On October 27, 2018, during Sabbath worship services at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, a gunman entered the premises and opened fire indiscriminately at the congregation. In total, 11 worshipers were killed. Aside from the tragic loss of life and heartbreak that will follow, the Jewish community is once again left to ponder its place as a victim of this most pernicious form of hatred – antisemitism. The shooter’s motivations were clear, as he entered the synagogue, he declared, “All Jews must die.” Such vile statements have unfortunately become part and parcel of Jewish history and indeed present-day Jewish life.

No more than a week earlier we witnessed the shocking footage of a 62-year-old Jewish man being beaten in broad daylight on his way to synagogue by a 37-year-old assailant in Brooklyn, New York. A witness reported that the attacker was screaming that “he hates Jews, and he would like to kill all the Jews.”¹ Such incidents are on the rise across the western world. Such a worrying resurgence of antisemitism is not confined to the USA. In the UK, one of the major political parties has been embroiled in a summer long controversy revolving around charges of antisemitism. This same party currently has over 250 cases featuring alleged antisemitism that have been referred to their ethics panel for investigation. A recent poll conducted by The Jewish Chronicle in Britain revealed that almost 40% of British Jews said they would consider emigrating if this party gained power.

It is extremely important that we do not allow such instances to become “yesterday’s news” as the fast paced media move onto the next news cycle. We need to reflect long and hard on what this means for us as Christians. The inevitable conclusion we must draw is that Jew-Hatred is indeed alive and well. We need a clear and unified response to such a shocking reality.

Why the Jews?

As Christians we unequivocally denounce all forms of racism. At its core, racism is a fundamental denial of the ontological equality that all humans share because we are made in the image of God. Yet, at the same time, there seems to be something unique about Jew-hatred. The Late professor Robert Wistrich, head of the International Centre for Antisemitism at the Hebrew University, described antisemitism as “The Longest Hatred” and traced examples of it through from the inception of Jewish history till the present day. There is ultimately no reasonable “natural” explanation for why this is the case. The answer lies in the spiritual realm. The apostle Paul writes in the book of Romans about his Jewish kinsmen that to them:

“Belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 9:3-5).

In this passage, we are told that the covenants belong to the Jewish people. This is pivotal to understand. The biblical covenants are how God mediates His blessings to the world. The Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:1-3;15:18-21), the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7:8-14) and the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34) contain God’s promises to bless the children of Israel with a Land and a Royal seed, who would go on to bless the entire world with the forgiveness of sins. The covenants contain the promises of God, the promises of God represent His character and nature, and the covenants were given to the house of Israel.

Here is the connection that explains why such disproportionate (considering the actual Jewish population size) hatred is directed toward the Jews – They are God’s covenant people and continue to be to this day (Romans 11:1). These covenants affirm the continuing place and purpose for Israel in God’s redemptive kingdom program, even while being in a state of unbelief (Romans 11:25). The satanic onslaught against the Jewish people is reflective of the attempt by Satan to discredit God by showing that His promises can be broken. Satan being the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:1) and the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4) mobilizes the masses in pursuit of his goal. Such ambitions are expressed by the ancient enemies of Israel in Psalm 83, and similar sentiments could be listed from world leaders today:

“They make shrewd plans against Your people, and conspire together against Your treasured ones. They have said, ‘Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more’” (Psalm 83:3-4).

Satan has tried to wipe out the Jews through the Egyptians, the Amalekites, the Babylonians, the Hittites, the Assyrians, the Romans, the Nazis, through religions, and through politics. Yet we can have full assurance that Satan will never succeed. In Jeremiah 31 God identifies Himself as the creator of the sun, moon and stars and states emphatically that, only if someone is able to remove these ordinances, will they be able to destroy the Jews. In other words, it is impossible – the existence of the Jewish people is a testimony to God’s enduring faithfulness to keep His promises:

“If this fixed order departs from before Me, declares the LORD, Then the offspring of Israel also will cease from being a nation before Me forever” (Jeremiah 31:36).

