WALK THE LAND

However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. 16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

Luke 5: 15-16

 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 

Luke 6: 12

We have celebrated the Passover and Easter here in Israel and now life is settling back into its busy routines after the holidays. How easy it is to become so caught up in the frantic busyness of life that we drift away from God. It is hard to truly know him when we are rushing about, His voice drowned by the cacophony of noise and the tumults of our thoughts.  Even Yeshua, in the busyness of his ministry often found it necessary to take some time out, withdrawing from the neediness of the crowds around him, to draw near to the Father and hear His voice. I too find that I have to do this from time to time. 

Migdal (Magdala), Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee from Mt Arbel

For me, one of the great pleasures of living in the Land of Israel is its many natural areas, parks and reserves, to which I can withdraw and hear God. In spite of the dense population of the Land, now nearing 8.4 million in an area only the size of New Jersey (or Southland in New Zealand, or of Wales), we still have large areas of wilderness, which are greatly valued and protected. 

I have just returned from a 3-day break up in the Lower Galilee, an area of great natural beauty and an area which our Lord, Yeshua, would have known intimately.  At this time of the year many Christian pilgrims visit the Land to celebrate Easter  and to 'walk in the steps of Yeshua'.  Sadly these visitors are usually herded onto buses and rushed from 'holy site' to 'holy site', most of which these days are covered with a Catholic or Orthodox church. There is value in this, but it leaves me rather cold.  I find it much more meaningful to get out, put on my dusty sandals (or trainers) and walk the Land, just as Yeshua did two thousand years ago. That way I can feel the Land, see its varied and stunning landscapes and its wildlife, smell its perfumes, and experience its weather. This brings the Bible to life for me. I can know the weariness Yeshua must have felt after a long day of walking its hot and dusty trails. I can picture the landscape, the plants and the animals described by Yeshua in his parables. It brings me closer to Yeshua than sitting in a church or so-called 'holy site'.  I would therefore encourage any of you who plan to visit the Land, to put aside some time to walk in the wilderness or just to sit quietly under a tree and soak in the essence of the Land. 

A Galilean landscape

When I first arrived in Israel, in the early '80s, Israelis were in love with their Land. Nearly every popular song was a celebration the Land. Families spent their holidays hiking its trails, and the common rite-of-passage of every young person was to walk its length. Sadly this has been somewhat lost today. Now family outings, if they occur at all, are  often to the local shopping mall, cinema complex or water park, and holidays are enjoyed abroad. In spite of this trend, on weekends and holidays the parks, beaches and forests of Israel are still overflowing  with hordes of people indulging in the national pastime - 'al ha-esh' (on the fire) barbecuing with family and friends. As fun as that is (I enjoy a good 'al haesh' myself), it is scarcely conducive to quiet contemplation or prayer. It is possible to be so involved in socializing that one does not even notice the surroundings.  

Israelis enjoying the Sea of Galilee at Passover last year
http://img.mako.co.il/2016/04/24/751978_B.jpg

On Easter Friday this year my congregation traveled together to the site of the ancient city of Shiloh, where the Tabernacle stood for some 400 years before King David established Jerusalem as the capital of the nation of Israel. Standing on the hillside where the platform of the Tabernacle can still be discerned, I looked around and was impressed by the similarities of its position to that of the Temple in Jerusalem. It stands on the side of a hill (not on the top) and that hill is surrounded by higher hills on every side, just as in Jerusalem.  Why is the LORD's house not on the highest hill?  I believe it was because the pagan religions of the region tended to raise up their idols and altars on the 'high places'. God wanted the nation of Israel to separate themselves from such practices. Just before the people of Israel crossed the Jordan River to take possession of the Promised Land, God spoke to Moses and told him to tell the people these words: 

When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their engraved stones, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their high places;  you shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it, for I have given you the land to possess.

Numbers 33: 51-53

God was not to be worshiped on the 'high places' of the pagan gods but at the place that He chose. Throughout the times of the Judges and the Kings of Israel these 'high places' were a continual temptation for the people of Israel. They did not destroy them as God had commanded, fell again and again into idol worship and even set up altars and a priesthood to God in those high places, contrary to His express command. (See for example 1 Kings 3:3, 1 Kings 12:31, 1 Kings 13:3, 1 Kings 14:23 etc). 

