Israel Today: A Friends of Israel Perspective
April 23, 2025
Host: Hon. Sam Rohrer
Co-host: Pastor Matt Recker
Guest: Chris Katulka
Note: This transcript is taken from a Stand in the Gap Today program aired on 4/22/25. To listen to the podcast, click HERE.
Disclaimer: While reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate transcription, the following is a representation of a mechanical transcription and as such, may not be a word for word transcript. Please listen to the audio version for any questions concerning the following dialogue.
Sam Rohrer:
Hello and welcome to this Wednesday edition of Stand In the Gap Today, and it’s also our bimonthly focus on Israel, the Middle East and biblical prophecy. Joining me and Pastor Matt Wrecker in the co-host seat today is Chris Katulka. He’s the Vice President of North American Ministries of the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. He hosts the Friends of Israel Today Radio program and he’s a Bible teacher as well. And he’s a writer for Israel, My Glory magazine, which I’ll tell you how you can get actually a free subscription to that if you stay with us. He’s also the author of the book, Israel, Always. Now, in just a minute, I’m going to bring in Chris and we’re going to learn more about the Friends of Israel Ministries. It’s the first time he’s been with us, and so we’re going to do that. We’re going to get his perspective on numerous Israel areas of interest, let’s put it that way.
The title I’ve chosen to frame today’s focus is simply Israel Today: A Friends of Israel Perspective, and specifically it’ll be the perspective of Chris Katulka who is their vice president. Now, before I bring him in, I wanted to comment on just a couple of items related to significant news. First on Monday, I and guest Leo Homan discussed in part the passing of Pope Francis and how his death introduces the element of global religious change into the fast developing historic economic, financial, and geopolitical transitions. In realignment, we are witnessing the realignment of nations being, I’m going to say significantly fueled by the policies of Donald Trump. Now into this economic and political mix was added, I’m going to say the unexpected immediate resignation. The day after the Pope’s death of his globalist and antichrist friend Klaus Schwab. He was the president of World Economic Forum. He resigned the day after the Pope died.
Now, what has taken place is that the World Economic Forum folks are meeting and they have already, I guess at this point, they’ve appointed an interim chairman. His name is this, it’s actually a longer name, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe He’s an 80-year-old individual. Peter Brabeck-Letmathe. He is the chairman emeritus of the Nestle Group, the largest publicly held food company in the world. He was also the vice chairman for Klaus Schwab. He’s the interim director, and they as an entity will begin their official permanent search for a permanent replacement. Now, from past statements, I’m going to say this man is no less a globalist, no less elitist than Schwab. He is no interim improvement for the Pope. The funeral is scheduled for this Saturday where upon the group of 150 will gather within 13 days, they will select a new Pope. These two replacements, I believe, without a doubt most assuredly, will play key end days roles. And I think it’s not coincidental. We talked about on Monday that the Schwab resignation occurred so quickly and connected to the death of the Pope. But anyways, it’s worth noting. We are going to note it and note what? Well, how man plans and how God overrules those plans and works out the details. I think that’s the key here. Well, with that being said, let’s now move to the focus for today is real update. And with that, Chris Katulka, Chris, thank you for being with us today.
Chris Katulka:
Dan, thanks so much for having me. I’m really enjoying this and hearing from you as well.
Sam Rohrer:
Well, it’s great to have you on board. Let’s do this. First, let’s find out a little bit about Friends of Israel. Most of our people know that name, but just as a bit, it’s origin. When did it begin? What’s its mission?
Chris Katulka:
Yeah, friends of Israel Gospel Ministry was founded in 1938 as a compassionate action to the Jewish people. But I have to tell you something, all of that compassionate action was built on a passion for God’s word. And so this was as a result of Christians in the Philadelphia area. It could be Christian pastors from Philadelphia, Christian businessmen and women that would gather together, and they saw the atrocities that were happening in eastern Europe with the rise of Hitler, the rise of the Holocaust, and really nobody was doing anything about it, Sam, nobody was acting really at that point. In 1938, Kristallnacht had just happened in December of 1938, and that’s when the Friends of Israel was formed. We started raising funds as an organization that many years ago among churches, local churches around the United States to help buy Jewish people into freedom. And we partnered with a Jewish agency in London that was doing the best it could to liberate these Jewish people.
