He Loves Them????

There  are  days  in  our  lives  that  are  forever  stamped  in  our memory  for  the  tragedy  that unfolded in them. The day President Kennedy was shot. 9/11. Now there is October 7, 2023.

What  horrific  tragedy    unfolded  that  day  in  the  land  of  God’s  people.  What  heart-rending  stories of death and destruction. But we must not despair — this is not the end of the story.

Centuries  earlier,  in  that  same  land,    David,  a  man  after  God’s  own  heart,  prevailed  over another formidable foe of God’s people.  In an impressive victory that has become legendary, this remarkable story from its very onset became  the quintessential example of  how faith can conquer physical prowess.  Who was the defeated  foe? None other than Goliath,  a giant of a man  who struck  fear  into  the  stoutest  hearts  of  the  soldiers  in  God’s  army,  a  nine  foot,  nine inch mountain who hailed from Gath.

Gath. One of the seats of the enemies of God’s people. And yet,  in 2 Samuel 15:18, we find a strange , mind-boggling entry. This passage informs us that   600 Gittites, soldiers who hailed from  Gath,  soldiers  who  came  from  a  hotbed  of  all  things  anti-God’s  people, against all reason,  actually followed David. Not one, not two, but six hundred! These six hundred men forsook their pagan gods. These six hundred men turned their backs on their pagan culture,—choosing instead to follow the leader of the One True God. Nothing is impossible for God. They might have once been God’s enemies—but He still loved them. Despite their evil ways, He called out to them to follow Him.  Those  who answered  the  call  and  did  in  fact    reach  out  to  Him found themselves  welcomed  with  open  arms.  While abhorring their previous stance against Him and His children, God willingly accepted them.  

I had the privilege of sitting under the ministry of Dave Duell. He had a unique ministry, in part,  I think,  because he followed after God like a little child, taking Him quite literally at His Word. The  power  and  miracles  of  God  were  par  for  the  course  to  him.  Although  he  has gone on  to  his reward,    you  can  still  find  videos  of  him  on  YouTube,  from which  the  picture above was retrieved.

Now, I do not condone terrorists or their heinous acts, and neither did Brother Dave—but when God opened the door for him to minister to Yasser Arafat on more than one occasion, he took it. And when Dave prayed for the people present in that conference room where they met, God didn’t thunder from Heaven, “These people have instigated terrorist acts—out with them!” On the contrary, miracles from Heaven reigned down, healing bodies and souls. Incredibly, both Arafat’s personal bodyguard as well as his secretary received the Lord and  even the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. The second time  Arafat  received  Dave  he  introduced  him  to  his  cabinet  with  what  Dave  said  was  the greatest introduction  he  ever  received:    “I  want  you  to  meet this  man  who  knows  his  God.” Arafat heard the gospel and with his own eyes witnessed signs and wonders. If he didn’t make it  to  heaven,  he  will  not  be  able  to  say  that  it  was  because  he  never  heard  the  message  of salvation. Arafat   did many evil things to God’s people. But God still loved him. He loved him enough to send a minister to show him God’s way.

Now fast forward a few years to 2023. Hamas reigns down terror on God’s people. Israel has no choice but to retaliate. The heart of those who love Israel and God’s chosen people long to see them safe, their enemy obliterated. But in the midst of all this messy war, and as hard as this is for us to understand—God still loves the people from whom this horror arose.

It’s  so hard to  wrap our minds  around that  truth. How  can God have  mercy and  call horrible terrorists  to  repentance?  Why doesn’t God  just  zap  all  the  bad  guys  and  be  done  with  it? Because as despicable as so many of their actions have been, God still loves them. Just like in David’s day, He is calling out to those  foes, despite their abhorrent actions, not wanting that any, not even the most evil, be lost (1 Timothy 2:3-4). He is calling up modern-day Gittites.

Little  wonder  that  the  Christian  Broadcasting  Network  (CBN)  has documented  incidents  of people in the Gaza Strip receiving a revelation of Who Jesus is  through dreams. These people, at  least two  hundred to  date  that  are  known,  have  come to  a  saving knowledge  of  the  Lord Jesus Christ. How can this be?

It’s not an easy fact to accept. If I were God, frankly, it wouldn’t go so well for those fighting against Israel. I’d go zap, zap, zap and be done with it. But God’s ways are not our ways.

Get a load of what He says in Isaiah 19:23: “In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria,  and  the  Assyrian  shall  come  into  Egypt,  and  the  Egyptian  into  Assyria,  and  the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians.” This is a prophetic word that one day all these people will worship the One True God. As it turns out, the biblical Assyria encompasses most parts of modern  day Iraq ,  parts of Iran,  Kuwait, Syria,  and Turkey.  Despite their kicking  at the pricks

like Saul, God has a divine call on these people who, up to now, have as a whole rejected Him. But He has not given up on them. Despite the devastation they are wreaking on God’s chosen people, God still loves these “unlovable” enemies.

Don’t  let  yourself  be  discouraged  by  this  war.  Don’t  be  disheartened or confused  by  lying propaganda. Instead, join with us in continuing to pray for   victory for God’s chosen people—and that His enemies   hear His call.   May even   they   become, like the Gittites who followed and served David, part of the Lord’s army. In the natural this is impossible. But for God, nothing is impossible.

"But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).

"For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:3-4).

"Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?" (Ezequiel 25:23).

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee" (Psalm 122:6).