Advocacy
It’s not a word we use every day, in fact it wasn’t long ago that it became part of my vocabulary.
Advocacy is not marketing.
Marketing is the promotion of a product or service, which benefits both the seller and buyer. It doesn’t always work that way though.
Advocacy is not an exchange. It begins with a stirring inside when you recognize a cause that is worth promoting, or a person or group is worth supporting, you recognize the value of what they’re doing and want to make it grow.
Marketing is done primarily for the seller to make a profit. It is presented in a way that the product will improve the customer’s life. Biblically, advocacy is about promoting an ideal that is not self-serving, but it will benefit both parties. It begins in the spiritual realm and materializes in the physical. The best example is the Abrahamic blessing in which God promises that He will return the blessing to those who bless Abraham and His descendants.
The confusion that surfaces in the Marketing/Advocacy conversation is because both function in the same economy. They use monetary transactions but have different value systems.
Only one is Kingdom minded.
God has given Comfort My People the honor of advocating for fellow Believers in Israel who have banded together to share the Gospel of Jesus the Messiah to the people of Israel.
They have put their hands to the plow and regardless of the obstacles–which are many—they don’t look back because they know their calling is from God.
For their efforts to continue and grow, they need the support of their believing family abroad. The cost of living has risen dramatically since the war began. The rebuilding and recovery of Israel’s society will drive it even higher.
But first they must defeat their enemy who will not cease to take every opportunity to destroy them as a nation even if it means one person at a time.
They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
let the name of Israel be remembered no more!” (Psalm 83:4)
“Ok Paul, it sounds like you are marketing Israel. By the time I get to the bottom of this blog, you will be asking me to send a donation, correct?”
I might, but you need to keep reading to see if I did, and if so, why.
This is the foundation of Advocacy:
All of creation speaks of the glory of God. The Holy Spirit spoke not of Himself, but of Jesus. Jesus spoke not of Himself, but of the Father. The Father spoke not of Himself, but of His Word, which became flesh and dwelt among us. The Holy Spirit becomes known when Believers who represent God, live accordingly and become attractive. People are drawn to the Father because they see in us a life that’s worth living.
“Those who look to Him are radiant.” (Ps. 34:5)
I did an experiment the other day to see how that looks.
I take a course in Biblical Hebrew online. In my small class are students from China, Ireland, Malaysia, and Uganda. I am the only American, the others are Christian and share a common love for Israel. Our teacher has a far greater knowledge of the Hebrew Bible than all of us, but he is missing the radiance the others have. It is the Jesus factor.
I have also seen that phenomenon in our online Israel prayer group that began after October 7. Those who attend have the kind of light that shines in a storm, a supernatural radiance that is reflected in the face of the trauma.
As I look back over the years and picture those who have made the greatest impact on me, I see that same radiance in their faces. Each one has inspired me to love and good works for God and His Kingdom.
Strange as it may, they also had a love for Israel and the Jewish people—long before Comfort My People was even a thought.
My plea for you is the same one I have for me.
“Let it shine!” Do what it takes for the life of God to brighten the lives of others.
Allow Jesus to shine in your hearts and have His way. His radiance cannot be manufactured, it is simply reflected in your faces. Then those who see you may be drawn to the Source and discover that there may be a life that is worth living.
“Is this one of those let go and let God kind of message?”
Not quite. The Holy Spirit is the one who makes us capable to represent Him. As we follow His leading, we advocate. We speak, we write, we sing, we give, and we engage in meaningful conversations which bear witness of the hope that lies within us.
We advocate for God and for His people. We speak highly of them because they reflect God’s nature and because they belong to God. We boast in our family, because we are His children. We are each other’s advocates. Somewhere along the way though, Israel will show up. Israel is unavoidable if you study the Bible.
“May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.”. (Ps.137:6 )
To be clear, when we mention Israel, it always refers to the Land, the people or both. Biblically they are inseparable.
We cannot forget that Israel is easily forgotten.
When we advocate for Israel, it is not because Israel is perfect or better than any other nation. We advocate because Israel’s role is to bring blessing to all the nations. It is why God calls Israel the apple of His eye. * But she cannot do it alone. Gentile Christians must collaborate.
Sadly, and repeatedly, over the past 16 months, I have heard from our believing partners in Israel, who love America ask,
“Why is the church silent in the face of our suffering?”
You may not agree, but it is what they have experienced.
“On October 7, the church was with us 100%, by Oct 8, the silence began.”
So, what do you do? Go to synagogue, wear a yarmulka, dance the hora?
It’s not quite that simple. First, we must be willing to self-examine.
Do you have God’s heart regarding Israel? Do you cry out for a physician to “restore the health of the daughter of God’s people?” (Jer. 8:22)
Do you speak against the false accusations that have spread like California wildfire?
Do you in any way support the work of your Brothers and Sisters in the Land?
I want you to know that we at CMP advocate for you. We know that you will be blessed as you follow God’s leading regarding Israel. How will we know?
We will see it in the radiance of your face.
We will see the Kingdom of Yeshua advance in His Land.
Shalom and every blessing,
Paul
*He found him (Israel) in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. (Dt. 32:10)