And what would happen is these Jewish people would make their way from Poland into London and then eventually on a boat making their way to the Port of Oswego, New York, where our very first executive director, a Jewish believer named Victor Zen, would meet with these Jewish people who had lost everything. They lost jobs, they lost their family, they lost their dignity, they’ve lost everything, and they’re getting off the boat in America and who greets them. But Victor Zen and a Jewish believer handing them coats and socks and food and opportunities in the United States, but even more importantly, offering them the hope of Jesus, the Jewish Messiah. And that is really the kernel, that’s the seed of the organization of the Friends of Israel. And today our mission is still the same. We provide and physical comfort to the Jewish people according to what the Bible teaches.
And we have representatives that are serving the Jewish communities all around the world, all around North America, all throughout Europe, all throughout South America, Australia, and even into Israel. We have our publications that are mobilizing Christians to love and support Israel and the Jewish people. And I’m here today to share honestly how God has continued to bless the friends of Israel, to mobilize Christians, to get involved in their local Jewish community and to show them a love and support. That honestly is so important. And as I know you’ve been talking about the rise of antisemitism today, now more than ever Jewish people need to know that Christians love them biblically because we have a passion for God’s word and a compassion for God’s chosen people.
Matt Recker:
Thanks Chris for being with us today. And I have benefited over the years from the Friends of Israel Ministry and there are many books. One of my favorite books is by Reynold Showers on Dispensationalism. There really is a difference, but of course Friends of Israel also publishes a magazine, Israel My Glory. Can you share a bit about that and how people might be able to receive that?
Sam Rohrer:
And with that, I tell you, you only have just a couple seconds left. Chris, if I’m going to step in, I’m going to have you come back and begin the next segment by just talking a little bit about the magazine. And ladies and gentlemen, I’ll tell you upfront, you can get a free subscription, I believe Chris, you’re saying by going to their website at Israel, my glory.org, Israel my glory.org. And when we come back, Chris, you can tell a bit more about that and then we’re going to move into ladies and gentlemen and talk about the increasing hatred toward the Jewish people. It’s not new, it’s very old, but there is also something very new. It would appear about the rise of it and the intensity of it in the days in which we live. Stay with us. We’ll be right back in just a few minutes.
Well, if you’re just joining us right now, we’ve just begun the program, we’ve introduced it, our theme, Israel today, A Friends of Israel perspective. And the reason I put it that way is because it’s our honor to have with us today, Chris Katulka. He is now the Vice President of North American Ministries of the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, that’s the long name. Friends of Israel is how most all of us would recognize them. So Chris, we have a lot to talk about, but in the last segment, Matt, ask you a question, could you just briefly describe just a little bit the magazine, Israel My Glory, the offer that is there, and then we’ll talk more about that in the last segment.
Chris Katulka:
A hundred percent. Sam, if your listeners go to Israel, my glory.org there, they’ll be able to subscribe if they never have before for a one year free subscription to our award-winning magazine. And really, the Israel, my Glory magazine’s been around since 1942, encouraging Christians to see the value of Israel and the Jewish people and God’s plan of redemption throughout the scriptures. So if you really, maybe you’re an expert on Israel or maybe you’re just dipping your toe into how God is going to use his chosen people, this is a great magazine to really begin to explore what God teaches from a biblical worldview. I think that’s the most important thing about Israel, my glory, Sam and Matt, is that it teaches about what’s going on in the Middle East, what’s going on in Israel, what’s going on around the world from a biblical worldview, and that’s Israel my glory.org.
Sam Rohrer:
And ladies and gentlemen, obviously all of those things that Chris has said, you hear regularly on this program and that’s why we every other Wednesday since we began this program about 10 years ago now or so, given that that’s why for those things. So anyways, that’ll be something that I think that you would enjoy, do that. We’ll give that information again later. But think with me on this. Since the time that God promised his plan of redemption, he did promise a redeemer indicating a plan, a plan of redemption. From that we call in Genesis three 15 after the fall, after sin came into the world. Since that point, the devil continued to scheme going to Eve and tempting her was a part of the scheme, but he continued to scheme and he’s attempted to destroy or delay God’s plan for mankind. He worked hard to do a lot of things, but one of them was to pollute the human DNA with demonic genes with the fallen angels.