Our Response

How tragic it is that, within the lifetime of Holocaust survivors, we are once again witnessing the blatant outward expression of antisemitism in the western world. It requires a firm response from all those who understand the debt western civilization owes to its Judeo-Christian heritage. As Christians it means we must absolutely repudiate antisemitism in the strongest possible terms wherever and whenever it appears. Unfortunately, there is a sad legacy not only of virulent antisemitism within politics but also within the church. This means the church must be diligent to remove any last vestige of theological antisemitism that festers among various strands of replacement theology today. The church today must show solidarity with and assurance to the Jewish community by demonstrating to them that these charges will not go unnoticed and will not be left unanswered. In addition to this, we must continue to love the Jewish people as Christ does “with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3), minister to them with physical blessings (Romans 15:27), and ultimately, pray for the salvation of Israel (Romans 10:1).

Notes:

¹ Jacob Magid, et al. “Orthodox Jewish Man Attacked in Brooklyn, in 2nd Suspected Hate Crime in 2 Days.” The Times of Israel.

I’ve been processing the tragedy that occurred Sunday morning. I was about to wrap up my teaching about 300 miles north of Sutherland Springs in the same state of Texas. I remember looking at the clock in the back, hanging on the wall of our sanctuary, to make sure I was on time in my sermon and saw that it was 11:30am.

I had no idea that at that very moment a gunman was shooting up a church, killing 26 people.

It was weird to think that at the very moment of me looking at the clock, not far away, people were being killed in their own service similar to ours.

I thought of what they must have experienced and what it must have been like for them. I guess you could say it hit home for me in a way. I feel so sick for those precious people.

I thought about the pastor and his wife, and how they must have felt hearing the news as they were away. I thought about what it would be like to lose so many in our own congregation in an instant like that.

There is a special connection a congregation has with one another, like family. A congregation goes through life together, shares one another’s burdens, triumphs and griefs. The pastor lost half of his spiritual family, half of his flock, as well as his own daughter. I can’t imagine. This is not something a human can absorb I thought, but by the grace of God.

I remember thinking as I was teaching about heaven that I was glad this world is not all there is.

How sad it must be to have no hope beyond this evil world. I remember looking at the clock, and feeling pressed because the Lord was moving so heavily on my heart, I felt this heavy burden about what I was talking about and wanted to get it all in. I was way off “the script” at the time and felt the Lord was speaking through me, and I was spectating.

We were having communion that morning as well, so time was even more precious. The topic that morning was “Home,” a teaching about where the Christian’s real home is, and how a heavenly obsession has a profound effect on our earthly existence.

I challenged our congregation to take this week and think about, meditate upon, pray, read and apply the fact of our eternal home to everyday life. I challenged them to apply eternity to the present and to live their life in light of eternity.

As I looked at the clock, 11:30, and then looked at the faces in the congregation, I felt myself looking into eyes and not just faces. I’m not sure why, but it was different than normal. I felt like God wanted me to see them like He does.

I remember thinking how badly I wanted everyone of them to be right with God and to be sure that they will go to heaven. I remember thinking how much I loved and cared for each one so much, and yet that was only a drop of how much God loves them.

I remember thinking how important it was to be sure of our eternity now.

That morning it was like God wanted me to know how deeply He loves each one, emphasis on each, and He wanted them to know how deeply He loves each of them. I’m not sure what they saw or felt in me at the time, but God was moving in a certain way that morning.

The message about the Christians real “Home,” which I don’t think was by accident, was taken from Revelation chapter 21. As we looked at some of the aspects of the Christian’s eternity, the Lord was speaking to us and encouraging us as to how short life is, and how this life is merely a preparation for how we will spend eternity.

Like a “mud room,” this life is not a place for comfort, rest and ease but a transition and preparation for our eternal home where there will be eternal comfort, rest and ease, not to mention love, joy and peace. The Lord showed us how death for a believer in Christ is a release into our heavenly existence, and how it is the beginning and not the end.

We looked at some of the aspects of what it will be like in eternity, and how we are to see this life now always in light of eternity; or that we are to keep eternity in view as we live this life. We talked about how, for a Christian, heaven overshadows everything we do; it is our future hope, our present motivation and our freedom from our past.

I saw some tears as I looked into the eyes of the precious people there that day, as well as smiles, nods and a few “amens.” Now in hindsight I know why the Lord was burdening my heart that morning with this particular message, as it was at the same exact time some of our brothers and sisters down south were going home to be with the Lord, that the Lord wanted our congregation to be ready at anytime.

