Garrett okay, lets see what you got. Male if you can convince america and the rest of the world to desert an amazing country and ally like israel, then youll all deserve a raise. Kent well hold you to that. Female welcome aboard, gentlemen. And thank you for flying the friendly skies. Your seats are right here. Male so let me guess, were going on a trip to israel. Male i am so excited. Israel promises to be the trip of a lifetime. Joseph but i wonder if our friendship with israels keeping us from meeting new friends in the middle east. Male what . Kent this is your pilot speaking. I know you expected to travel to israel today. But the middle east beckons us to meet exotic people and experience fascinating cultures outside israels borders. Joseph this trip will be swell. Female theres a whole lot of land beyond the holy land. Kent just look out your window. It may surprise you how peace, on the rich shorelines of egypt, jordan, syria, and saudi arabia. Male i think its time we visit someplace new. Joseph hats right. We shouldnt forget about the goodhearted people on the other side of israels borders. Kent gentlemen, its guaranteed youll make new friends and bring home new memories to last a lifetime from all just beyond the Promised Land. Mal i doubt that america will ever abandon israel, but this was good. Kent so . Garrett you convinced me. You all get a raise. [music] David Jeremiah the nation to americas survival. Hello, im David Jeremiah, and i invite you to stay tuned as i explain the statement ive just made. Youre watching a series called, i never thought id see the day culture at the crossroads, where we have considered some of the disconcerting developments happening in our world today. The title of todays message, i never thought id see the day when america would turn her back on israel explains how america has begun to look beyond israel for allies in the middle east. I believe she does so at her peril. For god has said clearly in his word that nations who abandon israel will not be blessed by him. And there are many examples in history that prove gods word. So join me as i explain why israel is the key to americas survival on todays edition of turning point. Announcer dr. David jeremiah explains how our culture collides with the bible i never thought id see the day culture at the crossroads. Inside, dr. Jeremiah carefully examines nine cultural shifts he never imagined he would witness in his lifetime including marriage becoming obsolete, the bible being marginalized, america turning its back on israel, and more. Dr. Jeremiah doesnt just identify these dangerous trends, he delivers a message of hope for the future and explains how we, as christians, should respond to our changing society. Receive thisuch needed timely study as a thank you from dr. Jeremiah when you give a gift of any amount in support of this program. If your donation totals 60 or more, dr. Jeremiah will send you the i never thought id see the day study set which contains i never thought id see the day paperback book; dr. Jeremiahs complete Teaching Series on dvd including the account miniseries, plus two messages not seen in this television airing; and a correlating study guide. By viewers like you. Dr. Jeremiah will send you these resources in appreciation when you give to the ministry of turning point today. [music] david i believe that americas future depends in large part on one simple factor our relationship to the tiny nation of israel. And given the Political Trends in recent years, i believe that america is putting her future at risk. We supported israel in the mid 20th century when she was reformed politically in her homeland. And if we do not return to our previous supportive policies toward israel, our future as a nation is in peril. It is clear that americas leaders, at least in recent administrations, have not been looking at israel with spiritual had they done so, one small verse would have guided all of their policy decisions and that verse is genesis 12 3 which says, i will bless those who bless you, and i will curse those who curse you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. And god has a perfect track record, men and women, for keeping his promises, a fact that is demonstrated by several thousand years of history. Yet, ispite of gods welldemonstrated trustworthiness, american leaders in recent years have rationalized and justified their way into denying israel the Free Expression of her sovereignty as a nation. America has tolerated and coddled and even financially supported some of israels neighbors who have openly declared that their goal is to drive the jewish people from their homeland and scatter them back into their pre1948 homes to exterminate them altogether. No nation should take lightly the promise of god in genesis 12 3, if for no other reason than selfpreservation. And that includes america. Even if american leaders dont fully understand or agree with the judeochristian teachings of the bible, matching up genesis 12 3 with the thousands of years of history involving israel should be convincing enough. Bless israel and you will be blessed. Curse israel and you will be cursed. What is so special about israel . To answer that question, we have to look briefly at the beginning of the nation of israel. While israel is often called gods chosen people, it is more accurate to say that god chose a person by the name of abraham. Rather than choosing an existing nation, god chose a man and created and his wife sarah. That nation became gods chosen people. Actually, the phrase chosen people does not even occur in the bible in the new king james version. But there are abundant references in scripture to the idea. Psalm 33 12 says, blessed is the nation whose god is the lord, and the people he has chosen as his own inheritance. People who recognize gods purposes for israel and do whatever they can to preserve and protect and defend israel will likewise be preserved and protected and defended. God will see to it. And let me ask you, has god blessed us through israel . He gave us his wd through the israeli people. He gave us our savior through the people of israel. He gave us the code of law through moses, which is now the basis of jurisprudence in every free nation in the