In part, God sent the flood almost out, started over again with Noah. Then God came along and he chose Abraham, then Isaac and then Jacob to begin a lineage of people from which the redeemer, the promised Messiah would come. And then over the thousands of years to this moment, Satan himself has continued to work through evil human leaders to kill the Jews, killed Jewish male babies first in Egypt, then killed him again in another purge at the birth of Christ. Then time and time again, he has worked to persecute the Jewish people and sadly the past nation of Israel and the Jewish leaders themselves throughout the entirety of the Old Testament, they themselves continued to kept running back to idolatry. And then when Yeshua came, Jesus came the Messiah 2000 years ago, they refused him. We know that story. We just celebrated that here a couple of days ago with Easter.
And as a result, the Jewish people have repeatedly brought upon themselves divine discipline. It’s what the Bible says. Now, today, there’s a measurable upswing, I think in general, hatred to Israel and the Jewish people as God brings to conclusion, his prophesied plan and his focus on Israel. And as we talk about so much, why is the whole world looking at Israel and why is that? Because it’s part of God’s plan. Alright, Chris, let’s talk about the longstanding hatred of the Jewish people and then the rise in modern times from your perspective and those of the friends of Israel, what are you seeing and is what we’re saying a rise? Is it really an increase or is there just perhaps a greater awareness maybe today?
Chris Katulka:
That’s a great, great question and I like to go to a definition that is actually not a definition of friends of Israel. It actually comes from an Israeli journalist for the times of Israel. His name is Aviv Redick Ger and Aviv Redick Ger says that antisemitism is an ancient, ancient hatred, but the thing that makes antisemitism and the hatred of the Jewish people different from any other type of persecution or racism, is that it actually is the belief that Jewish people are the obstacle to global redemption. That is ultimately at the core of antisemitism, the hatred of Jewish people. And really, if you think about what antisemitism is in the history of it, it’s kind of a shapeshifter. It’s moved throughout history. There was religious antisemitism that actually goes back to the biblical times from all the way from Egypt to Esther through the Greeks, the Romans, there’s a religious antisemitism through the Spanish inquisitions, the crusader period, the Russian pogroms.
It’s a religious thing. It’s tied to the religiousness of the Jewish people. But then from the 19th and 20th century, you have Hitler who comes along and he taps into the rise of social Darwinism and the theory of evolution. And it’s no longer just about a Jewish person’s religion, it’s actually about their DNA, it’s who they are. They actually started marking them with actually the way that they even look. If you ever notice the propaganda that comes out of Hitler’s time, the Jewish people have a large nose. That’s the way they try to identify them. And so it’s connected to their DNA, it’s connected to their genetics. In fact, let you know, it’s not even religious. In the Warsaw ghetto, there were 3000 Jewish Christians, Jewish believers in the Warsaw ghetto. Hitler didn’t care, the Nazis didn’t care. Their DNA was strictly tied to being Jewish, and therefore they would find the same fate as many Jewish people.
And recently we’ve seen a rise of what I call national antisemitism. There’s an antisemitism that’s on the rise salmon mat that is connected to the fact that Israel is under attack and Israel is defending themselves and at war with Hamas and Gaza, with Hezbollah in the north and ultimately Iran, which I know we’ll talk about in a moment. But because they defend themselves after October 7th, what happens? We see antisemitism, the hatred of Jewish people on the rise all throughout the world. And so it’s not just an issue in Israel, there is Jewish people suffering just walking to class at Columbia University or in the United Kingdom or wherever the case might be. We’re seeing antisemitism clicked up like never before. 300% increase here in the United States, 500% in Canada, 300% again in the United Kingdom. It’s a serious thing. But what’s it connected to? It’s not even connected to the Jewish people’s religion.
It’s not connected to their DNA. It’s actually connected to the fact that the Jewish people have a sovereignty in their ancient homeland. It’s Zionism. And so there’s a national, and you know what I think is interesting? Satan is always trying to mar what God has planned for his plan of redemption. It’s interesting that this Israeli journalists would say redemption is the big issue here, that Jews are the obstacle to global redemption. Well, what is the plan of global redemption? Go back to Genesis chapter 12 when God called Abraham, he said, Abraham, I’m going to give you a land that’s national component. I’m going to give you descendants. That’s the DNA, and then I’m going to make you a blessing to all the families of the earth. That’s the religious component. So what is Satan trying to do? He’s trying to mar God’s plan of redemption by tapping into the religious antisemitism, by tapping into the DNA antisemitism, the genetic.