Walking towards the site of the Tabernacle at Shiloh (by the shelter)

While at Shiloh I also looked down into the valley below and saw the road snaking its way through the high mountains of Samaria. The modern road follows an ancient route that connected the Galilee to Jerusalem and passed through Samaria. We know that Jesus used this route on at least two occasions for we have the account of his rejection by a Samaritan village in Luke 9: 51-56 and his meeting with the Samaritan woman in the town of Sychar (John 4). 

Three roads of antiquity: The Via Maris (purple), the King's Road (red) and the Samarian Road (blue)
http://guide-israel.ru/39847-doroga-praotcev/doroga-praotcev-sinij-via-maris-fioletovyj-i-carskij-put-via-regia-krasnyj/

When we read the Biblical accounts of Yeshua's journeys it is easy to gloss over them, but what do we know of the difficulties He would have encountered? How long would it take to walk from Capernaum to Jerusalem? Using the shortest route it is about 75 miles (120 km) and at a normal walking pace this would take at least 4 days. This route is very mountainous, with many steep climbs. Capernaum lies at an altitude of around  200 m below sea level and Jerusalem is around 800 m above sea level - an overall climb of around 1000 m (3000 ft). Most of the route lies in the ecological zone of steppe grassland, so there are few trees and little shade. For most of the year it would be very hot and dusty. There are no perennial streams so water can be obtained only from wells. 

The Samarian highway from Shiloh

According to an article "On the Road" by Merilyn Hargis

 http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-59/on-road.html

"Jesus, like many of his contemporaries, crisscrossed the country numerous times. Assuming he went from Nazareth to Jerusalem annually for each of the three required annual feasts using the shortest route through Samaria, a distance of 75 miles each way, he would have walked a minimum of 13,500 miles before beginning his ministry. On at least one of his later pilgrimages, he went from Capernaum to Jerusalem by way of Jericho, 106 miles each way. Estimating conservatively, Jesus probably walked at least 15,000 miles in his lifetime."

15,000 miles is about 2/3 the circumference of the Earth at the equator. That is a lot of walking! I wonder if Yeshua ever got blisters or inflamed tendons or sore muscles? How many pairs of sandals did he wear out? 

News in Israel and Matters for Prayer

1.  On the same day as we went to Shiloh there was another terror attack in Jerusalem. A 21 year old woman, a student from England, was stabbed multiple times in the chest on the Light Rail train as it passed near the Old City. She later died of her injuries. A pregnant woman and a 50-year-old man were also lightly injured. An off-duty policeman and a passerby managed to wrestle the attacker to the ground before he was able to hurt anyone else. The attacker was a Palestinian man with a history of mental illness.  Please pray for the family and friends of the murdered woman.
2. This past Friday morning three mortar shells fired from Syria landed in the Golan Heights. They fell in open areas and resulted in no damage or injuries. Although these mortars were most likely 'spillover' from the internal fighting in Syria, Israel holds Syria responsible for what emanates from its territory. Consequently, later that day, Israel attacked positions affiliated with the Assad regime from which the mortars were fired. 
3. Some 1200 to 1300 Palestinian prisoners began an open-ended hunger strike on Monday to protest the conditions of their imprisonment. The strike was called by the popular Fatah leader, Marwan Bargouti, who is currently serving 5 life sentences for orchestrating terror attacks against Israeli citizens during the Second Intifada. The hunger strikers are demanding more family visits, more television channels and access to cell phones. 
4. This week there have been several other terror attacks. Today a man brandishing a knife attacked a group of Golani soldiers but was neutralized before he injured anyone. On Monday a woman stabbed a female soldier and wounded her in the upper body before being neutralized. Tragically this female attacker, a mother of 9, later told her captors that  she had carried out her attack in an attempt to commit suicide because her life had become unbearable as a result of abuse from her husband who was threatening to deport her to Jordan. Two days ago, an 18-yr old man from the Palestinian territories attacked and lightly wounded 4 people in the lobby of a hotel in Tel Aviv. 

I was glad when they said to me,

“Let us go into the house of the Lord.”