world. Oh, yes, we have been blessed by the people of israel, and people who stand in the way of israels prosperity will find themselves standing in the direct path of gods purposes for israel. And history gives us the tragic story of what happens to anyone, individually or nationally, who puts himself in that unenviable position. Gods providence in the story of israel. Notice secondly, gods promise of a land for israel. Part of gods promise to abraham was a land in which he and his descendants would dwell. That land was known as canaan when abraham first arrived there and it became known as the Promised Land when israel moved in following the exodus from egypt. Not only did god promise to abraham the land from the river of egypt to the great river, the river euphrates, he also promised to abrahams son, isaac, and he promised it to isaacs son, jacob, and he promised it to jacobs 12 sons and i have all the scriptures marked down in my notes. Israel moved into this land and prospered exceedingly. She became rich and powerful, to be reckoned with under the successive reigns of her great kings, david and solomon. But then the nation fell away. It fell away from godly principles to the point that god stepped in and allowed the jewish people to be conquered and dispersed throughout all the nations of the world. Israel began moving back to her land following world war i, under the british mandate of palestine. And then in earnest following world war ii. Tension developed between the returning jews and the arabs who were then living in the land who did not then and have not since taken kindly to israel coming home. This tension came to a head when israel state was announced in 1948. The bottom line is simply this. And god gave it to his people as an inheritance rever. Thats what the scripture says. Israel is not taking land that she does not deserve. She is just occupying the land that was given to her by god. E is not doing something that she should not do, for which she should apologize or stand in defense. She is simply doing what god allowed her to do by his promise to her in the scripture. The jews were not restored to their homeland because they earned the right or turned back to god. In fact, if you know whats going on in israel today, you know its primarily a zionist movement. Its not such a spiritual movement. So far, they have failed as a people to embrace jesus as the messiah, though the bible tells us one day they will. But israel remains to this day, the apple of gods eye and woe to any nation including the United States that tries to deny that fact preference, or popularity. Gods providence in the story of israel and his promise of a land for israel. Lets talk for a few moments about gods punishment of the enemies of israel. I will bless those who bless thee, and curse those who curse thee. Zechariah 2 8 says, for thus says the lord of hosts, he sent me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you, israel, touches the apple of his eye. later in the ninth chapter of his prophecy, zechariah mentions by name some of the nations that would fall under gods judgment because of their attitude toward israel. These are old nations, some of which we may not know about but the nation of hadrach and damascus and hamath and tyre and sidon and ashkelon and gaza and ekron and ashdon, a roll call, literally, a roll call of the people against gods chosen people and they were all decimated in history. And then zechariah says at the end of the ninth chapter, speaking here for god and im reading it from the message, i will set up camp in my home country and defend it against the invaders. Nobody is going to hurt my people ever again. Im keeping my eye on them. Gods statement concerning the people of israel. Just as zechariah called the roll call of ancient local nations that cursed israel and were, in turn, cursed by god, we can see from our perspective and add even more ancient and modern names to the list ypt, all of the ite nations surrounding the Promised Land, the amorites, the kezzites, the girgashites, somebody said the termites. Later nations included assyria and babylon and greece under alexander the great, the roman empire, the spanish inquisition, many modern arab nations, the postholocaust germany. Not all of these nations were totally destroyed but all of them suffered various degrees of judgment and i believe it was because of their illtreatment of gods people. We come now to gods preservation of america because of israel. From americas founding, the jews have been a welcome part of this nation. Ever since the first 23 jewish immigrants landed in new amsterdam, which was later new york city, in 1654, americas official posture toward jews on american so has always been positive. And the same can be said of americas initial posture toward the newly reformed nation of israel her homeland in 1948 and the decades immediately following. I am very proud that america was the first nationo recognize israel in her statehood. By Many American president s supporting the idea of israels right to someday be united in their ancient homeland. Go back through history and you will find that john adams, john quincy adams, woodrow wilson, warren harding, herbert hoover, franklin roosevelt, just to name a few, more recent president s, eisenhower, kennedy, johnson, nixon, ford, carter, and reagan, are also on record as supporters of the nation of israel. America, ladies and gentlemen, has been israels best friend in the world, and i maintain that america has been blessed because of how we have blessed israel. But something has changed. And i find it more than coincidental that americas prosperity and posture and place in the world have begun to decline at the same time that our commitment to israel has weakened. If americas leaders continue israel, we should not expect gods blessing in return. Thats exactly what genesis 12 3 says and im just bold enough to believe it. Do not think the promises of god can be compromised or renegotiated at the bargaining table. God has spoken about israel and his words never fail to accomplish the purpose for which they were sent. Gods preservation of america because of israel. Number five. Weve talked out gods providence in the story of israel, gods promise of a land for