And then finally, even today, the very fact that Jewish people are in their ancient homeland, that God promised them there’s antisemitism on the rise. Why? Because Satan is trying to skew and mar what God has planned for redemption. If Satan can get to Israel, then that’s Satan’s view. Then I can stop God’s plan of redemption. And so I think you’re seeing that play out today as we see antisemitism on the rise, as you’ve been talking about the end of days, all of these things are connected to one another in a unique way. And that’s why I like this Israeli journalist definition. Jews are the obstacle to global redemption. That’s at the heart of hatred of the Jewish people. Antisemitism.
Matt Recker:
Yes, Chris, that certainly is profound because we know as Christians that Jewish people are not the obstacles of global redemption, but they are the human instruments of providing our redemption by giving us the scripture and the Savior. I would’ve predicted that after the October 7th attack, support for Israel would increase, but instead it seems support for Palestinians have increased and there as you’ve been talking, has been an increased hatred for Israel. I know you’ve answered this question somewhat, but can you go a little bit further into this on why do you see this increase of hatred, the current for Israel?
Chris Katulka:
Yeah, again, I think it’s tied to that mentality of the fact that God is using his chosen people in a unique way. And so Satan’s going to do everything he can to mar that, but at the same time, this rise of antisemitism is on extremes of the political spectrum. And that’s the sad part. So from the very far left of progressivism, it’s very interesting. You see the Palestinians are suffering under the hand of their own people. It doesn’t matter Israel’s to blame. You see that Lebanon is under the control of Hezbollah. It doesn’t matter Israel’s to blame. They will even go down to the point where police brutality is Israel’s fault. That’s the progressive left. Everything is Israel’s fault. So then what happens is that when there’s actual persecution and genocide that’s taking place around the world, it’s where are those people speaking up on college campuses saying, let’s make sure that the genocide doesn’t happen in Sudan or wherever the case might be. Those people don’t speak up because that’s not their concern. Their concern is a hatred toward Israel, and that bleeds out into all areas of the world. And so that’s what we’re seeing as antisemitism is on the rise.
Sam Rohrer:
Thank you so much. Chris Kaka, ladies and gentlemen, stay with us. The balance of the program when we come back, we’re going to stay there in Israel now and get a perspective on what’s actually happening there in the Gaza, what’s happening with Iran, what’s happening with the mentality of the people there and the attitude to what’s taking place. Okay, Chris, let’s get back into this. Now, you’ve been to Israel many, many, many times. You probably have lost count how many times you’ve been there. I’ve been there multiple times. One of my last trips there, I was actually down at the kibbutz. That was the target of the October 7th that was involved in the October 7th Hamas event. And I do know this, that those people that live there by that fence that was there at that point and by that border have a peculiar daily attitude of potential harm because of where they lived.
And I’m sure that is still very much the case, but talking to people on the ground there is a little different than sitting down and talking with the military guys or the political guys. It always is that way. But so here’s my question to you. You’re there all the time in this segment. Let’s just talk about more the attitudes of the people who are literally there on the ground, who live daily in fear of things. Go to the Gaza specifically. What’s the attitude of the people there close to where the Gaza is, and even an across Israel, this thing is now drug on for a long time, it’s not resolved. What are they thinking?
Chris Katulka:
Yeah, that’s a great question. And when you see what’s going on in the cities and kibbutz, as you had mentioned along the Gaza border, the Israeli people are living with a constant form of PTSD. I was just there a couple weeks ago in a kibbutz. We had purchased a bomb shelter for the Israeli people, and we dedicated that bomb shelter while we were there. And I was speaking with the elementary school teacher and he broke down crying. Sam, he broke down crying because he was telling us in Hebrew, he was telling us that these children that he teaches that are back in school now, they just want to have a sense of reassurance that they’re going to be safe. And he said, I can’t lie to these kids anymore. I don’t know. He just says, I don’t know what the future is. I don’t know what the outlook looks like in the future.
And he is speaking to second and third grade kids who just want that reassurance of safety. And it’s not just along the Gaza border, as you had mentioned, Sam, it’s everywhere in Israel. Those rockets that were coming from Gaza and Hezbollah, these rockets have capabilities of reaching major cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and Bear Sheva and so, and Haifa. And so what his sentiment is, and I think is a sentiment of most Israelis, is this real uncertainty about what tomorrow holds. There’s uncertainty about what the government’s going to do for the future when it comes to Israel. There’s an uncertainty about how they can protect themselves on all fronts all the time. And so I heard it from an elementary school teacher, Sam, and it was this. He broke down crying and just was hoping for a piece that he could look at his students, these young kids and just say, I promise you you’ll be safe. And he just broke down crying because he knows I can’t say that with truthfulness.
