and purpose. That is, we should be people of prayer and of the Word of God (Philippians 4:6).
Paul likens the believer’s journey to that of an athlete, a farmer and a soldier (2 Timothy 2:1-7). All this tells us that we should endure, sow patiently and be ready for conflict. In short, we must “stay the course.”
To be sure, the road we walk as Christians is not an easy one. It has many twists and turns. Therefore, we must learn to persevere. This means we must get our personal walk with God right so we are free to pursue His wider agenda.
Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
Sadly, most Christians are ensnared with their own problems and never get to the place where they are available to serve the wider interests of Heaven. A South American preacher once called this “the eternal childhood of the believer.” He was right! Today, the Christian Church has been immobilized by this problem. All the while, the world burns and becomes more dangerous, especially the Middle East.
The Arab Spring has taken a turn for the worse, as Islamists everywhere exploit longing for democracy to seize power and pursue a renewed caliphate that aims to eliminate Israel and eventually dominate the world. Syria will be next on the list, and then no doubt Jordan. When this process ends, it will set its sights on Israel. About this we should have no doubt. Scripture counsels that this battle is not simply a physical or political one but indeed a spiritual one, meaning that it will be won or lost in the place of prayer (Ephesians 6:12).
Daniel, the Hebrew Prophet, was extremely busy administering the Babylonian empire, but he still gave himself to urgent intercession on behalf of his people Israel. He stayed the course and lived to see his people released from exile and reestablished in Jerusalem. His prayers are still impacting events today and will do so for decades to come.
What a testimony to the power of prayer and to a single life that was free to pursue the will of God.
Israel needs our dedicated prayers, as does the Church. God is looking for those who will give themselves as a sacrifice to His will (Romans 12:1-2), and with supplications and thanksgiving (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Prayer is indeed hard work, and for this reason the prayer meetings of any church in the world are always the least attended. It requires staying the course and dying to self. This is not easily done, but it must be, because prayer is the real power behind all that is done in the Kingdom of God.
All prayer must be made according to the Word of God. When Daniel learned the Prophet Jeremiah had foretold that the Babylonian exile would last only 70 years, he held up this passage before the God of Heaven and prayed for its fulfillment (Daniel 9:1-2). God heard him, honored his sacrifice and sent an angel to confirm this.
We, too, have magnificent promises concerning Israel that we can hold up before the throne of God. Isaiah 62 states that we have been placed as watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem, to give God no rest in reminding Him of His promises, until He “establishes Jerusalem as a praise in the earth.”
There are many more promises like this, but the question is: “Who will stay the course?” Iran is now well placed to manufacture a nuclear weapon, thanks to the dithering of the international community. Tehran has threatened to annihilate Israel.
What will stop her? The answer is found in the Bible, but who will believe this and apply it in prayer and action? Truly, in this urgent time, God again is looking all over the earth for people who will arise, stay the course and seek His face as never before.
The hour is late, but Jesus said watch and pray. It is a powerful tool able to bring down mighty strongholds, but it is also the most neglected tool in our arsenal of spiritual weapons (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).