(9)...that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: "For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name."
10 And again he says: "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!"
11 And again: "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!"
12 And again, Isaiah says: "There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope."
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
14 Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
God is working throughout the Middle East even though these are turbulent times. A God Reports article, written by Charles Gardner, stated recently: "The Bible Society, which operates around the globe, reports that more than 2,000 Iranians are turning to Jesus every single day!" It cited this example:
One 92-year-old believer, whenever she’s on a bus, pulls out a small book and asks her neighbor to help her read the tiny font.
In fact, she is secretly getting strangers to read the gospels. Every time she does it, the person sitting next to her ends up taking a New Testament home.
This is brave work in a land where leaving Islam is potentially punishable by death. But the Iranian revival is good news for Israel – and the Jews! For these dear people have been taught by their government and mullahs that Israel is their archenemy.
The article goes on to note:
For the strict Islamic state of Iran, whose rulers want to wipe out the Jewish people just as Hitler did and who are chief sponsors of monstrous terrorist groups like Hamas, is now the focus of a Christian revival where some two million people have discovered that Jesus, the Jew, is the Savior of the world.
As the mosques shut down in great numbers, passionate Christians are filling the vacuum, though of necessity staying ‘underground’ for now, out of sight of the religious police.
The latest upheaval in the Middle East comes as no surprise to God, and we must continue to recognize the spiritual nature of what is taking place and to be in prayer. Gardner writes:
The Islamic foundations are crumbling for the chief sponsors of terrorism, a fact graphically prophesied by the psalmist thousands of years ago when he wrote of them: “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more. With one mind they plot together, forming an alliance against you.” (Psalm 83:4f)
We do recognize that in the last days, according to Ezekiel 38, there will be an alliance that will come against Israel and God will intervene - that scenario is seemingly becoming closer to reality, which is why we ideally should have a greater sense of urgency to demonstrate and share the love and truth of Christ with those around us.
This is a time of intense spiritual warfare, and we must be prayerful and understanding of what is occurring in the world today. Gardner writes:
It’s important that we see the big picture of the unfolding spiritual warfare taking place. When Jesus sent out the 72 disciples to spread the gospel (as recorded in Luke 10:19,21), he told them he had given them authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy.
And he was full of joy through the Holy Spirit because God had hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to babes.
It is not the proud and arrogant who will inherit the earth, but the meek and humble. And the latter will also be granted a clear-sighted vision of what is really happening amidst the turmoil of these terrible times which are surely preparing the way for our Lord Yeshua’s return.
We also can give God thanks for the encouraging reports out of Iran - while governmental leaders around the world attempt to persecute the church, nevertheless out of that affliction, God is raising up His Church. And, it could result in a tipping point in the nation of Iran, where so many believers face penalties, even death, for sharing the gospel. But, the Lord is very actively acting according to His will in our world today.
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