As an Arab pastor living in Israel, I know this may not be the message many people expect me to share.
Every day, we are surrounded by headlines, opinions, political agendas, and powerful emotions. Social media tells us what to think. News outlets tell us who to support and who to blame. In such a noisy world, it has become increasingly difficult to separate truth from narrative. But as followers of Jesus, our calling is not to build our beliefs on headlines. Our calling is to build them on the Word of God.
This is why I recently began teaching on a subject that has become both important and challenging for many believers: God’s continuing faithfulness to the Jewish people. For many centuries, some have claimed that because many Jewish people did not recognize Jesus as Messiah, God rejected them and transferred His promises to others. Yet when I open my Bible, I find something very different.
I find the Apostle Paul asking difficult questions and giving remarkably clear answers.
Do the Jewish people still have a place in God’s redemptive plan? Has their unbelief canceled God’s faithfulness? Paul’s response is not uncertain. It is not complicated. It is not influenced by politics or public opinion. “May it never be.”
Again and again, Romans chapters 9–11 reveal a God whose faithfulness does not depend on human perfection. They reveal a God who keeps His promises even when people stumble. They reveal a God whose mercy is greater than human failure. What moves me most is Paul’s heart. He does not speak about the Jewish people with anger or rejection. He speaks with deep love, grief, and longing. He desires that they come to know Jesus the Messiah. His response is not condemnation—it is compassion.
As followers of Jesus, we must be careful not to allow culture to shape our biblical faith.
God’s Word—not headlines, politics, or popular opinion—must remain our foundation. Biblical faith calls us to trust what God has said, even when it is not popular.
Today, standing with Israel is not always popular. In many places it can invite criticism, misunderstanding, and even hostility. Yet our position must never be determined by popularity. It must be determined by Scripture. This does not mean ignoring suffering, nor does it mean choosing sides in human conflicts. It means remaining faithful to what God has revealed in His Word while continuing to love all people with the compassion of Messiah.
When we see God’s faithfulness to Israel throughout history, we are reminded that He is faithful to every promise He has made. The God who keeps His word to Israel is the same God who keeps His word to us.
That truth gives us confidence not only in His plans for nations, but also in His promises for our own lives.
Here in Nazareth, we have the privilege of building bridges between Arab and Jewish believers, demonstrating that reconciliation is possible through Jesus. In a land often marked by division, we are witnessing God bring people together around the truth of His Word and the hope of the Gospel. My prayer is that believers everywhere would return to the Scriptures with fresh eyes, allowing God’s Word—not cultural trends—to shape their convictions. The truth of God’s promises has not changed, and His faithfulness has not diminished.
Thank you for standing with us in this mission.
Your prayers and support help us continue teaching biblical truth, building relationships across historic divides, and proclaiming the love of Messiah throughout the Land. Together, we can be voices of truth, hope, and reconciliation in a world that desperately needs all three.
Blessings from Nazareth,
Pastor Saleem Shalash
House of Jesus the King Church