israel, gods pushment of the enemies of israel, and gods preservation of america becau of israel. Now, let me talk about gods program for the church and israel. Integrity demands that i address a point that i fear may be unknown to many christians. Many church leaders, pastors, professors, bible teachers, and others, are contributing lack of faithfulness to israel. They are preaching and teaching what is called replacement theology. This view holds that the modern state of israel has no modern relevance, that israel of the Old Testament has been replaced by the chuh of the new testament, that any unfulfilled Old Testament prophecies pertaining to the nation of israel have found spiritual fulfillment in the blessings of the church through jesus chst. Generally speaking, replacement theology denies a present and future role for israel and the land promised to her and totally denies anything relevant about the millennium. Well, if they dont believe its true now, im gonna tell you, its coming. Listen to me. Romans 11 says, and all israel will be saved, as it is written, the deliverer will come out of zion,nd he will turn away ungodliness from jacob; for this is when i take away their sins. god has been at work for thousands of years in israel and we need to step back from the trees and look at the forest. What has happened in israel since 1948 is nothing short of miraculous when viewed from the perspective of ad 70 when the jews were last in jerusalem. God told israel through the prophet jeremiah that there is only one condition under which israel would ever cease to be a nation before him. Do you know what the condition was . Let me read you the scripture. This is what the bible says has got to happen before israel ceases to be a nation. Thus says the lord, who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, who disturbs the sea, and its waves roar the lord of hosts is his name , if those ordinances depart from before me, of israel shall also cease from being a nation from before me forever. thus says the lord, if heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, i will also cast off the seed of israel and all those that they have done, says the lord. The next time you walk out into the night, look up at the sky and remember that god said before israel ceases to be a nation, the sky and all of the planets in the sky and all of the earth and all the ordinances that hold them together, all of those will have to cease before god ceases to acknowledge israel as a nation. Thats just the truth. [congregation applauding] and finally, i wanna talk for you in just a moment about gods plan for the peace of israel. Scripture makes it clear that, to the degree america stands with gods chosen people, will enjoy the favor of god. This i know, genesis 12 3 promises that god blesses those who ess abraham, jewish descendants, and as a citizen of america, i want to enjoy the favor of god upon my nation. If i were a political leader in america, it would be incumbent upon me to lead this nation in such a way as to invite his favor. So why would i knowingly diminish americas support for the one nation to which god ties his promise of blessing or cursing . The history of nations that have abused the jewish people provides more than enough examples of the inevitable doom they bring down upon their own heads. You and i can do two things to influence americas support of israel. First, we can use whatever means are available to influence those who establish National Policies in washington. We can vote, we can write letters, we can call our senators, in short, we can fulfill the dream of the founders who wanted our nation to be governed by the consent of those who were governed. We are the governed who need to make our voices heard saying, the United States simply needs to recognize that israeli lands belong to the jewish people and that jerusalem is, indeed, the capital of israel and has been ever since god declared it to be so. And last but not least, we can pray for israel. We can pray for our leaders and we can pray fothe peace of israel. God has called us to be friends to the people of israel. Ive been asked all through the years why americas not mentioned in biblical prophecy. And ive always had some interesting answers, like, maybe were not in biblical prophecy biblical prophecy happens weve fallen on our own moral sword and selfdestructed. We seem to be pretty much on the way to do that. Ive also said that maybe we are locked in with the European Coalition and so when the bible was written, since weve come from europe, theyve included us in the European Coalition. I really dont believe thats the reason. When i was preaching on the economic armageddon, i said, maybe we arent included because by the time the prophecy things happen the new testament, weve gone bankrupt and were out of business. Were certainly on our way to that too. Another reason that ive often offered is we are no longer a power in the future because all these events that happen in the future take place after the rapture and some estimates are that a huge portion of america will be gone and many of the leaders will be gone. I think probably ose statisticsater exaggated. May not be as many people gone think. In the prophetic future because have forgotten israel in our National Policy . What if we have turned our back on the nation that god promised us would bless us if we blessed them . And by the time these events happen, weve gone so far down the road of passivity and neutrality toward israel that god has removed his hand of blessg totally from this nation . Its something to think about. Israel today, right now, this very day, is in the most serious situation she has been in since the nation was born in 1948. So lets pray that god will help us to be faithful to our calling and to win people of israel to christ. You know, many jewish people are coming to the lord. So lets pray for israel. Dav it has been said that the continued survival is the greatest proof available for the existence of a loving god. A nation that has wandered the world for centuries is gradually being regathered as a measure of gods faithful grace and goodne. And there is a wonderful lesson in israels history for all of us. Regardless of how far we might have