BIG DEAL JERUSALEM

WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT JERUSALEM?

WE DON’T SEE THE WORLD FIGHTING OVER BANGKOK OR SYDNEY…….PARIS OR COPENHAGEN?

                                       

WHY DOES EVERYONE THINK IT’S THEIRS AND THEY HAVE SOME SPECIAL CLAIM TO IT?

                                                    

WHY DOES THE REST OF THE WORLD FEEL THEY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DECIDE ITS STATUS AND DESTINY?

                              
                                                              

WHY DOES JERUSALEM MEAN “CITY OF PEACE” WHEN EVERYONE FIGHTS OVER IT?

                                                                               

EVER ASK YOURSELF ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS?

                                              

 IF YOU SPEND ANY TIME AT ALL READING OR LISTENING TO CURRENT EVENTS, YOU HAVE TO WONDER A BIT ABOUT JERUSALEM. IT’S A HOT TOPIC!

                                                         

I CAN THINK OF A FEW THINGS THAT MAKE IT SPECIAL RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.                                                   

                                                               
                                
FIRST, THE PROPHET EZEKIEL TELLS US THE LORD SAYS, “THIS IS JERUSALEM, WHICH I HAVE SET IN THE CENTER OF THE NATIONS.”  (Ezekiel 5:5)  SO THAT WOULD MAKE JERUSALEM THE CENTER OF THE WORLD MAP! IS THAT WHAT MAKES IT SO ATTRACTIVE?

                                                                                                                                                  

KING DAVID COMMANDS US IN PSALM 122:6-9 TO PRAY FOR JERUSALEM’S PEACE. IF WE DO, WE WILL BE SECURE. SO MUCH  FOR WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION TO PROVIDE SECURITY! WHICH NATIONS ARE FOLLOWING THIS MODEL?

                                                                    

ACCORDING TO THE PSALMIST IN PSALM 137:5-6, IF WE FORGET JERUSALEM, OUR RIGHT HAND WILL FORGET ITS SKILL AND OUR TONGUES CLING TO THE ROOF OF OUR MOUTHS! YIKES! SCARY TO THINK WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE! BUT NO ONE IS FORGETTING JERUSALEM. SHE IS THE FOCUS OF INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION SO THIS IS CURRENTLY NOT AN ISSUE. I GUESS IF WE KEEP OUR EYES OPEN WE WILL NOTICE WHEN IT’S A PROBLEM. J

                                                               

IN FACT, WE ARE TO CONSIDER JERUSALEM OUR HIGHEST JOY! (PSALM 137:6) MORE THAN POWER? MONEY? FAME? MAYBE ALL WORLD LEADERS ARE REALLY COMPETING FOR JOY?  THAT’S WORTH INVESTIGATION.

                                          

WE MUST NOT REST OR LET THE LORD REST UNTIL HE ESTABLISHES JERUSALEM AND MAKES HER A PRAISE IN ALL THE EARTH. (ISAIAH 62:7) MAYBE PEACE AND REST WILL COME IF WE JUST FOCUS ON MAKING JERUSALEM A PRAISE  IN ALL THE EARTH INSTEAD OF A POLITICAL PRIZE!

                                                     

ADONAI SAYS HE HAS CHOSEN JERUSALEM! (1 KINGS 11:13 AND EZRA 1:3). ANYONE WANT TO QUESTION G-D?

                                                           

THE PROPHET ISAIAH SAYS THE WORD OF THE LORD GOES OUT FROM JERUSALEM (ISAIAH 2:3). THAT IS CONFIRMATION - THE LORD IS IN JERUSALEM!

                                                                  

THE LORD PUT HIS NAME IN JERUSALEM (2 KINGS 21:4). DOES THAT MAKE IT HIS?

                                                        

IN FACT  ACCORDING TO THE PSALMIST IN PSALM 102:21, THE LORD'S NAME AND PRAISES ARE TO BE DECLARED IN JERUSALEM. THAT’S THE LORD, YAWEH, I AM THAT I AM!  ANY QUESTIONS?

                                                            

DAVID SAYS THE LORD DWELLS IN JERUSALEM FOREVER. I GUESS THERE’S NOT A NATION WHO CAN SUCESSFULLY KICK HIM OUT NO MATTER HOW HARD THEY MAY TRY. (1 CHRONICLES 23:25)

                                       

THE LORD SAYS THROUGH ISAIAH TO BE GLAD AND REJOICE FOREVER IN WHAT HE WILL CREATE. HE WILL CREATE JERUSALEM TO BE A DELIGHT! HE WILL REJOICE OVER HER! (ISAIAH 65:18-19) SO DESPITE ALL THE COMPETITION, YAWEH IS JERUSALEM’S BIGGEST FAN!

                                                                           

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST:

THE PROPHET ZECHARIAH SAYS ON THE DAY ALL THE NATIONS ON EARTH GATHER AGAINST JERUSALEM, THE LORD WILL MAKE HER AN IMMOVABLE ROCK! ALL WHO TRY TO MOVE HER WILL INJURE THEMSELVES…..HMMMMM THAT IS WORTH CONSIDERING!