There was a feeling of urgency as I explained that it is by God’s grace that we are saved and not of ourselves.

That no amount of good works, religious activity or whatever else can save us except the precious sacrifice of Jesus Christ that we put our faith in.

I remember looking in those eyes like I was seeing their souls and urging them that one must repent and ask God to forgive them of their sins, that Jesus came into this world to pay the price for their sins on the cross, and that He rose again on the third day just as scriptures said.

Just a couple weeks before this message in Revelation 20, we learned about the Great White Throne Judgment, and how all those who aren’t written in the book of life will appear there to be judged by God and sent to the lake of fire (hell) for all eternity. That after this life there are no more chances, and now is our time to determine our eternity; that all our eternity hinges on putting our faith in Jesus Christ.

As I finished the sermon I felt this assurance in my own heart that God was ministering to me more than I was to them, that heaven is so near, and that to live is Christ and to die is gain. I remember thinking that the best gift a person can have in this world is knowing where they will spend the next.

Our brothers and sisters in Sutherland Springs are now experiencing their home, the place where their Lord and Savior is, the place where there are no more tears, no more sorrow, no more pain. They are home.

Like all of us, we don’t know when our time is up, but we can know where we will be when that time comes.

We want you to know, Sutherland Springs, we love you. We are so sorry for your loss. We are heartbroken. We are grieving with you and praying for you. May the Lord pour out His love and peace in this horrible, unimaginable time, and for those of you who went home Sunday, we can’t wait to meet you when our time comes to go home.

May God bless each and every one of you with the assurance of eternity.

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me,“Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:1-8).

Here are resources and ways to help in light of the recent shooting in Las Vegas Sunday Night. We continue to pray for the victims, their families and the city.

I have run out of fingers & toes to count tragedies. Just in the US and just in the last five years, over 20 mass shootings have taken place in locations as diverse as a Colorado movie theater and a Florida airport, a Connecticut elementary school and an Arkansas night club, a South Carolina Church, a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, and an office Christmas party in San Bernardino, California.

All but one of the perpetrators have been men (the lone woman was an accomplice of her husband). A few were declared supporters of the Islamic terror organization, ISIS. Most took their own lives. Only a few survived to stand trial.

However, the most remarkable element in every sad case, has been the response of those who rushed in to either stop the attacks or come to the aid of victims. Some heroes were targeted themselves. Some were passersby, unable to watch evil unfold unchallenged before them.

In dark moments like these, everyone reacts, but some (often too few) respond in ways that surprise us all, as agents of hope & healing.

The words “react” and “respond” are technically synonyms, but there is a significant difference between a visceral, knee-jerk reaction and a thoughtful, redemptive response.

Initial reactions range from tears, screams, hate-filled accusations, profanity-laced threats, retaliation and emotional breakdowns. However, helpful responses open doors of escape in the midst of chaos.

In the aftermath of these tragedies, stories of such responses always emerge. Trained officers raced toward gunfire in Las Vegas. But also civilians, became rescuers, covering and carrying victims to safety. They were all just decent people helping friends and strangers.

Personal vehicles became makeshift ambulances. Wheelbarrows became stretchers to rush the injured toward safety. Young men & women placed themselves in danger to shield the targeted from flying bullets or carry victims to safety, though most had no idea from which direction the shots were originating, as the concert ground became the “killing-field” of a deranged sniper perched 32 floors above them and about a quarter mile away.

These first responders, professionals and volunteers were doing what they could to provide refuge. Their sole hope was survival for themselves and those around them. The best of those present in Las Vegas on the evening of October 1 were standing between life and death, as shields of defense.

We have once again been reminded that true evil exists.

We are baffled at the depths of darkness to which a man’s heart can sink. Yes, we are all sinners, capable of great depravity. Many have pointed out that each one of us is capable of any heinous act. Nonetheless, this all seems so senseless.

