Thnking, Praying and Loving Israel

Psalm 122:6 says, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper
that love thee.”

We must all be praying for the Middle East and for "peace" brought to the region.
God would have never called us to pray for "peace" if it were not possible. I am not a war strategist but I believe Israel must and should defend itself against all attempts to attack her! Any sovereign nation would do the same.Who is behind all of this? I am not certain but I do sense there is more here than meets the eye. I am not casting blame: What good has that ever done? Taking sides does no great benefit, but praying for Israel and the entire World is the best thing that we can do. Whenever terrorism is involved it is usually driven by others and in this case by those who would condone what Hezbollah is doing to Israel. Those countries who are supporting these terrorists and providing sanctuary for them and intelligence support (Syria and Iran from what news reports I have seen ) as well as urging them to continue their barrage of attacks. With this, Bible believers know some facts that are not being proclaimed on CNN Breaking News. First, the LORD GOD of Israel is fulfilling His prophetic plans for the Middle East and the world! Secondly, God is allowing Satan and his demonic forces to unleash their wickedness upon the Jewish people. He will use these demonic forces to bring all nations to the Battle of Armageddon in the future. Thirdly, Satan is the “deceiver” of all nations and is doing all within his power to throw all the blame toward Israel. Fourthly, no matter what dangers are coming to Israel, this is the time for all to repent and return to the LORD GOD of Israel - total dependence upon Him is the only sure road to victory!For those of us who support Israel in God’s prophetic program and believe that this Nation will never cease to exist before God - Jeremiah 31;35-37 - we need to pray for them, do what we can to support them, and certainly speak up for them at this time when so many conflicting opinions are being uttered. But we must also pray for all people - not just Israel. God has always wanted us to pray for all humanity. Jesus died on this planet in order to save lives from the destroyer and from the punishment of sin. This present conflict is about dealing with terrorism from a human perspective, and Israel should not back down, but we must pray and add the spiritual dimensions as well in our assualt. However, we do know (from the Hebrew prophets) that more attacks will occur in the future. I am including some of the words written today by my friend, Pastor Wayne Cordeiro. Read them and think:
World Conflicts, What can we do as Christians?
Recently, the Middle East has been in the news much more than it already has been. Especially with the dual attacks by both Hezbollah of Lebanon and the Israelis in reaction. It is not a one sided proposition.
There's concern over:

• Iran's nuclear program,
• North Korea's nuclear testing,
• The Hamas in Palestine, and of course,
• The ongoing insurgency and civil wars in Iraq.
• We have ongoing interest in national decisions that are on the table such as stem cell research, Medical Insurance, gas prices, and the immigration debate.

Talk shows on just about every other station will host callers nationwide to give their opinion on what is going on, who's to blame, and what we should do about it.
So how then shall we as Christians live? What are we to think?
One of the easiest is to simply choose ignorance. But we cannot keep our heads in the sand if we are to influence our communities. Christians must be the best of thinkers and the wisest of decision makers.
So... here are a few pieces of advice: (excerpts from Pastor Wayne's article)
1. STAY ABREAST OF WHAT IS TRANSPIRING WORLDWIDE. There are so many changes taking place, and Christians cannot remain ignorant any longer. Read the papers and at least peruse the headlines.
2. DON'T TAKE SIDES TOO QUICKLY. It's easy to go off half-cocked and think you are a good decision maker, when you have simply marked yourself as a rash opinionate. Try to assess both sides. Factor in as well the slant of the media toward either the right or the left.
3. PRAY. Pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:2) and all those who are in authority so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness. Pray also for the peace of those who know no peace, for the downtrodden on both sides of the conflict, and for redemption for souls.
4. BE READY TO GET INVOLVED. Whether it is to help in the tsunami or hurricane efforts, or to give toward relief efforts, every little bit helps... even when a cup of cold water is given in the name of the Lord.
Let us pray for the peace of Israel and God's heart to be understood in all our world.