Simply Angie
In my last post, we took an “aerial view” of the Bible to answer the big question: Who are God’s people today? We saw through the writings of Paul and Peter that the promises made to Abraham weren’t a “blank check” for a physical bloodline, but were fulfilled in the Seed, which is Jesus Christ. If we are in Christ, we are God’s peculiar people. But that leads us to the most important question for today: So what? If we understand that God’s “Chosen People” are those who have chosen His Son, how does that change the way we look at the news? How should we react when we see wars in the Middle East or unrest in our own backyard? The Danger of “Cherry-Picking” BlessingsLast week, we looked at Galatians 3:16, which tells us that the promises were made to Abraham’s Seed, which is Christ. When we take a verse like “I will bless them that bless thee” out of its Christ-centered context and apply it to a secular political nation, or a rebellious people who despise Jesus, we are in danger of “blessing” things that God calls wicked. As Christians, our “loyalty” is not to a flag, a bloodline, or a landmass, but to the King of Kings. When we remember that the blessings flow through Jesus, the Seed of Abraham, we understand that the heirs of these blessings under the New Covenant are the people of God who have been redeemed and are living in obedience to Him. Our job is not to provide cover for political agendas. Our job is to love God, love our neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40), and be the salt and light of the World (Matthew 5:1-16). If we support the violation of God’s moral laws in the name of “blessing Israel,” we have lost our way and our witness.` The Olive Tree: One Root, One Hope
In Romans 11, Paul gives us a vivid illustration of how God’s people are structured. He describes a “good olive tree” (the line of promise). He explains that because of unbelief, some of the “natural branches” (the unbelieving Jews) were broken off. In their place, “wild olive branches” (believing Gentiles) were grafted in to partake of the root and fatness of the tree. But Paul offers a two-fold warning that we must heed today:
The door is wide open! The path back to the “Blessing” for the Jewish people is the same path for us: repentance and faith in Jesus. We Are Witnesses and Watchmen, Not ArchitectsThere is a trend today of Christians feeling they need to “help” God usher in the end times. Some do this through a determination to provide financial and vocal support of the present-day nation of Israel, and all its dealings. The disciples themselves once asked Jesus an interesting and important question about the future of Israel:
Jesus’ response was a clear redirection:
Jesus plainly indicated that God will deal with Israel in His own time and in His own power. Instead of focusing on the Father’s plans for dealing with the nation of Israel, we are commanded to be witnesses of Christ instead. There is a high probability that the re-establishment of Israel in the land is a significant move on God’s prophetic chessboard. As always, God’s hand is moving, and we can see Him preparing the stage for the day when He will draw the Jewish people back to Himself. He didn’t ask for our help in achieving that. We don’t even need to have the “day and the hour” figured out to know our current orders. While we wait for God to fulfill the mysteries of His timing, our task is not to fuel earthly wars or get tangled in political maneuvering. I cannot find a single verse where God asks us to manufacture chaos or root for the destruction of any people. In fact, Jesus Himself gave us the following command:
It grieves my heart when I hear people who are calling themselves Christians gleefully rejoicing at the devastation of people on the other side of the world that they don’t know and for whom our Savior died.
Instead of getting caught up in political and media ‘talking points’ that skew our thinking, we need to turn our eyes back on Jesus and consider how He walked and talked in this world. When we try to play architect of end-time events, thinking we are doing God a service, we make dangerous mistakes—like supporting the rebuilding of a Third Temple. Why would believers support rebuilding a system that Scripture warns will become the future seat of the Antichrist? Jesus said, “And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be...” (Mark 13:7). We are called to be Watchmen. He told us to watch and pray, not to act as the architect of the struggle (Luke 21). As true believers, our peace doesn’t come from any political outcome; it comes from the fact that the Designer of the universe told us this would happen. When the world shakes, we don’t pick up a jackhammer to help it shake faster; we pick up the Word to show people the only Foundation that stands. A Heart for the Unbeliever & the SaintsIf we believe that the only way to the Father is through Jesus, then our hearts should be broken for every person caught in the crossfire of war who doesn’t know Him.
When we pick “political sides” based on a distorted view of the Old Covenant, we often stop seeing people as souls and start seeing them as “allies” or “enemies.” But in the New Covenant, there is no “Jew or Greek”—there are only those who are lost and those who are found. Occupy Until He ComesThe word “occupy” in the Bible (Luke 19:13) doesn’t mean to sit around and wait for the end. It’s a business term; it means “to do business.” Our “business” is the Gospel. While others are arguing over borders and treaties, we should be:
As Paul reminded Timothy,
The Conclusion of the MatterThe world is looking for a political savior, but we have a Spiritual one. Don’t be carried away by voices that ignorantly or deliberately use the Bible to promote a political agenda that is in clear contradiction to God’s divine plan and purpose. Instead, let’s wield the Sword of the Spirit carefully and faithfully, pointing people back to Jesus, the Seed of Abraham, in whom all the nations of the earth are truly blessed. Let’s be busy about our Father’s business. Blessings, P.S. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by the headlines this week, I encourage you to turn off the news for an evening and spend that time in 1 Peter 2. It is a wonderful reminder of who we are in Christ and the “marvelous light” we have been called to walk in! And remember, we don’t have to have every prophecy perfectly mapped out to be faithful today. God doesn’t require us to be experts on the “end times.” He simply asks us to be faithful in the “now.” Talk to you again soon. Can’t wait?
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Saturday, March 21, 2026
Christians, Israel, and the Gospel