All the same questions will be posed again, by reporters, journalists, radio talk show hosts, co-workers, family and friends. “Were there warning signs?” “Where does violence come from?” “Why is it so prevalent?” “And why has such extreme violence become so commonplace?” It seems ironic that as I write this, sitting in a coffee shop, a woman has just walked in with two young girls ages 10 or 11. Both girls are wearing taekwondo t-shirts, and as the woman places her order, the girls practice a mock attack. One girl plays the assailant, picking up a metal thermos bottle, and in slo-mo, with teeth-bared like a Doberman dog, brings the “weapon” across the face of her “victim,” who recoils with a practiced, dramatic scowl, slowly rolling her head away from the point of impact, until the adult intervenes with “knock it off girls!” Moments earlier, I saw an Instagram pic, posted within hours of the Las Vegas massacre showing two early teenaged Aussie brothers looking viciously into a camera with pirate swords drawn and standing in a threatening pose. Apparently, the desire for dominance lives in a good number of us.

Why is there violence? It has become sport on every screen of every size. We must remind ourselves that we indeed live in a terribly broken world. Senseless violence happens all over the world every day.

Every outbreak is a reminder that we need a savior.

The bigger question is “How do we who follow Jesus respond in the presence of such evil and heartbreak? Here is what I know for sure:

1. We must not allow ourselves to be frozen in fear. We can’t hide away. We must be present with grace, hope, kindness. We must openly speak of Jesus as the hope and healer of the wounded heart and shattered life.

2. We must weep with those who weep, entering into their suffering as Jesus did with Mary & Martha over their brother Lazarus’ recent death, even though He was about to call him back to life.

3. We must intercede for those wounded & the families of all lost victims as they seek to recover from their profound loss.

4. We must intercede for America. This has gone too far & too long (2 Chronicles 7:14).

5. We must seek God for our next action step. Perhaps giving blood or donating through an online fund to help cover crisis expenses to those in need. We could team up with a Las Vegas church, asking for street teams of Good Samaritans to pray and comfort the shaken people of their city.

It is time for the Church to step outside the churches to BE the Church on the battleground of our streets. Jesus has no hands & feet on earth but ours. No voice speaking truth, hope & healing, and Gospel to hurting souls around us but our voice.

In Exodus 3, God told Moses, “I have seen, heard & know of the suffering of My people, and I have come to deliver them.” Then to Moses’ surprise, God said,”…And I am sending you to bring My people out.” May we hear God speaking those same words to us.

Moses felt inadequate. So do I. But it is time to move beyond being “reactionaries” and become “first responders” for the Prince of Peace.

As people around the world have heard the news, Barcelona, Spain, suffered a terrorist attack on Thursday, August 17, 2017, when a van plowed into a crowd filled with people from around the world in a famous area for tourism, an area called the Rambla.

Fifteen people have died and over 120 wounded from 34 different countries in two separate attacks.

The Rambla is a pedestrian walkway in the middle of a street that starts at Plaza Cataluña and ends at the harbor. It’s a 1.2k stretch that is usually packed with people taking a walk in a corridor, full of restaurants, pavement cafés and souvenir shops displaying their wares to the public. The Rambla was originally a wadi that allows heavy rain to flow from the mountains nearby into the sea and was converted to a beautiful walkway with trees lined up on both sides.

That Thursday evening was an ordinary evening, full of the late summer tourism. People from all over the world were doing their sightseeing. Locals were heading back to work, and shops were reopening for their evening schedule. My household was preparing a meal in the kitchen, and I was at my office doing some computer work when the headlines caught my attention of what had just started to take place. A driver in a van jumped the curb and plowed into the crowds walking down the Rambla. As it continued down the pedestrian walkway, it zigzagged in order to capture as many people it could. It traveled around 700 meters until it finally stopped with its front end severely damaged and its driver escaping into the crowded area.

I quickly turned on the TV, and we watched in horror of what just happened.

The area that this occurred in is an area that I have frequently visited, especially when friends come to visit and I show them around the city. I have a picture of my dad when he came to visit me last year, right at the spot where the van started its journey. We quickly started to contact other church members to see if everyone was all right. We are a little church plant from Costa Mesa that started about two years ago, so we only have about 16 members, and it wasn’t too hard to contact everyone that comes to the church. We started to stay in touch through social media, as our members contacted their friends and loved ones, but everyone was safe. We stayed glued to the TV to see how the story was developing.

