Israel is at war! What will happen in the days to come? How will these events impact you? Why and how should you pray for Israel?
Israel isn't just another point on the global map, but a divine blueprint, a piece of God's grand design for humanity. In today's episode, we sit down with Pastor Israel and Marti from Galilee, offering an insider perspective on the recent conflict that's stirred the globe. Their insights will help us understand why Israel is a mirror that reflects our relationship with God and our spiritual identity.
Gain insights into the conflict as we look beyond the headlines into the political upheaval caused by a government swinging too far to the left and the right, causing resentment among both secular and religious population. We also explore the paradox of how the same conflict has unified the people of Israel, opening a pathway for a more centrist government. We weigh in on the challenge of destroying Hamas without the loss of innocent lives.
But it isn't all politics. We discuss the intricacies of Jewish and Christian identities, and how the foundation of a Jew's spiritual identity can be found in Christ. As we pray for peace in Israel, we also reflect on the power of love and kindness during these trying times. Tune in as we pray for Israel and the many lives affected by the conflict, asking for God's intervention and peace in the region.
Help support the church in Israel to be the light and the hope in this dark hour: https://rfwma.org/2023-israel-outreach/
Thanks for listening! Visit our website rfwma.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram!
Help us make more inspiring episodes: https://rfwma.org/give-support-the-podcast/
Israel is at war! What will happen in the days to come? How will these events impact you? Why and how should you pray for Israel?
Israel isn't just another point on the global map, but a divine blueprint, a piece of God's grand design for humanity. In today's episode, we sit down with Pastor Israel and Marti from Galilee, offering an insider perspective on the recent conflict that's stirred the globe. Their insights will help us understand why Israel is a mirror that reflects our relationship with God and our spiritual identity.
Gain insights into the conflict as we look beyond the headlines into the political upheaval caused by a government swinging too far to the left and the right, causing resentment among both secular and religious population. We also explore the paradox of how the same conflict has unified the people of Israel, opening a pathway for a more centrist government. We weigh in on the challenge of destroying Hamas without the loss of innocent lives.
But it isn't all politics. We discuss the intricacies of Jewish and Christian identities, and how the foundation of a Jew's spiritual identity can be found in Christ. As we pray for peace in Israel, we also reflect on the power of love and kindness during these trying times. Tune in as we pray for Israel and the many lives affected by the conflict, asking for God's intervention and peace in the region.
Help support the church in Israel to be the light and the hope in this dark hour: https://rfwma.org/2023-israel-outreach/
Thanks for listening! Visit our website rfwma.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram!
Help us make more inspiring episodes: https://rfwma.org/give-support-the-podcast/
What if you had a guide who could tell you how to bridge a gap between who you are today and who you are destined to be? What if, each week, you could hear a story of someone who has tried and succeeded, or perhaps tried and failed but learned something in the process? Limitless Spirit is a weekly podcast where host Helen Todd interviews guests about topics and personal stories on defining life's purpose, pursuing personal growth and developing a deeper faith in Christ.
Speaker 2:Israel is a war. What will happen in Israel now? How will the conflict in Israel impact you and how you should be praying for Israel? Welcome to this episode of the Limitless Spirit Podcast. I am your host, helen Todd, and, just like you, I woke up on Saturday morning to the devastating news of the tragedy that happened in Israel.
Speaker 2:Israel is not just another spot on the map for me. I have close friends, ministry partners there. I was scheduled to fly there in just a few days. Most importantly, this land and its people are central to my faith and chosen by my God to be his epistle and a blueprint to the humanity. And this is why it is impossible to remain indifferent towards Israel and what is happening there today. And I have noticed that how a person feels about Israel, what they say about Israel, is indicative of their relationship with God.
Speaker 2:For this conversation I invited Israeli Christians from Galilee, pastor Israel, who was born in Israel in an Orthodox Jewish household and encountered Christ while living in South Africa and there. He also met the love of his life, his wife Marty, and for the last decade they have pastored a small congregation in northern Israel. Tune in to this episode. It will give you a unique perspective. We'll find it on the news media or on social media. It will give you a firsthand account of what is happening in Israel right now and what to expect in the days to come, and how you can pray and help. Hello Pastor, israel and Marty, welcome to the Limitless Spirit Podcast. How are you guys today?