2 

Our feet have been standing

Within your gates, O Jerusalem!

3 

Jerusalem is built

As a city that is compact together,

4 

Where the tribes go up,

The tribes of the Lord,

To the Testimony of Israel,

To give thanks to the name of the Lord.

5 

For thrones are set there for judgment,

The thrones of the house of David.

6 

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

“May they prosper who love you.

7 

Peace be within your walls,

Prosperity within your palaces.”

8 

For the sake of my brethren and companions,

I will now say, “Peace be within you.”

9 

Because of the house of the Lord our God

I will seek your good.

Psalm 122

THE RUSSIANS ARE HERE - A NEW 'AXIS OF EVIL'

 

Life in Israel can be difficult and depressing at times, but it also has its compensations. When life gets too stressful I love to escape to nature and remind myself of the beauty of Creation and its Creator. I didn't update my blog last weekend because I took a little holiday in the Galilee. It was a wonderful break and we enjoyed the green winter landscape, the warm sunshine, the gentle rain, and Israel's marvelous wildlife. It was a wonderful reminder of the bounteous and beautiful land the LORD has given us. Here are a few of my photos to show you why I love this land so much:

 

An avocet catching his lunch - one of the 500 million birds that migrate over our skies twice a year





Some of the 70,000 Eurasian cranes that stop off  twice a year at Lake Agmon in the Huleh valley  to fuel up before and after crossing the Sahara, as they migrate between Europe and Asia, and Africa

Assorted ducks in the Huleh Valley

                 A giant rat? No, a Nutria - an introduced pest from South America - but they are so cute and photogenic, we love them anyway

A crane coming in to sleep in the last rays of  sunshine
 

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.

Psalm 19:1

 

 Jerusalem has been a troubled city of late and there is much sadness and stress. However Jerusalem also has another side - one you don't see on the news.  It is so full of wonderful and interesting things to do and see, and so full of life. Yesterday I saw an example of the vitality of this city. Some young people had set up a music player in the street and were dancing the jive - just for the sheer joy of it.

 

 

 

The other night I managed to get away from work before the sun set, and I decided to take a stroll in the Gazelle Park nearby. This Park is a triumph of nature and human 'quality of life' values over materialism and consumerism. As the city grew a herd of  some 30 odd wild Mountain Gazelles became trapped in the middle of the city by the encroaching developments. Developers eyed the valuable land, and a great battle arose between them and the local people who loved this herd. The herd was decimated by the motorway constructed nearby and by frequent poaching, some say by the developers themselves, until only 4 gazelles remained. Nevertheless the gazelle-lovers never gave up and eventually the city fathers decided to dedicate this 'prime real estate' for the protection of the remaining gazelles and for the enjoyment of the people. Now this 50  or so acres of 'wilderness' is home to  an augmented herd of some 13 gazelles and  is open, free of charge, to all the citizens of Jerusalem. A deer-proof fence has been constructed around the reserve and a live-in guard protects them 24 hours a day. A stream, with a waterfall and several ponds, runs through the park, and paths  have been laid out. A large part of the area is set aside and closed to the public, for the use of the gazelles alone, but even so it is possible to see the gazelles at close quarters. When I was there that evening I stood down by the lake, quite still, for a few minutes and a group of some 4 young surrounded me, quite unafraid, enjoying the lush winter vegetation. One came to within about 3 meters from me. This photo was taken, on my phone, without a zoom.



 

 

 

 

I went home feeling uplifted and relaxed. What a wonderful city this is! But as you know there is quite another side to life here. The relentless terror attacks grind on. We are no longer surprised or even pay much attention to them, unless of course directly involved somehow. We seem to have a perception that the frequency of attacks is decreasing, but it may just be that they are receiving little press attention these days, even here.

 

Two weeks ago, three terrorists carried out a combined shooting and knifing attack at the Damascus Gate. Border policewoman, Hadar Cohen, aged 19, died of wounds she received. Another border policewoman was seriously injured and a young man lightly wounded in the attack.  The three terrorists were shot dead by security forces.