Many Catalans where shocked to hear the news since it has been fairly quiet in Spain regarding terrorist attacks. They thought that only other European countries directly involved in the wars of the Middle East where going to be attacked. This event has caused some anger against Muslims and Arab people, and some right wing sentiment is starting to grow. When I went to take some pictures of the memorials that people left at the locations, where people got injured or killed, there was a solemn atmosphere, and people were looking more often behind their backs. We will see if this causes people to think about their mortality, and maybe think about the questions that most people just try to ignore: Who am I? Why am I here, and where am I going?

Cataluña is very cold spiritually, colder than any other part of Spain. Most see the Christian faith through the eyes of their Catholic history and the inquisition that occurred here in Spain.

So many young Catalans see religion as part of history and not really needed in their lives. Hopefully, these events will open up a door in sharing the true Christ to others.

A few of our members went out to join the Billy Graham team to pray for the tourist on the Rambla. They went out, giving tracts to people for a couple of evenings, and we are going to continue to see, as God leads, how we can take these opportunities to share Christ to others and give people hope.

We were told by the news broadcast that Spain was warned that there was going to be a terrorist attack on the Rambla two months prior, and that Isis was looking to attack coastal cities around the Mediterranean region. After the attack, Isis did claim responsibility, and the news lately has it that more attacks will be coming to Spain, as Isis looks to reclaim land that the Muslims used to control for about eight centuries in central and southern Spain called Andalusia.

Since Spain borders Africa in the south, many North Africans such as Moroccans and Algerians have migrated to Spain over the centuries. The men that Isis recruited happened to be young Moroccans in their late teens and 20s, with some of them being fully assimilated into Spanish culture. They spoke Spanish and Catalan and had many friends outside their culture.

The biggest problem we have is that Muslim youth have nothing to really live for here in Spain.

We have about 40% unemployment with youth, so it’s difficult to find employment, especially among North African immigrants. Young immigrants also find it hard to live in Western culture that is full of the sins and practices that Islam preaches against, so they get caught in a tug of war between living out their parents’ faith or giving into Western culture with all it’s sins. When these youth get frustrated over the status quo, they are easily recruited to a cause, to fight for Allah, to take over Muslim land and clean out its sins. Young people are always looking for a cause to give their lives to, so Isis fills in that vacuum with their agenda.

I think we have opportunities to reach these youth and give them another cause to think about, to give their lives to, to fight for, and that is the cause for Christ. If we could find ways to “speak their language,” we could possibly make some inroads into reaching the lost in these communities.

In light of the recent events that have taken place on English soil, may our spirits be stirred to continue to pray for the hearts and the hope of the people all around us who are grieving and searching, that they might be looking to Jesus. For HE ALONE is the answer to the real need of the human condition today.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not just foundational to our faith, it is the single strategy that deals with every kind of sin and act of terror that is performed or plotted by or against the human heart. Only Jesus can change the heart and deal with the root issue of all that is wrong in our world today. May our love not diminish or grow cold in these days, and may our prayers be increasing for the hurting and lost people of our time.

I just want to encourage us to consider these three precious truths today…

1. Each day is precious.

Don’t put off to tomorrow what can and should be done today. Life is precious, and we only always live life in a today. Yesterday and tomorrow are mere perspectives, so that we might look back at todays that are no more and look ahead to todays that might come. But when it comes to our lifetime, living all we ever have is a today.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34).

2. Each soul is precious.

Don’t harbor any ill will toward anyone or leave room for any bitterness or unforgiveness in your heart. See people with Christ’s eyes and remember that Christ gave Himself and died for each and every soul. Let us love more freely and more urgently. Let us be sobered by the thought that for some who are suffering today or who have even become the victims of violent acts of terror, they just might be moving from one act of suffering or terror into an eternity of suffering and terror if they did not have the salvation that is found only in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let us rise up in the strength of the Lord and share the good news of His salvation from day to day.
“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24).

3. Christ is the most precious of all.

Don’t miss the opportunity to meet with Jesus each and every day. He is the reason for our living and the purpose of our existence. Jesus is what we are really searching and longing for, and only He can fulfill the desire of our heart! Jesus is the greatest treasure, and we should always treasure that which is the greatest. He is the value of all our values and the source and substance of all that we hold dear! His death on the cross of Calvary and His glorious resurrection changes everything! The Holy Spirit succeeds where the human spirit fails.
“My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26).
O how precious is every day…and every soul…and the One who makes us whole!

“To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8).