Faith, Forgiveness, and the Call for Peace

Devotional

Day 1: Commitment to Peace and Compassion

In the heart of conflict, the call to peace and compassion stands as a profound testament to faith. Palestinian Christians, living amidst the turmoil of the West Bank and Gaza, embody this commitment by mourning every loss of life and praying fervently for the end of war. Their faith in Christ transcends ethnic and political divides, urging them to cherish the dignity of every human life. This unwavering dedication to peace is not just a passive hope but an active pursuit, driven by the teachings of Christ to love and forgive. In a world often divided by hatred and violence, this commitment serves as a beacon of hope and a reminder of the transformative power of compassion. [00:44]

Isaiah 32:17-18 (ESV): "And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places."

Reflection: Who in your life needs to experience the peace and compassion of Christ through you today, and how can you actively extend it to them?

Day 2: Facing Accusations with Faith

Palestinian Christians often find themselves accused of anti-Semitism when they voice concerns about the war in Gaza. Despite these challenges, their faith remains steadfast, rooted in Christ's teachings of love and forgiveness. They are called to love everyone, regardless of their background, and to advocate for peace and justice. This commitment to faith in the face of adversity is a powerful testament to their resilience and dedication to Christ's message. It challenges believers to remain true to their convictions, even when misunderstood or criticized, and to continue advocating for a world where peace and justice prevail. [02:58]

1 Peter 3:16 (ESV): "Having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame."

Reflection: How can you maintain your commitment to love and forgiveness when faced with misunderstandings or accusations in your own life?

Day 3: Testimonies of Faith Amidst Chaos

In the midst of chaos and suffering, the faith of Christian families from Gaza shines brightly. Despite enduring unimaginable horrors, their faith remains unshaken, serving as a powerful testimony to God's protection and grace. These families remind us of a compassionate God who heals the brokenhearted and consoles the oppressed. Their unwavering faith challenges us to look beyond our circumstances and trust in God's sovereignty and goodness, even when the world around us seems to be falling apart. [05:57]

Psalm 34:18-19 (ESV): "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all."

Reflection: In what ways can you draw strength from the testimonies of others who have remained faithful amidst chaos, and how can you apply this to your own life challenges?

Day 4: Choosing Forgiveness Over Bitterness

Growing up in the West Bank, the brutal realities of conflict were a daily experience. Yet, the choice to embrace forgiveness and the transformative power of Christ's love over bitterness and violence is a profound act of faith. This divine ability to forgive and seek reconciliation is often misunderstood by the world, but it is the supernatural power needed to restore our fractured world. Choosing forgiveness is not a sign of weakness but a testament to the strength and grace found in Christ. It is a call to rise above the pain and hurt, allowing love to heal and restore. [09:36]

Colossians 3:13 (ESV): "Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."

Reflection: Think of someone in your life you need to forgive. Can you ask God to help you begin to extend His love and forgiveness to them today?

Day 5: Extending Compassion Beyond Divides

In the dire situation in Gaza, where famine looms and suffering abounds, the call to extend compassion beyond divides is urgent. The battle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces, and the victory has already been won through Christ's redemptive work on the cross. As followers of Christ, the mission is to reflect God's heart for every individual, regardless of their background. This call to compassion challenges believers to look beyond their own comfort and reach out to those in need, embodying the love and grace of Christ in tangible ways. [23:48]

Ephesians 6:12 (ESV): "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."

Reflection: What practical steps can you take today to extend compassion to someone outside of your usual circle, reflecting God's inclusive love?

Sermon Summary

In the heart of Bethlehem, I stand as a testament to the unwavering commitment to peace shared by Palestinian Christians. Born in the West Bank and married to a woman from Gaza, our lives are intertwined with the ongoing conflict, yet our faith in Christ compels us to advocate for peace and compassion. We mourn every loss of life, whether Israeli or Palestinian, and fervently pray for the end of the war and the release of hostages. Our Christian identity calls us to love and forgive, transcending ethnic and political divides.

