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Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Fiery Speech Ignites Protests in Washington
It has been famously said, “There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen.” This is one of the latter. It was just last Sunday when President Biden dropped out of the 2024 race, explaining in an Oval Office address last night that he had decided to “pass the torch to a new generation.” By Monday evening, Vice President Kamala Harris had secured enough delegates to win their party’s nomination. By Tuesday, Democrats had raised more than $250 million.
In the midst of such unprecedented political news, you might have overlooked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s record fourth address to a joint meeting of Congress yesterday afternoon. He forcefully portrayed the Gaza war as a “clash between barbarism and civilization” and claimed, “Our enemies are your enemies. Our fight is your fight. And our victory will be your victory.”
Thousands of protesters against the war in Gaza converged on Washington to condemn his visit, while roughly half of House and Senate Democrats skipped his address. Mr. Netanyahu will meet today with President Biden and Vice President Harris and tomorrow with former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
A War with Hezbollah Would Dwarf the Gaza Conflict
Mr. Netanyahu’s visit comes at a fraught time for Israel:
- Houthis have claimed responsibility for a drone strike on Tel Aviv that killed one person.
- This successful attack highlights Israel’s problem in defending against such strikes.
- Two more hostages have been killed in Gaza, possibly from Israeli fire.
- Rival Palestinian factions signed a declaration aimed at building unity following talks in Beijing.
- In a landmark opinion, the United Nation’s top court declared that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is against international law.
- Israel appears closer than ever to a war with Hezbollah that would dwarf the conflict in Gaza.
As I have written often, these conflicts are ideological and spiritual at their core. Israel claims land given by God to Abraham’s Jewish descendants (cf. Genesis 12:1–3), while Muslims are equally convinced that Allah intended this land for Ishmael’s Arab descendants and that the Jews have stolen it. The leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah see this “theft” as an attack on Islam, requiring a response that would annihilate the Jewish state.
Like Israel, Christians are locked in a spiritual battle with an enemy who seeks to destroy us.
Scripture warns us: “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He is “a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44) who “comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). He attacks our Father by attacking his children (cf. Luke 22:31).
We are, therefore told:
We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).
We cannot win this battle on our own—we need a power greater than the power that opposes us.
Here’s the good news: that power is not only for us and with us—he lives in us.
Imagine Two Billion Christs in the World
I have been focusing this week on the fact that Jesus lives in every Christian by his indwelling Spirit (Colossians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 3:16) and now wants to continue his ministry through us. Dr. Mark Turman, executive director of Denison Forum, responded to my article yesterday:
All people want to live eternally and with eternal significance now. God has put “eternity in our hearts” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Only God and that which is filled with the essence of God endures and flourishes eternally. All truth is God’s truth; therefore, truth flourishes now and eternally. God is love; therefore, all that is truly loving flourishes eternally. People can by faith and grace be crucified to sin and filled with the fullness of Christ; therefore, those who have Christ in them (imparted not imitated) have “the hope of glory” and will flourish now and eternally.
Mark is right, both theologically and practically:
- We have “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). If your mind is his, what will you think today? What will you refuse to think? How much time will you spend studying Scripture, praying, and worshiping your Father?
- We are the voice of Christ (Romans 10:14–15). If your voice is his, what will you say today? What will you choose not to say?
- We are the “body” of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). If your body is his, how will you treat it? What will you feed it? What will you do with it? What will you refuse to do with it?
- If Christ is present in others (cf. Matthew 25:40), how will you treat them?
Imagine two billion Christs in the world. When Jesus said we would do “greater things” than he did (John 14:12), this was his vision.
Three Transforming Questions
So, let’s ask three transforming questions:
- Will you ask Jesus to continue his earthly ministry through you today?
- Will you then surrender your life and day to his empowering Holy Spirit?
- Will you then measure success by the degree to which others see Christ in you?
Scripture teaches that “Christ in you” is “the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).
For whose “glory” will you “hope” today?
*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.
Quote for the day:
“I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help him to do his work through me.” —Hudson Taylor
Photo Courtesy: ©Getty Images/ Michael A. McCoy/Stringer
Publish Date: July 25, 2024
Jim Denison, PhD, is a cultural theologian and the founder and CEO of Denison Ministries. Denison Ministries includes DenisonForum.org, First15.org, ChristianParenting.org, and FoundationsWithJanet.org. Jim speaks biblically into significant cultural issues at Denison Forum. He is the chief author of The Daily Article and has written more than 30 books, including The Coming Tsunami, the Biblical Insight to Tough Questions series, and The Fifth Great Awakening.
The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.
For more from the Denison Forum, please visit www.denisonforum.org.
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