Speaker 3:Yeah, praise God. You know there is trouble, you know Shaul says you know there is trouble, but we are strong, and we are definitely strong while even many evacuate the north and the Galilee. But we need to stay here. We need to stay to serve and to use this opportunity. Actually, this is an amazing opportunity to share the gospel.
Speaker 3:So we stay here without going anywhere. We stay here, we help the soldiers, we help whoever needs to give food and other stuff to be here. So, praise God, we are good, we are strong in Christ. We are strong.
Speaker 2:I'm very happy to hear that. I expected nothing else. Knowing you both, I have to ask this question Are all your loved ones safe, our mutual friends? So far, everybody's okay.
Speaker 3:Yes, there is. Many of our guys have called to the army, so obviously they are called to the service. My son, david, is also in the service, and Ziv Niv, daniel few of our guys in the service Tom Mano so, yeah, we need a lot of praise for them, for safety and obviously for many of the soldiers that are in the front line there. So, yes, but everything is all right. But look, it's a devastating reality now. What we've seen now is just devastating. It's people that we know. It's not people that we don't know. People that we know. Their son, their daughter, their wife or their husband are hostage in Gaza, or they died or they are wounded. So it's not an easy. This is not easy.
Speaker 2:I want to accomplish with our conversation is to give our listeners a clear understanding of how they need to be praying right now, because there are many questions and I've noticed through the years that the way people feel about Israel really reflects where they are in their relationship with God. It just seems like a litmus test and, let's face it, israel is the litmus test for us. Israel is God's blueprint for us. This is why it is so important what is happening in Israel, what is happening to the Jewish people, how they're being treated by the rest of the world. This is not something that we can at least, like in the United States or other nations, say well, it's not happening to us, it's somewhere there, a tiny country in the Middle East. No, it is important and it is connected with our faith as humanity. So that's without a question. But there are so many other questions that hopefully we can cover so that those who are Christians, those who love Israel, those who stand with Israel and, by the way, we have already been chastised by some people for expressing our solidarity with Israel, which would, of course, not change it or affect it. So I don't want it to be a generic prayer oh Lord, let your will be done or, oh Lord, let there be peace. There will be no peace anytime soon, judging by the events.
Speaker 2:So why it's so important, I feel like, for our listeners to hear from you is you, israel, are a Jew by blood. You were born in Israel. You are an Israeli national. At the same time, you are an unashamed, proud follower of Jesus Christ, and so what you have to say about this is very important. You are already. The same way, though you are not Jewish by blood and you were not born in Israel, and I'm not sure if you are a citizen or not. You are Well, praise God for that but you still have a perspective of an outsider to some extent, because you come from South Africa, and so both of your opinions, I feel, are very important and can give us a perspective on how to pray. So let's start with the first question that I have why do you think this attack happened now? What I mean? The conflict is ongoing for years and years. Why now?
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's you know. Obviously, many of the government in Israel is trying to answer these questions. But, you know, we who know the Word of God, know the Bible, believe in the Bible. We know that God always uses how can I put it?
Speaker 3:It's. Sometimes it's come in unlikely ways. It's a blessing in disguise, and I will explain what I'm saying. Israel, as you all know, has been divided on many issues religious issues, secular, left, right, liberal and conservative has been about the issue with the court and so on. So we were so divided and so broken and so hatred came to a levels that we don't even ever experience since the birth of this country, and it's escalated to such a degree that almost that it was you could see that it could have happened, that brothers will violently, will go against each other here, jews against Jews. So the war was almost. You know, they say you Jews have the Arabs is the way of keeping the Jews together. I mean united.
Speaker 3:And unfortunately, in this case now it totally broke up everything, all the argument, and suddenly joined together as in such a unity, so before we were going to kill one another here, israelis against Israelis, the Lord have brought upon this event, this catastrophic event, and I believe God is not surprised by this, and God used the nation always to bless Israel and use the nation to punish Israel.
