-- A Word and apology

With all our praying for Israel, I believe the Lord has sent several people to me to caution me IN THE SPIRIT (because I believe it's coming from God) to NOT make the mistake of calling all ARABS enemies of Israel and enemies of God. This is simply NOT the case at all.

Many, many, MANY of our Christian brothers and sisters are Arab. We need to pray for them.

So . . . as we pray for the Peace of Jerusalem, we need to understand that if Jerusalem is at peace, so will the Arab countries likely be at peace.

To pray for Israel, is in effect, a way to pray for ALL Nations.

This is even a veiled understanding when Jesus said that "MY HOUSE" is to be called a house of prayer FOR ALL NATIONS.

This is, I believe, a reminder from the Lord. Here is one of the emails that was sent to me.

I apologize humbly and publicly if I've inadvertently inferred that ANY Arab brother or sister is an enemy of God. After all, both Arab and Jew are sons of Abraham. They may be half brothers, but they are full sons.

Our fight is NOT against flesh and blood, after all. That's what the GOOD BOOK says, anyway.

Blessings,

Steve Shultz

Here is a copy of one of the emails:
==================================
ARABS ARE NOT THE ENEMY

From: nader yassa email: suenad@yahoo.com Thursday, October 05, 2000

Dear Steve,

This is the 1st time for me to write to you but I'm an old subscriber.

I'm an Egyptian Christian, full time leader in a revival movement in Egypt.

I have some comments that have been on my spirit for a long time like a burden & I didn't feel to share them because they seem opposite to a certain flow that I feel the list is taking. Any way I can't take it anymore so I'm sharing. You can keep the sharing for your self & I'll understand that but if you want you can share it with the list.

What I feel is that there is a Christian American tendency to mark all Arabs under:

"Islam/Terorist/Fundamentalists/Rich gulfy shekhs"..etc

& because of that subconscious understanding there is a kind of "Enemy State No. 1" attitude especially when it comes to "The State of Israel".

What I want to share is that there are lots of believers [members in the Body of the Bride] in all the Arab countries & believe me there are a lots of them.

So what I feel is that in a lot of the communications & prophetic words being sent to the list there is the attitude of "The Enemies" concerning the Arabs when it comes to Israel--which by the way, doesn't have as many Believers as Egypt-- for example. May the work of evangelism open in Israel as it is in Egypt. In Jesus Name.

I remember once reading one of the famous American Christian teachers who wrote lots of wonderful teaching books & in his book he was mentioning about the 1973 war between Egypt & Israel & he said:

"God led us to pray that the enemies of Israel will fall under confusion & blindness so the bullets & rockets can kill them quickly".

WOW!!! God save us!

There where 3,000 Christian Egyptian Believers who died in this war. Was it an answered prayer? I don't know but one thing I know is that part of the body of Christ was praying for other parts of the body to be killed. [They just didn't realize it.]

Islam was spread by the force of the sword but this is not God's way to do things. It's very easy to mix politics with religion & start praying--but remember politics is not as pure & clear as The Truth of Christ.

So not to make my comments too long-- let me say that:

1- there are no enemies in the New Testament in flesh & blood but they are ONLY the principalities in the heavenlies.

2 - There are lots of believers living & dying within the Arab/Israel conflict-- so when you pray. . . DONT SHOOT THEM!

In Him,
Nader Yassa