Matt Recker:
Well, thank you Chris, for sharing such a personal story from right on the ground. And no doubt the local terrorists that are surrounding Israel create that uncertainty, but a potential war with Iran also continues to loom. So regardless of the peace talks that are directly taking place between the United States and Iran, it seems that the hatred Iran has toward Israel, that’s not going to change. So can you comment on the attitudes as well of the Israeli people toward Iran and the potential of war with them at this time?
Chris Katulka:
It’s very real. As we saw during the war when it was really heightened less than a year ago, Iran was sending holistic missiles over to Israel. And fortunately by God’s kindness through the technology of the United States and Israel working together with the Iron Dome and the David’s Sling systems that they have set in place, they were able to basically protect all Israeli, which is just amazing. But the potential for war with Israel and Iran is always palpable. It’s always right there on the edge. And recently reports have been coming out that Israel is about to go into attack, and Trump had, I think working with the Trump administration, Israel, is to try to make it, try to see if this peace deal or this relationship building with Iran can temper the nuclear buildup that Iran is doing. And again, I don’t know what the future holds for that relationship between the United States and Iran, but as long as those Ayatollahs are in charge, spam and Matt, as long as they’re in charge, Israel’s always going to be at war with Iran.
That will always be an issue because for the Ayatollahs, it’s not a political thing, it’s religious. And the problem with the Ayatollahs and the problem with Iran is that they spread their propaganda. They spread their hate throughout the Middle East. That’s exactly how we ended up with a Hamas. That’s exactly how we ended up with a Hezbollah and the Houthis look. And it’s not just in Gaza and in southern Lebanon with Hezbollah and Yemen with the Houthis, the real issue with the Middle East right now that many countries are dealing with is that Iran’s footprint and fingerprint are over. It’s in Iraq, it’s in Jordan, it’s all over the place because it’s an ideology. It’s not just a political party. It’s not just money going to terrorists. They’re spreading their ideology of a revolution, an Islamic revolution throughout the Middle East. That’s how they were able to get ahold of Lebanon. That’s how they were able to get ahold of Gaza. That’s how they were able to get ahold of these strategic locations in the Middle East, was through their influence and spreading that revolution, be beyond Tehran. And so as long as those Ayatollahs are in charge, and as long as they continue to produce energy that’s bought on the market by many countries, they will always have funds. And instead of funding and helping their own people, they will always work to destroy Israel. That I can guarantee as long as the Ayatollahs are in charge.
Sam Rohrer:
And I think, Chris, what you’re saying is what we’ve been saying on this program regularly, and we could talk about Turkey and Erdogan who threatens Israel, and there’s a conflict there taking place, or we haven’t even talked about this yet, but just some days ago, the Chinese military joint operations with Egypt to the South and giving equipment there. So now we’ve got them all around. And here’s where I want to go with this next question about the attitude of the people. Ultimately, we know in God’s greater plan of redemption, the nation of Israel have to this point, not responded to God’s plan of redemption. They did not accept Yeshua when he first came. We know biblically prophetically, there’s going to be a time of Jacob’s trouble. There’s going to be great hardship come to the nation of Israel and to the people of Israel, but they will ultimately turn back to him.
But they’re not trusting in the God of the Bible, Yeshua as their savior yet, but they will. Here’s my question. With the unusual alliance now of Donald Trump in the US walking closely with Israel and Netanyahu, and as you said, they’re already kind of together, I have sensed from a political perspective over there and others that they’re not looking to God yet. They are trusting in American money. They may be trusting in Donald Trump to help them, but that will change and they will ultimately turn to the Lord of heaven. But what is their attitude? What do you sense is the attitude right now? Where is the faith and the trust really of the people right now?