Hadar Cohen
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4761536,00.html

I have often commented on the biased and inaccurate reporting of events in Israel by the world's media. The picture below shows how the US TV network, CBS News, reported the incident. The headline does not even mention the fact that these Palestinians had just carried out a terror attack, nor that Hadar Cohen, a young woman just doing her job, had been killed, and other innocent people wounded. Perhaps the article did go on to speak about this but many people only read the headlines, and it is the headlines that have the greatest impact.

 

CBS headline on Jerusalem terror attack, before being changed. (Photo: Screenshot)
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4761809,00.html

 

In like vein here is how Al Jazeerra News tweeted the same incident:

 

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4761809,00.html

 

Again this week the UN human rights expert,  Makarim Wibisono, accused Israel of using excessive force against Palestinan perpetrators of terror. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4765176,00.html

Although Israel may indeed commit human rights violations in its fight against the ongoing, relentless terror war, and there is always room for investigation and healthy criticism, we feel here that Israel is often singled out and held to a different standard than the rest of the world.  Perhaps that is fair enough since spiritually Israel is called to be an example and a demonstrator of God's justice and righteousness, nevertheless there is little understanding of the difficult balancing act we must walk, and the double-standard used against us hurts. 

 

 In war, civilians get hurt and human rights get violated. It has always been so and though it is horrible and regrettable, it is inevitable.  That said, I know of no other nation that takes such extreme measures to protect civilians of the enemy population as Israel does, often at great risk to her own civilians, and military and police personnel.

RUSSIA, IRAN AND SYRIA - the new axis of evil?

 

In September last year I entitled a post "The Russians are Coming". Now they are here - well and truly ensconced in the Middle East, and with the support and blessing of the United States, the UK and Europe.

Before the arrival of the Russian forces in September last year, the Assad regime was on the brink of collapse. Assad's forces, together with their allies, Hezbollah and Iran,  had been fighting the various rebel factions  and ISIS piecemeal without any overarching military goal except to keep the rebels away from areas of economic or moral importance. This approach clearly was not working.

At this point Russia entered the fray, not because of any love for Assad, but in order to protect its own interests in the region. At first Russia adopted the approach of the USA which has been conducting pinpoint attacks on strategic targets while attempting to minimize civilian losses. This also clearly was ineffective.

Consequently Russia has recently changed its tactics and is now blanket bombing the cities and towns which are the strongholds of the rebel forces, with no regard to civilian losses. Those civilians who can are fleeing in huge numbers towards the Turkish border and are becoming trapped there as Turkey is refusing to allow them entry. Those who did not manage to escape are trapped in their cities as Assad's forces, together with Hezbollah and Iranian ground forces, surround and impose a siege on those cities, starving the survivors of food, water and medicines. This amounts to a form of ethnic cleansing.  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4765389,00.html

A Syrian refugee camp in Jordan
http://i.imgur.com/L6uddjw.jpg

Syrian refugees streaming towards the  Turkish border
http://d.ibtimes.co.uk/en/full/1400299/turkish-soldiers-stand-guard-syrian-refugees-wait-behind-border-fences.jpg

 

Where is the outcry of the world against this? Why are the USA and Europe supporting the Russians? Do they not see that we now have a new 'axis of evil' arising in the Middle East, comprising Russia, Iran, Hezbollah and Assad's Syria?

This coalition is extremely dangerous for Israel and now it is gathering strength on our borders. The assessment here is that once Assad's regime is stabilized and empowered again in Syria, the attention of this coalition will turn to 'freeing the Golan' from Israeli occupation, and ultimately "freeing the Muslim lands of the abomination of Jewish settlement".

 

Just as scary is the fact that there is now rising up a new world power, comprising Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Russia, under the leadership of Putin. This is a major shift in the balance of world power. The USA is weakening and has largely backed out of any significant role in the Middle East, and the UK and Europe are tottering under the weight of Muslim immigration and influence. The Western world seems to be caught up in materialistic hedonism, unaware that its way of life is under dire threat, as Islamic fundamentalism and jihad spreads unchecked in its midst. The Western world no longer seems to have the moral fiber to even protect itself.

 

Today I was studying the Book of Revelation. I learned that in the first verse of that book it says: "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place".  I learned from a commentary by Siegfried Beck that the Greek word 'tachy', here translated as 'shortly', or in other translations 'soon', can also mean 'quickly'. Probably both meanings are intended. In other words the end-time events prophesied in the Book of Revelation  are not only near at hand, but when they happen they will take place quickly.

