As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“Speaker Johnson has shown remarkable courage and commendable leadership in moving forward with these bills, despite ongoing political pressure. We now urge other lawmakers to act swiftly in passing such a package to save innocent lives.” - Baptist Press
“When Hamas attacked Kibbutz Be’eri, Gat, his wife, 3-year-old daughter, parents and sister hid for hours in their rocket-proof safe room. But fighters entered the house and killed or abducted everyone inside, except for his father who hid in the bathroom. His mother was dragged into the street and shot.” - RNS
“Why, then, is Iran at war with Israel? And why is this question so significant for America and the global future?” - Denison
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In Part 1, we followed along as the apostle Paul explained that God has not forsaken the people of Israel. Instead, He is temporarily punishing them. Now, he explains why the punishment is necessary. So, Paul deploys a sort of parable to explain God’s divine rescue plan.
The Chafer Theological Seminary Pastors’ Conference met for the 19th time at West Houston Bible Church this past Monday through Wednesday, March 4 to 6. In the aftermath of Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the conference focused on “Israel: Past, Present, and Future.”
In Romans 11, Paul finally answers the question he’s been dancing around since ch. 9: what is God’s plan for the people of Israel?
“Hamas in its Covenant was a relatively early adapter of this ideology [Salafism], but it was far from the last. In subsequent years radical militants influenced by Salafism used the same reasoning to justify taking arms against the Arab ruling class” - Providence
Plenty of people are zealous for God, but their zeal is based on bad information. They actually don’t know God at all. This is Israel’s problem.
In Romans 9 to 11, the apostle Paul segues from his theological musings about salvation to a question no Christian can ignore—what about Israel? He spends most of Romans 9 defending God from accusations of failure (9:6-13), unjustness and cruelty (9:14-18), and unfairness (9:19-21). God dispenses mercy and hardness of heart as He sees fit (Rom 9:14, 18). The clay has no right to object to the potter’s decision (Rom 9:20-21).
As we approach this New Year, our world is weighted down with manifold troubles. Yet believers in Christ need not succumb to despair. God’s Word gives us the capacity to discern God’s work in history—in light of the prophetic Scriptures. Jesus, in fact, entreated His followers to engage in this exercise, and chided those who were unable to “discern the signs of the times” (Matt. 16:3).
“Jesus, whose Hebrew name was Yeshua, was born in Bethlehem of Judea. His mother’s name was Miriam, and His followers were named Yaakov and Shimon and Yehudah, among others. …And when He comes again, He is returning to Jerusalem.” - Michael Brown
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