Chris Katulka:
Yeah, that’s a great question. There is Christianity, a Christian’s Bible, believing Christians, I should say in Israel are still very much a minority in Israel. So I don’t want to act like there’s this great revival that’s happening in Israel. It is definitely a, they are a minority, but also if you look at where Israel has come over the last few decades when it comes to the gospel, it is growing Most cities in Israel, major cities and even small cities, they, they’re called Kehillah, churches, believers that meet together on Shabbat and celebrate the resurrected Jewish Messiah. And you see that growing. One of the ways that they’re able to monitor the growth of the church as well is that there’s a camp that is run for new recruits into the military. As you know in Israel, Israelis are required to serve in the military. And so one of the things that they do is they have a camp to kind of prepare the heart of a believer before they go into the military to be able to stay true to the Lord in the military, to be able to be a witness for the Messiah in the military.
And that camp has gone from a handful of young adults to hundreds over the course of several years, which is again, a little moniker of the growth of the church in Israel. And so again, I’m not going to say that there’s this great revival that’s taking place, but I also will say this is that the war has opened up great conversations about the gospel and about where our true hope can be found. Israel is at a very dark place right now with the war and what’s going on. And so usually in those moments of darkness, that’s when God begins to shine his light and to really speak truth into people’s lives. We’re seeing that in amazing ways, and I really believe especially at the Friends of Israel that’s in our name, the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, it’s who we are. It’s why we do what we do, and that is really we’re seeing the truth of God’s word spread throughout the land, which is really exciting to us.
Sam Rohrer:
And Chris, that is great information. Some of that is new information I would think to many of our listeners, but it is reason to be hopeful. We know there must be a turning of the people. There’s going to get a great time of difficulty. Ladies and gentlemen. We talk about it regularly. That’s what the Bible says will happen, but there is an awakening of some, and for that, we need to pray. When we come back, we’re going to conclude with talking about some best ways to actually be a friend of Israel. The Bible commands us to do certain things in regard to Israel all believers, but then talking with Chris Alca here from Friends of Israel, the ministry, we’re talking about friend of Israel from biblical perspective and how to be a friend of Israel from their ministry perspective. Well, as we go into our final segment today, thank you for being with us today and myself and pastor Matt Wrecker, co-hosting today and our special guest, Chris Katulka.
He is the Vice President of North American Ministries of and the name we all recognize, the Friends of Israel. He also hosts Friends of Israel Today radio program and Israel, my Glory Magazine. He edits and puts that together, and you can get a free subscription to that by going to their website@israelmyglory.org, and Chris will give some more information on that in just a moment. One other thing, this program today, if you’re just joining us, perhaps this is an Israel Middle East and biblical prophecy focus program. We do this every other Wednesday and we’ve done it since the beginning of this program. When Dr. Jimmy De Young was still alive with us, he was with us nearly every Wednesday as we talked about Israel and the importance of biblical prophecy. Now, if you go to our website, stand in the gap radio.com or on our app, that’s a very good way to do it.
You can bring up this program stand in the Gap today, and when you scroll down through and you find a program and it says something about Israel every other Wednesday, almost, maybe there’s a miss once or twice, but we try not to, you can go back and every other Wednesday you will find a program that focuses on something about Israel, prophetically, geopolitically or as we’re talking today, really kind of like an on the ground perspective as Chris is giving us as a friend of Israel. So that being the case, I want to conclude with how to be a friend of Israel. Here’s some thoughts, Chris, our listeners would be well aware of God’s promise. We talk about it a lot. God’s promise to Abraham, and a warning also, it’s a promise and a warning to later political leaders. It’s written there in Genesis 12, three where God said to Abraham as a part of Abrahamic covenant, I will bless them that bless thee and curse them that curses thee.
In addition, most people familiar with Israel are also aware of the command in Psalm 1 22 verse six, where it says, for all to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper that love thee. All right. Now, between these two verses alone, Chris, it’s obvious that being a friend of Israel will be noticed by God. It will be rewarded by God and being an enemy of Israel or cursing Israel is in reality, it’s either a blessing of God or a cursing of God. That’s what I’m saying. Ultimately, that’s where it goes to. And his plan, which focuses on his covenant to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob being a people, a nation with defined borders and a city Jerusalem, they all go together. Now, that being the case from your perspective, what does it mean to be a true friend of Israel and to bless them as Genesis 12 three says, and to love Jerusalem as is stated in Psalm 1 22 verse six, what does that mean?