 

When I first came to believe in Yeshua (Jesus), back in the '70s, there was a strong belief in the imminent second coming of our Lord,  largely based on the verses that say:

Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!   Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.

Matthew 24: 32-34 

 

 We saw great significance in the restoration of Israel to her Land in 1948, and interpreted this event as the first tender leaves of the fig tree.  As time passed this expectation waned to some extent but there seems now to be a feeling amongst many of us that events are accelerating, and that the stage is being set up for the fulfillment of the end times prophesies, leading to the Second Coming of our Lord. The generation that saw the establishment of the State of Israel is now in its 70s or older, and will soon pass away.

 

I don't know whether such an interpretation is correct, and I don't know the timing of the LORD, but I do know that these things will take place, and we, like all the generations before us, need to live as if they are indeed imminent. We need to be like the virgins with their lamps trimmed and ready (Matthew 25). I am reminded of the song published in 1989 by Larry Norman "I Wish We'd All Been Ready". You can hear it on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPJpZdEOILQ

 

Here are the lyrics:



 

Life was filled with guns and war
And all of us got trampled on the floor
I wish we'd all been ready
Children died the days grew cold
A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold
I wish we'd all been ready

There's no time to change your mind
The Son has come and you've been left behind

A man and wife asleep in bed
She hears a noise and turns her head he's gone
I wish we'd all been ready
Two men walking up a hill
One disappears and one's left standing still
I wish we'd all been ready

There's no time to change your mind
The Son has come and you've been left behind

Children died the days grew cold
A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold
I wish we'd all been ready

There's no time to change your mind
The Son has come and you've been left behind

The Father spoke the demons died
How could you have been so blind

There's no time to change your mind
The Son has come and you've been left behind

I hope we'll all be ready. You've been left behind
I hope we'll all be ready. You've been left behind
I hope we'll all be ready. You've been left behind

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/dctalk/iwishwedallbeenready.html

 

 

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour which the Son of Man is coming

Matthew 25: 13

MAY WE ALL BE FOUND READY!

A PRECIOUS, GOOD AND SPACIOUS LAND

"We thank You, LORD, our God, for having given as a heritage to our fathers a precious, good and spacious land"

 

 from the Passover Haggadah

 

Wildflowers at Gamla on the Golan Heights

Saturday 4 April

These words from the Passover Haggadah, read at the Seder which we celebrated last evening, resonate with my heart that is still full of the joy of a mini-vacation in the Galilee from which I have just returned. What a precious, good and spacious  land the LORD has indeed given us. The Galilee is so green and lush, and full of wonderfully colorful flowers, after our abundant winter rains this year. Here are some more photos of the Galilee in Spring.

 

Styrax trees in bloom, Agmon HaHula

 For around 3500 years Israelites have been celebrating the Passover, commemorating and thanking the LORD for the time when the people of Israel were set free from slavery to the Egyptian Pharaohs and brought to the Promised Land by the 'outstretched hand' of the LORD. The Passover was instituted by the LORD himself, even before the Passover occurred, when he commanded Moses to prepare for the final plague, the killing of the first-born of Egypt (Exodus 12). The Passover lamb was to be killed, its blood spread on the lintels of the doors of the people of Israel, so that their first-born would be spared.

 

During the long years of the Second Exile from the Land, Jews concluded the Seder with the words " this year here, but next year, Lord willing, we will celebrate it in Jerusalem." What a joy and a privilege it is to now be able to celebrate it in Jerusalem as a free people. The LORD has restored the Land to Israel, Jerusalem is being rebuilt, and the desert has begun to bloom. The Second Coming of the Messiah Yeshua is drawing near and He will establish the New Jerusalem, so we can now conclude our Seder saying, "Next Year in Jerusalem!".




The Mount of Beatitudes from the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee)

Wildflowers

 The Passover Seder is rich in prophetic symbolism and meaning for all Jews, but even more so for those who follow the Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus). If you have not done so, I would recommend reading the Haggadah, which is available online in translation and with explanations.

