Summary: Shalom! We have an imperative command to PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM. What shall we pray?

SHALOM---JERUSALEM.

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)

Since the beginning of time there has been conflict and war. Satan hates God and God’s people. Then it comes to a human head with a SLAVE WOMAN HAGAR and her son ISHMAEL --- VS THE FREE WOMAN SARAH and her son ISAAC…

*SHALOM: a greeting and salutation when meeting or parting, PEACE. To be full, to be well, good health, prosperity, complete, whole.

THE FIRST RECORD OF SHALOM AS A GREETING IS SPOKEN BY AN ANGEL TO GIDEON…

Judges 6:23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. 24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Judges 6:23 (NLT2) “It is all right,” the LORD replied. “Do not be afraid. You will not die.”

24 And Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and named it Yahweh-Shalom (which means “the LORD is peace”). The altar remains in Ophrah in the land of the clan of Abiezer to this day

*ZIONISM: started in 1897, a movement of self-determination for Jewish statehood. A DESIRE TO RETURN TO ISRAEL, to re-establish, develop and protect. God put a desire in the Jewish people to re-establish and return to Israel even though they had never lived there.

In 1917 THE BALFOUR DECLARATION WAS ISSUED BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.

This declaration announced during WW 1 that England supported the establishment of a national homeland for the Jewish people. The world rose up to be against the Balfour Declaration… India was the chief leading nation to oppose ZIONISM… Then Europe turned to oppose.

The USA started supporting the call to establish Israel as a Jewish nation.

5 ARAB NATIONS SWORE TO DEFEAT THE STATE OF ISRAEL… ON MAY 14, 1948 ISRAEL WAS RECOGNIZED AS A JEWISH NATION. EGYPT, JORDAN, LEBANON, SYRIA, IRAN AND IRAQ… ARE MUSLIM MAJORITY COUNTRIES AND ARE VERY HOSTILE …

JERUSALEM HAS BEEN CONQUERED DOZENS OF TIMES. The enemies of God reduced Israel and Jerusalem to absolute rubble at least 5 times… ABRAHAM, GOD’S PEOPLE AND JESUS’ FEET HAVE WALKED OVER THE SOIL OF ISRAEL…

TODAY JERUSALEM IS A DIVIDED CITY… WITH A POPULATION OF A MILLION WITH AROUND 19,000 PEOPLE PER SQUARE MILE… Most people that work in the city limits live outside the city limits. Around 400,000 people in Jerusalem are Arabic or some form of Islam … THERE IIS A SAD FACT ABOUT JERUSALEM --- ONLY 2% ACCEPT JESUS AS THE MESSIAH. Only about 20,000 are CHRISTIAN. TODAY ISRAEL IS A WAR TORN AND DIVIDED NATION. The enemies of Israel have infiltrated the nation.

ISRAEL IS ONE OF THE SMALLEST NATIONS OF THE WORLD. (Ranked 153 in size.) 290 MILES, 470 KILOMETERS LONG, 85 MILES, 115 KILOMETER AT THE WIDEST POINT… It takes roughly 90 minutes to drive across. 6 hours to drive north to south. The whole nation of Israel is about the size of NEW JERSEY… ¼ the size of Kentucky. 31 Israel’s would fit in Texas.

ISRAEL IS SURROUNDED BY 5 MUSLIM NATIONS THAT HATE HER AND HAVE VOWED TO DESTROY HER.

TO THE NORTH IS LEBANON --- SYRIA TO THE NORTHEAST --- JORDAN TO THE EAST --- EGYPT TO THE SOUTH --- IRAN TO THE WEST --- IRAQ TO THE EAST --- THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA TO THE WEST…

LET US GO TO GOD’S HOUSE… TO PRAY…

Psalm 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. 2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. 3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: 4 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD. 5 For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. 7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. 8 For my brethren and

companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. 9 Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.

ISRAEL IS SURROUNDED BY ENEMIES AND THE TIDE OF THE WORLD AS A WHOLE HATES ISRAEL.

PALESTINIAN PEOPLE VOW TO PUSH ISRAEL INTO THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. THE TERRORIST VOW TO RECLAIM THE LAND…

PSALM WAS A BOOK OF SONGS THAT WERE OFTEN SANG AT THE STEPS OF THE TEMPLE

VERSE 6: SECURITY FROM EXTERNAL FORCES… SAFETY

VERSE 7: UNITY AND HARMONY AMONG THOSE THAT DWELL IN ISRAEL.

VERSE 8: THE WELLNESS (HEALTH) AND WHOLENESS OF THE FAMILIES

VERSE 9: RELIGIOUS, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY…

HERE IS HOW WE SHOULD PRAY:

*PRAY FOR PEACE WITHIN… ABSENCE OF WAR…

*PRAY FOR JOY…

*PRAY FOR SAFETY…

*PRAY FOR SECURITY FROM EXTERNAL FORCES…

*PRAY ISRAEL NEEDS A NEW HOPE…

*PRAY AGAINST ALL ENEMY attacks to be brought to naught…

*Pray for unity in Israel

* Pray for HARMONY among the peoples

*Pray for Israel’s economic prosperity

*Pray WHOLENESS, COMPLETE ISRAEL NEEDS GODLY COMPASSION AND WISDOM IN THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS NATION…

*PRAY THAT THERE WILL BE FREEDOM TO WORSHIP THE MESSIAH…

THE BIBLE WARNS US… WHEN YOU SEE THE ARMIES…

Luke 21:20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

Luke 21:20 (MSG) "When you see soldiers camped all around Jerusalem, then you'll know that she is about to be devastated.

Luke 21:20 (NLT2) “And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived.

WE MUST LIVE ABOVE WORRY AND FEAR…

Luke 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

CONCLUSION: Pretend with me. I am in the Army and been stationed overseas for 2 years. I write home and tell my wife I will be home in 20 days. She writes me back, please don’t come home, stay there for another year. One of two things are true. 1. She never loved me in the first place. Or 2. She has been unfaithful to me.

Something is wrong if we do not desire the soon return of Jesus.

Revelation 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 21.The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)