A prominent Stellenbosch pro-Israeli Christian activist, Vivienne Myburgh, is raising funds to run a full page advertisement in the Sunday Times “to bring the truth regarding Israel, her history and her absolute legitimate right to exist and to defend herself”.
In an email appeal to “friends of Israel” she says to date R50 000 has been pledged towards the R346 500 cost of displaying a full page ad in the 3.6 million circulation newspaper on Sunday, August 31. Her goal is to get all funds sorted by Tuesday, August 26 in order to have final print work in by Thursday.
In her email letter she says the campaign has been on her heart and was confirmed by a friend who approached her last week “to ask me to please consider doing exactly this!”
She writes: “There has been a lot of misinformation and negative media about Israel and we need to up our game for truth in the media around Israel !
“To remain silent is not an option, as we are in the midst of a battle for truth regarding Israel.
“As we stand up for her right to exist, in fulfilment of the words spoken by the prophets, we also stand up for the Name of the One and only God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who has chosen Israel as the people of His inheritance and has declared over and over that He is the One who gives them the land of Israel, as an everlasting possession. Israel is His banner to the nations, declaring His faithfulness to keep His Word.”
Myburgh urges readers to prayerfully consider contributing any amount to the advertisement fund and to pass on the appeal to others who might like to bless Israel at this time.
Contributions can be paid to:
Account name: Am Israel Chai ( means: The people of Israel live!)
Branch – FNB Stellenbosch – 200610
Cheque account – 62490309088
What a wonderful idea. There are so many lies spread about Israel, even by Christians who don’t know the facts and don’t know what is really going on. People believe the media reports which are most of the time, a distortion of the truth. Go girl.
Great idea! Will contribute.
Imagine if this one page advert in support of Israel had been published prior to the Babylonian invasion of Israel during the days of Habakkuk. Israel would have been defending herself. against God’s judgement! Our prayers and advertising promotion should rather be for Israel to “seek the Lord with all their heart” so that God will establish them in their land (Jer 29:11-14). God’s blessings are always linked to repentance and to following Him. Read the whole of Jer 29 where this is explained. I’m sure Vivienne means well, and I write like this to nudge these good intentions for Israel’s welfare into God’s revealed will.
@ Hugh.
So are you saying that Israel is under God’s judgement ? I don’t believe it. What is God’s revealed will ?
Here I must agree with you Hugh. The fact that the Jews have never ever acknowledged the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The Jews have forever proclaimed that the Lord Jesus is not the Messiah. According to the Torah the Messiah will reign as King at a time when all the Jewish people will observe God’s commandments (Ezekiel 37:24; Deut. 30:8,10; Jeremiah 31:32; Ezekiel 11:19-20, 36:26-27). Their claim is that Jesus never ruled as King, nor have all Jews embraced the commandments of God’s Torah. Another lie is that the Messiah will rule at a time when all the people of the world will come to acknowledge and serve the one true God as recorded in Zechariah 3:9, 8:23,14:9,16; Isaiah 45:23, 66:23; Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 38:23; Psalm 86:9; Zeph. 3:9.
This, as well, has not yet taken place and they await its fulfillment justifies their belief.
I feel that there should be no encouragement of the Israel with its current conflict and I certainly will not be contributing until such times as the Jews acknowledge that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Messiah and their Savior to eternal peace.
I find your view unbelievable. Where is the grace for Israel ? You try to play God in your discouragement. What if God had used the same argument with regards to your own life, before you became a Christian, before you “ever acknowledged the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God” ? This is totally hypocritical. The Lord loved us even before we became Christinas. You condemn Israel bedause they haven’t acknowledged Jesus. Then you should condemn most people. The Bible clearly states that we should pray for Israel, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. God says that those who bless Israel will be blessed and those who curse Israel will be cursed. The time will come when they will recognise Jesus as the Saviour. In the meantime God loves them wholeheartedly and He will never forsake them, as He has promised. I believe that it is every Christian’s duty to support Israel. All of us have been blessed because of Jesus – who was from Israel.
Israel is the apple of God’s eye and He loves her, despite the fact the most Jews don’t acknowledge Jesus as Messiah, yet. That day will come. If Israel is under God’s judgement, then I wonder why God is doing all this amazing miracles during this war with Hamas? I love Israel. God bless Israel. Shalom.
With a little research it is plain to see that recent mainstream media reporting on Israel has been full of misinformation. Not only is this grossly unfair to Israel, a nation which contributes much to SA, Africa and the world, but it is unfair to the public who consume the media misinformation. May this ad help to bring some much needed fresh perspective into the South African media space.
Kobus: Everyone, Jew and Gentile, is under God’ judgement unless they believe In Jesus Christ (John 3:18,36). Hence the wars and sufferings that plague our planet. Rom 3:19 puts Jews and Gentiles in the same boat. So, you ask, what is God’s revealed will? As Jer 29 says “that they will seek the Lord with all their heart”. Since Jesus came, this means repenting from sin and faith in Jesus Messiah. THAT is what we should pray for, not for a ‘peace of Jerusalem’ that excludes the Prince of Peace, but “our heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved” (Rom 10:1)for God does not want anyone to perish, but that everyone come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). God bless and direct you, Kobus!
Yes, Elizabeth, God has always loved Israel and always will. But this does not mean He will not punish Israel when they turn against Him. 1 and 2 Chronicles link the nation’s victories with their leader’s repentance, and their defeats and enslavements with their leaders turning from Him. cf. the Love-discipline principle in Hebrews 12. My main concern is that we Christians must not assume divine protection based on ethnic connection to Abraham. John the Baptizer strongly condemned any trust in such lineage descent (Luke 3:7-9). Paul taught that God treats Jews and Gentiles equally on the basis of faith, not circumcision or ethnicity (Rom 2:28,29; 4:1-12).
Yes, the day will come when “all Israel will be saved” (Rom 11:25,26). However, that will not be on an ethnic basis, but on the basis of their faith in Jesus Messiah. Because He is the ONLY Saviour. There is no other Name whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). The Gospel of Salvation by grace is centred in Jesus Christ. To suggest Salvation on another basis is a perversion deserving eternal condemnation (Gal 1:6-10). May God keep us all true to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us all earnestly pray for the salvation ( acknowledgment of Jesus as saviour and prince of peace ) of the Jewish people. thank you Lord that many Jewish/Israeli eyes have been opened to this truth already. But let us not forget to pray against the demonic evil spread about by the lie of radical and even in some cases moderate Islamists. Satan and his cohorts are indeed hard at work but the Lord is using all this for His and our eventual good