The Beginning of God’s Blessings Starts Here
Have you ever heard the expression, “First things first?” Firsts are important. They are critical. And they are the foundation for everything else. That’s why it is so important that we understand God’s firsts. In Hebrew it is called the avos, or avot of a thing. It is, the father of a thing, and literally means, that which births everything else.
Genesis 12 reveals an avot we can never forget. It says, beginning within verse one:
“Now the Lord had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’”
Lies and Consequences - What's The Truth
You might be wondering, “What if I believed in replacement theology and never repented? Then ask God to forgive you and change your thinking. “What if the nation I live in has turned its back on Israel and the Jews?” Then you need to know that there are consequences. God says, in Genesis 12:3: “I will bless those that bless Israel, and I will curse those that curse Israel.” Recently Vice-President Kamala Harris was asked by a college student, “Why does America stand with Israel when they are committing genocide against the Palestinians?” She didn’t say, “Your information is incorrect.” Instead, she agreed with the student and said, “You need to have your truth spoken out.”
The student and the Vice-President aren’t alone in their interpretation of what “is the truth.” Not too long ago a Hollywood director said, “The Jews are committing genocide against the Palestinians.” He later apologized for his statement. Just because a news anchor, White House press secretary, Hollywood director, rock star, student, or a Vice-President says it’s true, doesn’t mean it is. Here’s the reality. If you make a lie big enough and say it often enough, many people will believe it.
Genocide-The Numbers Just Don't Add Up
What is the truth about Israel? Did God give them the land? Have they taken the West Bank and Gaza strip from the Palestinians? Are they committing genocide? Let’s look at the question of genocide. First, you need to understand the definition of genocide, which is, “The deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group, with the aim of destroying that nation or that group.”
The United Nations and others are saying Israel is systematically wiping out the Palestinians. Are they? To answer that question, we need to go back to 1947. The year before Israel became a nation, there were 156,000 Arabs living in the land, called at that time, Palestine. When Israel became a nation, the new government granted freedom, citizenship, positions of leadership, and service in the military, and much more to Arabs living in the land.
From 1947 to 1972, the Arab population continued to grow, increasing from 156,000 to over 472,000. From 1972 to 1990, the Arab population increased even more to 875,000. It’s obvious from those numbers that Israel wasn’t committing genocide. Arabs were not being murdered. The entire Arab populations wasn’t being wiped out. Is it possible that something happened between 1990 and 2021? Let’s look and see. Currently, 2.5 million Arabs live in the nation of Israel. Again, there is absolutely no evidence of genocide. What people have said was the truth, is clearly a lie.
Also, nowhere in the Middle East are women treated with more respect. In Israel, they are allowed equal rights, except in the nation of Israel. Free from discrimination, they hold positions of leadership, have successful businesses, and pursue educational opportunities. This is hardly the picture painted by many who say Israel is committing genocide, and are occupiers of a land that doesn’t belong to them.
This month your gift will go towards blessing Israel and providing food and shelter for the needy elderly Jews and Holocaust survivors; supporting therapy programs for traumatized youth; renovating bomb shelters for Israeli seniors; and saving lives.
Whose Land Is It Anyway - Israel and Palestine?
Let’s look at another question. Did the land ever belong to the Palestinians? The answer to that question is found in Israel’s history. God promised Abraham the land. It was given to him and his descendants forever. David, before he was king of Israel, fought the Philistine, Goliath, killed him and his brothers. Goliath was not an Arab and did not come from Palestine. He was a Greek and lived among wayfaring peoples on the shore of the oceans. Moving forward in history, Rome conquered Israel, crucified Jesus, and eventually destroyed the Jews because they refused to worship their pagan gods.
They hated the Jews so much, that the Romans removed the name Judea, wiping it off their maps, and renamed it Syria Palestina, after the arch enemies of the Jews, the Philistines. After 2,000 years, Rome renamed the land, not because of a people, or a nation, or boundaries between countries, but for one reason only, to wipe the land of the Jews, off the map.”
Nobody disputes the borders of Egypt. Nobody disputes the borders of Syria. Nobody disputes the borders of Lebanon, or Iran, or Iraq. None of them have lost their land. Yet the nations of the world call for Israel to give up land for peace. This year, there are 100 predominately Christian countries, 56 Islamic nations, and one Jewish state. God Who gave them the land makes this declaration to all nations and their people – “I will bless those that bless Israel, and I will curse those that curse Israel.”
Land For Peace - Who Wins - Who Loses
People often say, “If Israel would just give up half of the contested areas, we could have peace.” During the Trump administration, Pastor Larry was in Washington and sat down with other religious leaders, and Mr. Jason Greenblatt, one of the President’s advisors. They had invited us to Washington to discuss the U.S. policy regarding Israel. They talked about the possibilities for a peace plan. When asked about land for peace, many of the leaders said, “No land for peace.” As the meeting was concluding, Mr. Greenblatt looked at Pastor Larry and asked, “Pastor Larry, no land?” He replied boldly, “Not an inch.”
Pastor Larry painted a picture of the land deal requests, consider the Dallas Cowboys Stadium as land currently held by the Arabs. Take a matchbook and put it in one corner of the stadium. That’s Israel. The surrounding countries and nations around the world are saying, “Give us half the matchbook and then we’ll have peace.” Land for peace has never worked. Every time they’ve tried to make that deal it’s failed. That’s because the nations pressuring Israel don’t want peace. What they really want is to wipe Israel off the map. They want the Jews to no longer exist. Their only problem is God promised something and He will keep that promise. We must stand with Him for the nation of Israel.
Dr. Martin Luther King, said, “Israel must exist, and Israel has the right to exist.” President John F. Kennedy shared this same sentiment and declared, “Israel is the child of hope and the home of the brave.” Golda Meir, the former Prime Minister of Israel once said, “If the Palestinians would lay down their weapons, there would be no more war. If Israel would lay down its weapons, there would be no more Israel.”
Israel Belongs To The Jews
We currently, have new exceptional charitable opportunities for you to bless Israel’s most vulnerable citizens, children and the elderly. The first is being a blessing to hundreds of young Jewish children who have been traumatized and who are suffering from physical and emotional injuries related to living through the horrors of terror attacks near the Gaza border. We will be providing life-changing care and comfort, therapeutic activities, meals, and much more that will support their healing and recovery process. Our next projects include caring for elderly Jews. With rockets taking just second to hit their targets and over 100,000 rockets currently aimed at Israel by terrorists, this need is critical. We have pledged to provide the funding to fully renovate three outdated bomb shelters in one of the many assisted living facilities we support. These older bomb shelters in northern Israel need major restoration to provide added safety, handicapped access, and a protective barrier against chemical attacks. The remaining Jewish men and women who survived the Holocaust are needing your help now more than ever before. With all that they have endured, This Chanukah, we have a special opportunity to provide 1,000 Holiday Food Boxes so these elderly men and women can celebrate Chanukah with a sense of joy, dignity, and well-being.
Pastor Larry referenced when the enemies were closing in, Jeremiah 51:12 says, ‘Lift up a banner [for Israel]. . . . Reinforce the guard, station the watchmen,’. We, as loving Christians, are continually called to fulfill lifesaving ministry support as part of biblical prophecy.
As you and other Larry Huch Ministries friends support Israel, you are accomplishing more than you will ever know. And in return, God will bless you as He has promised in Genesis 12:3.