Chris Katulka:
Yeah, I think exactly what the two of you are doing today by highlighting God’s love and concern for his chosen people is to bless Israel to believe that God still has a plan for his people that’s actually connected to who we are as Bible, believing Christians who love the Lord and have placed our faith in the Jewish Messiah. Yeshua Jesus. I believe that’s what it means to bless Israel. The other side though is actually the most important thing is what it means to curse Israel because it doesn’t just mean that you curse them. The Hebrew words there, there’s two words for curse in the Hebrew. One is to curse, but the other is to take lightly. So it actually in the Hebrew says, I will bless those who bless you, but Abraham, those who take this promise lightly, I will curse. It doesn’t even have to be a curse.
It just has to be kind of like I get out of here kind of mentality. That alone is enough for God to send a cursing. That’s how much he values this promise, because it’s all wrapped up in God’s planet. Redemption, and how is it wrapped up in God’s plan of redemption? When we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we’re not just praying for a modern peace like what we see today. Lord, please deliver Israel from their enemies around them. Hamas, Hezbollah. That is part of it, but the greater picture is Marinas, our Lord come, we know Jesus is not coming back to Philadelphia. He’s coming back to Jerusalem, and then when we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we’re saying, Lord, come, because that is where the true peace comes from. When we talk about peace in the Old Testament, it’s not just thinking about Israel, it’s how through Israel, God would bring peace to all the nations of the world, and that’s what we’re saying when we say pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We’re saying, Maranatha our Lord, come.
Matt Recker:
Yes, thank you, Chris. And as you’ve been talking about how the world sees Israel as an obstacle to global redemption, that’s a very powerful thought right there to me because the antisemitism was before Christ came to prevent Christ from coming, but now that’s still there because God is not done with National Israel. He still has a plan for them in the future that Satan still wants to destroy, but of course, the devil will not get the victory. Jesus will. Well, how can our listeners become more familiar with the Friends of Israel? Chris, it’s been such a powerful ministry over the years, and thank you for your ministry with Friends of Israel. They have books, magazines, and writings, so can you share some of those things and what are your contacts as well on social media?
Chris Katulka:
Yes, so thank you so much for asking this. They can go to foi.org as in friends of Israel foi.org. I want to give a phone number for you listening because this is a great way to be a friend of Israel. If you text us at 4 2 4 4 4 4 19 48, I’ll give the number again, 4 2 4 4 4 4 19 48. We want to send you 50 free stickers. That’s right, stickers that you can stick on, anything that shows support for Israel and the Jewish people. And I can’t tell you how many ministry opportunities these stickers have created. We’ve given out more than 20,000 stickers, and the stories come in all the time that people see the stickers. I love Israel, pray for the piece of Jerusalem, and it opens up a conversation. Maybe the sticker’s on their water bottle, maybe it’s on their cell phone. It doesn’t matter. God opens the door when they see that, and it creates an opportunity to share about the gospel and about God’s love for his chosen people. So again, if you’re listeners text us at 4 2 4 4 4 4 19 48, we want to send you 50 free stickers that support Israel and Jewish people. You can hand them out. You can do whatever you want. This is a great way to be a friend of Israel today.
Sam Rohrer:
Okay, and with that, Chris, about one minute left. We also mentioned about getting a free subscription, a one year subscription to the magazine. Give us that also here as we wrap up.
Chris Katulka:
Yes. If you have never been a subscriber to Israel, my Glory magazine, we want to give you a one year free subscription to our award-winning magazine. You can do that by going to Israel my glory.org. Again, that’s Israel my glory.org,
Sam Rohrer:
And that’s excellent, and we’re about at the end here. But Chris, I want to thank you. It’s your first time on the program, but I am really glad that you were able to join us today. From my opinion, you were eloquent, you covered great points. It fits extraordinarily well because it’s biblical with everything that we cover on this program and a different perspective. And for that, I thank you and ask all of you who are listening as you pray for us here at Stand In the Gap today, and whether you listen to this program or our TV program, stand in the Gap or a Weekend, and many of you listen to all of them as you pray for us, as we often say, pray for the ministries and the expertise and the health and strength of our many guests who are with us. Add Chris Katulka to that and the Friends of Israel as we wrap up this program. Matt, Recker, thanks so much for being with me today from Manhattan. You’re such a blessed friend. And then Chris, for you at Friends of Israel, thanks so much. Their website. Again, just go to Israel my glory.org. Alright, with that, thank you for being with us tomorrow, David New will. Join Matt and I as we talk about some misconceptions about the Constitution, I think you will be well, very much informed and enlightened in a very, very good way. See you tomorrow, Lord willing.
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