Speaker 3:And that time it was a when I say blessing in disguise because suddenly from hatred removed to unity, totally unity among us in Israel.
Speaker 3:It's you can if you go and watch the news and you see how much the religious with with the secular left and right, all fighting and standing together, not arguing on anything of that week ago past, but standing together because the hour calling us to stand together and even the government going to build a unity of wider government to stand together in this hour, it's a historical moment and I believe it's it's a moment that we will it will be remember for generation and I believe this is something that God is not surprised and it's a brought blessing in one way. And I know, and I know that there is many families that are in such pain seeing the daughters, the son, the husband, the wife. Some of them are dead and some of them are captured by Hamas in Gaza and I can't even imagine what they do to the women in Gaza. I mean the report on devastating, so it's not even for to speak about, it's just yeah, so this is an interesting perspective.
Speaker 2:Let's bring our listeners a little bit up to date on what was the internal turmoil that was happening within Israel politically. So how would you describe that in briefly?
Speaker 3:I think the government that have formed, because the previous government went too far left, too far being liberal, and joined together with the Arabs, who are the enemy, some of them enemy of Israel, to build a coalition. And because it went so far left, the government didn't survive, of course, and the year after that it went too far right and now the religious people are in power. So the religious people, although we see in many ways together, eye to eye, but they are also in one sense our enemies because they're persecution even the Jewish believers. So it brought that division, bringing Lord, religious law according to their Torah, according to their how they see things, brought anger among the people of Israel, among the secular people, among the left, the liberals, and they want to change the constitution such that we could have got hurt from that, because if they will decide that Christians and Messianic Jews, we can go. So if the court, the High Court, don't have a say there and the government have the say, then it's could have been very terrible and difficult for us and for other issues that rise up. So obviously it's created very explosive in the Israeli society and the dictator and things like this that it can turn to that government say they can do anything they want and there is no High Court to stop, there is no breaks to stop the government who wants to go that far.
Speaker 3:So that's kind of where the argument was about and that's what brought anger very as you know, that demonstration in the land already for the past three, four months, massive demonstration that we haven't never seen before brought about and violence between different groups, so that escalate to a place that sorry that that war stopped everything and brought unity, because now we have a common enemy the terrorists, those murderers from Gaza, the jihadists, hamas and Hezbollah. They are evil. What they've done is just so evil, so they're monsters. They're really monsters. Only monsters do that and we decide left, right. We need to destroy it. We need to finish that issue with Gaza, with Hamas and those terrorist jihadists. So that's what brought unity among their left, their right, the religious, the secular and everyone.
Speaker 2:So there is a unity for now. You know the moment of crisis. I remember, you know when 911 happened in the United States and how it united a very divided society. So it seems like that happens in the moment of crisis. But once this crisis passes, do you think this unity will continue or it will only make this divide worse and even deepen the crisis, the political crisis in Israel, and there will be a blaming of each other and you know, a deeper, deeper divide.
Speaker 3:You know, I've got a strong feeling that this war gave a rope for Bibinettaniel to climb down from that tree because he was held by a government that really could have just any one of them could have just break the government. So in a sense now this war brought about a wider to build and it obviously is discussion about how, but it's bringing about unity among a wider government and unity around this issue. Now this wider government maybe will be the. That's what actually the society in Israel, most of us, want that to happen. We don't want the extreme left or the Arabs to be in the government and we don't want the extreme religious people to be in the government. So we want center government with the BB and guns and Yair Lapid.
Speaker 3:those can form a good government for Israel and I think that's the people of Israel now want and need and hopefully this government will be the government that will not only last this war, but last till the end, and if that will happen, so that will solve all the problem with the constitutional and all this and hopefully the argument will fall away also and we don't need to come back to this place. So it's gave an opportunity for us, not only for the government, but opportunity for Israel to unite around and may, indeed it will last for the rest of the remaining time of another three years or so, for the government to hold in that government, unity and wider government, not with a far left or not with a far right.
