Day 153 Nicaea Prayer Call

 

 

6/2/2025

Beginning on May 19th our Monday prayer calls for International Embassy of Christians and Jews (ICEJ) have been dedicated to prayer and fasting against antisemitism and will continued through August 25th. This summer marks 1700 years since the Council of Nicaea convened to settle the question of Easter on the calendar and the Divinity of Jesus Christ. Dr. Juergen Buehler, ICEJ President is leading the discussion with special guests also teaching. The following is Juergen's statement:

"This summer we will mark 1700 years since the Council of Nicaea, a pivotal moment in church history that safeguarded foundational truths—such as the divine nature of Christ—and inadvertently initiated a painful rupture between the church and the Jewish people. Unlike the first Apostolic Council in Acts 15, where Jewish believers opened wide the doors for gentiles to join the faith, Nicaea began to close off the church from its Jewish roots. This shift was not grounded in apostolic authority but in imperial intervention, as Emperor Constantine sought political unity within his realm through a break with Jewish customs and influence. A new church calendar was established, deliberately severing ties with Passover and other key biblical festivals."  

"The resulting legacy of Nicaea laid the groundwork for centuries of anti-Jewish attitudes within Christianity. Constantine’s own words, calling for separation from “the detestable company of the Jews,” introduced a theological bias that would echo down through the ages. This rift widened through later councils, writings, and rulings that banned Jewish-Christian fellowship, culminating in tragedies from the Crusades to the Holocaust. In contrast to Paul’s clear teaching that the Jewish people remain “beloved for the sake of the fathers” (Romans 11:28), the church adopted a spirit of rejection and contempt for the Jews, even though we owe them for both our Messiah and our Scriptures."

"Therefore, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) is calling believers worldwide to join with us for 100 days of prayer and fasting, from May 18 to August 24—the approximate anniversary dates for the Council of Nicaea. During this season, we invite you to give thanks for the good fruits of Nicaea while also interceding for the healing of the historic wounds it caused with the Jewish people. You are not asked to fast for the entire period but to choose days when you can stand in the gap through prayer and fasting. Every Monday during this time frame, our Global Prayer Gathering will feature noted Christian scholars providing information and insights into Nicaea to help guide our prayers. We will focus on the themes of repentance, remembrance, reconciliation, and restoration, trusting that God will bring fresh revival and healing."  

"Like Daniel of old, let us repent for the sins of our forebearers in the faith. Let us remember both the triumphs and the tragedies of Nicaea. Let us intercede for deeper reconciliation between Christians and Jews. And let us pray for the restoration of hearts between the fathers and the children, as promised in Malachi 4:6. May this call to prayer stir a renewed love for Israel, a clearer understanding of our shared spiritual heritage, and a church that fully embraces its Jewish roots while standing firm in the truth of Christ." 

This time has been very enriching in my personal walk with the Lord. While I have never questioned the importance of our Judeo-Christian or Hebraic roots, I do not recall hearing the truth of the full gospel taught in church or more importantly, from the pulpit. I always accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior, have been fascinated by the lineage of Christ, and basically, I learned at the feet of Jesus. In the book of Ephesians Paul speaks of "one new man." This is Jew and Gentile as one. It is sad to think how much the church has missed out on and is still missing out on regarding the truth of Messiah, God's chosen people, and how we Gentiles fit into God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel). 

From this council fiasco, Jews became hated, isolated from sharing with Christians in churches. No longer were they allowed in each other's churches/synagogues. Later came the crusades, followed by the Inquisition, then Gnosticism, and then the Holocaust. Paul, an Apostle chose by Jesus to instruct the Gentiles wrote Romans 11 to explain that God had not forsaken His chosen nation of Israel, and how Gentile believers in Christ had been grafted into the Vine, Jesus Christ, as wild olive shoots, thereby part of the covenant God made initially with Abraham. God's plan since before He created the earth is so wonderfully told from Genesis to Revelation. With the extreme and advancing evil of antisemitism and the appalling hatred for Christians called Zionists, who stand in support of Israel as a nation, it is so important that the church awaken and teach their people, as especially as the day of Christ's return is nearing.

It is my prayer that all will come to the saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, aiding in the stand for the sovereignty of the nation of Israel.