It has nothing to do with the Messiah.

Christians and Jews have many things in common. We agree on 90% of Biblical and spiritual truths because we both believe in and serve the One True God: the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Our God is doing a marvelous work to unite both houses.

Invisible walls of separation started dropping when we took responsibility and apologized for making Jewish lives hell for the last 2,000 years. But we weren’t the only guilty ones. This unification is taking place with help from both the God of Light and the kingdom of darkness.

An ancient Sanskrit treatise from the fourth century BC states, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” And we both have a common enemy. That is why the uniting of Christians and Jews is paramount.

“First, the Saturday people. Then the Sunday people” is graffiti in some Muslim neighborhoods in both the Middle East and America. This is not new. “After Saturday, Sunday” was a popular slogan among supporters of Haj Amin al-Husseini’s faction during the 1936–39 Arab revolt. It meant that once the Jews were forced out, the Christians were next to be given the boot.

There is no clearer example of how Islamic Jihadists will go through the Christians to get to the Jews than what happened with the Israel Summit last week here in Texas. Here are the facts:

When threatened, Western Christians surrender faster than France in World War 2. We raise our hands in church. But then we raise our hands in the presence of our enemies. When threatened, Israel recently put power and action behind the words and did a preemptive strike against the source of all threats, Iran.

The most significant difference between Christians and Jews isn’t theological. It’s a heart condition. It’s an outlook, a philosophy. It’s the relationship to courage. It’s the lines of scripture we each believe in and cling to.

While American Christianity is suffering a crisis of faith “deconstruction”, the Jewish people are standing rock solid on their history of seeing miraculous divine intervention. Christianity in the US is declining. Judaism in Israel is uniting and forming into a cohesive body of people. American Christians debate and dispute along denominational lines. While Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, Kabbalistic, and Secular Jews now find themselves united with a single purpose, sitting in bomb shelters, calling on the God who has saved them for thousands of years.

Christians believe all this persecution will simply go away if we get “raptured” or a “revival” hits the land. Jews, on the other hand, believe it will go away if they make it go away. They know Iran’s nuclear ambitions and dedication to eliminating both the “Little Satan” and the “Great Satan” will not magically disappear with podcast talk and social media chatter. “Liking” a meme about Palestinian rioting will not dissuade combative troublemakers one iota.

Christians MUST decide how they feel about this scripture:

“The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.” Psalm 78:9

Many are oblivious to the fact that today is the day of battle. But what should a Christian do? Turn back? Hide? Compromise our faith? Cower and capitulate to oppressors? How often do we do exactly that?

Christians are advised not to take their Bibles with them when they travel internationally because it might cause delays at airports if spotted by Islamic security workers. We are taking “I stand with Israel” stickers and license plate frames off our cars for fear of vandalism. Can you imagine a Jew taking off their kippah because being Jewish might cause an airport delay? Has any Jew removed the mezuzah from their doorpost out of fear of an Islamic pizza delivery person?

The movie “Taking Chance” has a scene that encapsulates this concept:

How often will we remove our Christianity, our robe of righteousness, our garment of praise to conform to our surroundings?

I know we can be courageous. We have the warrior spirit buried deep within us. I witnessed myriads of Christians with Trump yard cards, unafraid of liberal violence or vandalism. But why Israel? And why now?

If now is not the time to be strong, when is?

My dear Christian brothers and sisters, you already know about the murder of the two Jewish people in Washington, DC, and the Molotov cocktails in Boulder, Colorado. When will we, as the Church, understand that “isolated incidents” are becoming more frequent? And the frog will boil, as the water temperature slowly increases?

In Christian prayer gatherings, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). We learned that from the Jews. Their focus on and identification with that city is unshakable. The name Jerusalem means habitation or place of peace. But do we realize it wasn’t always named Jerusalem? It was once named Jebus, which means “threshing place.” How did it become Jerusalem? King David conquered it.

Before David took Jebus, the city was under Jebusite control, a polytheistic Canaanite people who inhabited the area. Jebus was a well-fortified city located on a strategically important hill. Due to its massive construction and defense capabilities, it seemed impregnable. The Jebusites believed their city was so mighty that even the blind and lame could easily defend it. (2 Sam 5:6)

Thank God King David wasn’t on Instagram. Otherwise, he might have believed the fearmongering. And decided to capitulate and bow down to threats, like we Christians did at the Israel Summit. Fortunately, David’s media team didn’t advise against the “optics of picking on Jebusites” or negative press. Someone might interrupt a Passover Seder by screaming “occupation”. Or send a teenage girl to sail to Israel and stop the conflict.

After the courage comes the peace.

If you believe in Jesus, you know that the millennium of peace comes after he returns to conquer. After courage comes peace.

Do you want peace? Good. Every Christian and Jew I know does, too. Here’s how to get it: Start by being bold, courageous, mighty, immovable, and full of faith. Push back against the darkness. Look in the mirror and ask yourself: “Am I being weak or wimpy with my conviction? Do I have bravery, determination, and valor that inspires others to greatness?” Take a stand against overwhelming odds. Call out lies. Don’t allow fear to infiltrate your household. Get off the couch. Get out of the comfy pews. Knock on the doors, seek the strength, and find the victory.

Be like Shammah: Face the enemy. Stand your ground. Keep what’s yours.

Christians, take notes from the Jews.

Be proud to be a Sunday person, like the Jews are proud to be Saturday people. If Christians can find the strength to stop cowering, we will become equally yoked with our Jewish brothers and sisters against our common enemy. God teaches their hands to war. (Psalm 144:1) And He can do the same for us.

Paul was a Jew. And he wrote this to a Christian church:

“Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.” 1 Cor 16:13

Where do you think he learned that philosophy?

** This article was originally published on medium.com/@Koenbooks