Palestinian Christians often face accusations of anti-Semitism when they express legitimate concerns about the war in Gaza. However, our commitment to Christ's teachings of love and forgiveness remains steadfast. We are called to cherish the dignity of every human life, regardless of faith or ethnicity. Our hope in Christ drives us to dream of a day when peace reigns over our divided lands.

Recently, I met with Christian families from Gaza who have endured unimaginable horrors. Their faith remains unshaken, serving as a powerful testimony to God's protection and grace. Despite the chaos, they remind us of our compassionate God who heals the brokenhearted and consoles the oppressed. As Christians, we must not let political debates overshadow our core mission of compassion. We are called to feed the hungry, care for the widow and orphan, and speak up for the oppressed.

Growing up in the West Bank, I experienced the brutal realities of the conflict firsthand. Yet, I chose forgiveness and the transformative power of Christ's love over bitterness and violence. This divine ability to forgive and seek reconciliation is what the world often fails to understand. It is the supernatural power needed to restore our fractured world.

In the face of the dire situation in Gaza, where famine looms and suffering abounds, we cannot remain silent. Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces. Our victory has already been won through Christ's redemptive work on the cross. As followers of Christ, we must extend compassion to all, reflecting God's heart for every individual, regardless of their background.

Key Takeaways

1. Semitism when expressing concerns about the war. However, our commitment to Christ's teachings of love and forgiveness remains steadfast. We are called to love everyone, regardless of their background, and to advocate for peace and justice. [02:58]
3. Testimonies of Faith Amidst Chaos: The faith of Christian families from Gaza, who have endured unimaginable horrors, serves as a powerful testimony to God's protection and grace. Despite the chaos, their faith remains unshaken, reminding us of our compassionate God who heals the brokenhearted and consoles the oppressed.

4. Choosing Forgiveness Over Bitterness: Growing up in the West Bank, I experienced the brutal realities of the conflict firsthand. Yet, I chose forgiveness and the transformative power of Christ's love over bitterness and violence. This divine ability to forgive and seek reconciliation is what the world often fails to understand.

5. Extending Compassion Beyond Divides: In the face of the dire situation in Gaza, where famine looms and suffering abounds, we cannot remain silent. Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces. Our victory has already been won through Christ's redemptive work on the cross. As followers of Christ, we must extend compassion to all, reflecting God's heart for every individual, regardless of their background. [02:58]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:44] - Mourning and Praying for Peace
[01:31] - Defending Palestinian Christians
[02:58] - Commitment to Love and Forgiveness
[03:38] - God's Protection and Hope
[04:26] - Dreaming of Peace
[05:07] - Meeting Heroes from Gaza
[05:57] - Reminders of a Compassionate God
[06:42] - Core Mission of Compassion
[08:53] - Personal Experiences of Conflict
[09:36] - Choosing Forgiveness
[11:03] - The Power of Christ's Sacrifice
[12:35] - Dire Situation in Gaza
[14:07] - Victory Through Christ
[15:40] - Extending Compassion to All
[17:03] - Evangelical Support and Challenges
[18:39] - Recalibrating Our Spiritual Compass
[20:04] - Emulating Christ's Compassion
[21:37] - God's Inclusive Redemptive Plan
[23:48] - Urgent Call to Compassion

Sermon Clips

Our commitment to peace is unwavering and passionate. Our families, both in the West Bank and in Gaza, along with millions of other Palestinians, fervently advocate for peace. We stand firm in the conviction that peace is not only possible but imperative. Before I share with you my personal experience and the impact of the ongoing war on my immediate family, let me begin by saying that we mourn every loss of life. We mourn every loss of life in our beloved homeland. We mourn the senseless killing of the innocent. [00:00:16]

I stand here before you today to emphatically refute the false accusation, the libel, the slander, and the false accusation of anti-semitism. So let me state clearly and unequivocally today that we Palestinian Christians are not anti-semitic. We harbor no ill will towards anyone because we are committed to Christ's righteous calling to love, to forgive, and bring the message of hope and healing to everyone living in this land, regardless of their ethnicity, regardless of their faith, regardless of their theological understanding, and regardless of their even political inclination. [00:02:52]