Two of the symbols that speak most powerfully to me in the Passover Seder are the shankbone of a lamb and the afikoman.


Of course the shankbone symbolizes the Passover Lamb and  the Bible clearly identifies Yeshua with the Passover Lamb (for example: John 1:29,35; Revelation 5:12). 



The meaning of the afikoman is more controversial. Towards the beginning of the seder the afikoman, the middle of three pieces of matza, is broken and hidden away. Later the children search for the hidden piece and when they find it they are given a gift. The meaning of the afikoman and the three pieces of matza are not explained during the seder and the origins of these traditions are lost in the mists of time. Today the three matzot are explained by the Rabbis as symbolizing either the three Fathers of Israel, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or  the three categories of Israelites, the Priests (Cohanim), the Levites and the People. Messianic commentators however often link them to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Similarly there is much debate over the meaning of the word afikoman. This Greek word is believed by most Jews today to mean 'dessert' or 'that which comes after' since a small piece is eaten at the end of the seder, replacing the lamb that was eaten before the fall of the Second Temple.  At least one eminent Jewish scholar, David Daube however believed the word means 'he has come', which would thus link it with Yeshua, the Messiah who has come.



Swallowtail butterfly on Splendid Centaury

Sunday 5 April

Today is Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday and the Jewish Festival of the First Fruits, the Sunday after the first Shabbat of the Passover.  Because of the differences in the ways the calendars are calculated this occurs only rarely.

You might be wondering what the Festival of the First Fruits is. God instituted this festival as follows:

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ¹⁰ “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. ¹¹ He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. ¹² And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering to the Lord. 
Leviticus 23: 9-12

It is significant that Yeshua rose on the Festival of the First Fruits, since he was both the first and only son of the Father, and the first 'fruit' of the Resurrection, and that he was raised up before God, for our acceptance as children of God.
This festival, like the Passover itself, is closely linked to the promised land of Israel. The Festival of the First Fruits was only to be celebrated after the people of Israel entered into the Promised Land, and it began to yield its harvest.

This emphasizes the close connection between the people of Israel and the land of Israel. Even during the long years of Israel's exile these festivals served to maintain those links, and they once more take on new meaning as the people return and settle once more in their promised land.

As I travelled the Galilee last week I fell in love with the Land once again. It was clothed in all its lush Spring glory - a land of plenty, richness and great beauty, indeed. Yet for all that, I could not escape the fact that our hold on this Land is in danger. Distant booms, combat helicopters overhead and tanks gathering in the fields were reminders of the fact that our enemies surround us and grow ever more threatening.  Below is a photo I took that sums it all up for me - a land of milk and honey, and ... tanks.

The tank is facing the border with Syria, where only about 30 km away the Islamic State (ISIS) forces were moving into and occupying the Yarmouk Palestinian Refugee Camp, on the outskirts of Damascus. They now occupy about 90% of that camp.  At the same time  the IDF is warning us that in the next war with Hezbollah in the north, we can expect 1200 missiles to be fired into Israel from Lebanon every day http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4643066,00.html.  Meanwhile in the south, Hamas is busy building tunnels and bunkers, and rearming itself, for the next Gaza war. On a wider circumference the Houthis in Yemen are making inroads in the city of Aden,  ISIS continues to spread its rule and ideological poison, and 148, mainly Christian, students are killed by the salafist Somali terror group, al-Shabab, on the Garissa University campus in Kenya. Obama and his allies have signed a deal with Iran which will lift sanctions and improve the Iranian economy which funds much of the Islamic terrorism world wide. It is ominous that the Iranian representatives went home smiling after signing the deal.

If it wasn't for the LORD's promises in Scripture I would despair. The darkness  all around us seems to be growing deeper and closer by the second. Our own resources are puny in comparison. However I do trust that, although war seems inevitable in the near future, God will continue to protect Israel supernaturally, as he has done for 3500 years, and promises to do until Messiah returns and establishes the New Jerusalem.  That is our hope and our light in this darkness. Please pray with me for the people of Israel, that in these perilous days they will call out to God for salvation, as they did in Egypt so long ago, trust in Him and find the true peace in His Messiah, Yeshua.



 

The Sea of Galilee and Migdal (home of Mary Magdalene) from Mt Arbel