No Easy Task 

    part 3 of 4

     Joel Rosenberg, of Jerusalem, founder of the Joshua Fund nonprofit, may know the Middle East as well as anyone. In his September interview, he said, "Finally, the conditions are ripening for people to at least listen carefully, seriously. This is what we see everywhere we go." 

     As for the expectation that Jesus must return before there is lasting peace, Rosenberg says, "It's certainly true that lasting peace won't come until Jesus Christ returns to establish His reign over the planet. People say to me, the antichrist is going to create a deceptive peace with Israel Daniel chapter 9. That will happen."

     "But Jesus said, 'Blessed are the peacemakers' Matthew 5:9. The Psalmist tells us to seek peace and pursue it Psalm 34:14. Paul in Romans 12:18 tells us to be at peace with all men to the extent it depends on us. Ecclesiastes 3:8 says there is a time for war, and a time for peace.'" 

     "Let's at least ask. God can say no if He has other plans, but let's be faithful in praying and being peacemakers to the extent that we can." Regarding Palestinians, Rosenberg says, "For followers of Jesus Christ, our job is to love Israel and her neighbors. Compassion."

     "Too many Christians who love Israel haven't thought about their Biblical obligation to love Israel's neighbors - and even Israel's enemies. But that's what Jesus practiced. He went into Judea and Samaria. He went into Lebanon. He crossed the Jordan River and ministered in the country now called Jordan. The Gospel spread all through Syria."

  Conclusion tomorrow