Our hope in Christ compels us to cherish the dignity of every human life in our land, whether Jewish, Muslim, or non-believer. We speak life, we speak grace, we speak favor and blessings over you. As followers of Christ, as the Palestinian Christians, as pastors, as leaders, as church leaders, we desire to live in peace and dignity with all of our neighbors, including those on the other side of the walls confining us. We dream of a day when peace reigns over our broken and divided lands. [00:04:05]

These amazing, precious families, while talking to them and interacting with them and just playing with their children, they reminded me of our compassionate God. They reminded me of the God that heals the brokenhearted. They reminded me of the God that consoles the oppressed. While Christians around the world engage in political debates and discussing political talking points, we as Christian leaders, I was reminded myself, being a Palestinian married to a Gazan, I was reminded that we have regrettably pushed God's compassion to the back burner. [00:06:46]

Are we not called to feed the hungry? Are we not called to care for the widow and for the orphan? Are we not called to speak up for the oppressed as Christians? Are we not called to deliver a cold cup of water to every innocent child in Gaza? You see, these Christian families I met last week in Cairo have shared with me the horrors of a war that they survived seven long months without proper access to foods, water, sanitation, or medicine for the elderly. [00:06:49]

Their faith remained unshaken in the midst of this heart-wrenching chaos. Their testimony was not just a tale of survival; it's a witness to the living God and his shield of protection, his walking through the valley of the shadow of death with them. It's a testimony to the hand of the living God that sustains his people throughout the darkest and most challenging times. Their physical surroundings crumbled, but their faith in Christ and their spiritual foundation stood firm and unmovable. [00:08:00]

I have decided to allow Christ's transformative power to heal these wounds, to transform my heart by his radical love and by his unending grace. My experiences during the first and the second intifada were not brighter. They could have made me bitter or even led me to violent resistance. Instead, like many Palestinian Christians here, I chose forgiveness. I chose the power of God's healing, and I chose the hope of praying for my enemies and praying for those who inflict pain upon my family. [00:09:29]

Our victory is not achieved by defeating earthly enemies. By the way, our battle is not against flesh and blood. Our battle is not against people. Our battle as Christians is in the heavenly realms. After all, bombs and arms do not change radical ideologies. They don't have the capacity to destroy radical ideologies. Our victory as Christians, on the other hand, has already been won. It has been won on the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross. [00:13:29]

Our mandate as Christians to love and serve transcends every ethnic, religious, political, theological disagreement and divide. It transcends all of these barriers. Do you know why? Because in Ephesians, it says, for Jesus himself is our peace. He has brought the two groups in one, Jews and Gentiles, and has destroyed that barrier that divided people, the dividing wall of hostility. Believers are so beautifully connected in one covenant community through the cross of Jesus. [00:26:50]

We must recalibrate our spiritual compass. We must shift our paradigm in this. We must look at this from a totally unique perspective. Perhaps we should put ourselves in the shoes of Christian Palestinians and look at how they view the pages of scriptures, how they view this beautiful Rabbi from Nazareth, how he came here and transformed everybody's life. Maybe we need to reflect God's heart in this broken, broken world that we live in. [00:18:44]

Our call to compassion for the people of Gaza is not and must never be contingent on anything at all. But our call to compassion is a sacred trust that God gave to the church. The situation in Gaza is on the brink of a full-blown famine. It should stare every one of us today with the same urgency, with the same compassion, and with the same empathy that Jesus showed toward everyone. Jesus would have already been there in Gaza breaking bread with those who suffer. [00:24:56]

The cries of the innocent people of Gaza are reaching the heavens, pleading for sustenance and healing. And you know what? God is responding. God is responding through compassionate Christians like you here today. That's why we cannot remain silent in the face of such disparities because this contradicts our Christian character. This contradicts and hinders our Christian witness in this region. While Israelis have the right to exist and live in peace with their neighbors, so do Palestinians have a rightful claim to live in peace and in dignity. [00:22:59]

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