Speaker 2:So you mentioned to me that the only way to resolve the current situation is to completely destroy Hamas, and this is what Israel has set as a goal. However, that implies massive loss of lives, right Even on the Palestinian side and on the Israeli side, and possibly loss of lives of innocent civilians. Would you say that's the correct assessment?
Speaker 3:If that's what and I believe that's throughout the days a unity in the government, we're going to destroy it. Hamas, you'll never see a government of Hamas in Gaza. That's how, coming from the top, from Bibi Netanyahu and the government, and the voice is one we're going to change the reality in Gaza forever. Of course, what does it mean? It means, first of all, that I believe that forces first of all, will destroy the infrastructure that Hamas have built without getting in and hopefully, but as it will be inevitable to achieve that, you will have to go in. You'll have to. There's no one to think any otherwise. But there is one opportunity. This is, and every politician said this is the one opportunity that we have now the legitimacy and the support of the whole Western world, the support. And we've got this window of opportunity to change the Middle East, to change definitely Gaza and, if it will be even in Lebanon, to change the whole Middle East. And of course, it will be Iran, and it's not going to be just small, a local operation. I think it will even wider.
Speaker 3:But you know, always says you know, if we look at Bible prophecy, we know that the nation will surround Jerusalem. We know that that's what will happen. For that to happen and yes, it will be a lot of casualty from both sides. But that's kind of how I interpret the, how I see the event will fall through. If that's the Word of God, and we know the Word of God is yes and amen, it will happen. Meaning For that to happen need before that, of course, catastrophical event, it's need wars and rumors of wars.
Speaker 3:As the Bible teaches, a nation will come against nation and things that will escalate to that place when the nation will come around Jerusalem and I can give you a small scenario. Of course now there is the support of the whole West, but for Halon and, as you mentioned and rightly mentioned, when the death toll will rise up in Gaza and in Israel, then the voices of the West will change and they will stop and they will try to stop Israel and they will stop. Even even America and Europe that now support in Israel maybe and I'm saying just maybe it will come to a place where they will not support. I don't know how long it will take, but maybe they will not support later on. But Israel is determined to finish this story and maybe they in the UN and in other platform they will not veto decision that happened in the UN and they will go to support the other side. What it will say, what it will mean for the other side okay, if America and Europe don't support Israel, then let's go.
Speaker 3:We have now opportunity to really bring about this prophecy that we're talking to surround Jerusalem from the Arab nation and so on and so on, and then that can bring the end. As we know from the Bible, the nation will turn against Israel in many platform and that will be an opportunity for the Arab nation to turn against Israel, to see it as an opportunity to act. That's obviously. It's something that I, as we think of the prophecies and how things evolve and will happen. That's the more logical explanation of how that end can come about.
Speaker 2:Marty, I am interested in hearing your opinion as a woman, as a Christian, on what is happening and how do you think Christians around the world should be praying for Israel right now?
Speaker 4:And then you know, living in this country, you just really see the same Israel, the stiff neck, proud people that the Bible talks about, that we read about in the Old Testament, and for the last 2000 years they've been blinded because they rejected them as sion called a cursed on upon themselves and so, working here and being here for 10 years already, it's you know, obviously I have a little bit of a perspective from a little bit further away and the more that I live here and the more that I come to know the country and the people and the more that I look at the Word of God. It is inevitable. The Lord, the Lord will say Israel, he promises that there'll be a large scale salvation later. But for them to turn to be in this ministry, to see Jewish people come to faith, is a very long and a very slow process. It's very hard. People tell us it's. It's the hardest soil currently for ministry. We've known that it will take. It has to take something very, very, very significant to make them realize that they cannot rely on themselves, even though they've had this incredible history of all the wars, that God has done so many miraculous deliverances.
Speaker 4:You know, also through the Old Testament, also through the modern history of Israel. They will say, yes, it's God, it's God, it's God. But we really rely on the idea for you know it's for them to truly cry out. So my prayer, really that the Lord has put on my heart the number one prayer, of course, besides to protect the soldiers, to protect the people, to give wisdom to the government, to especially look after those who are captured, to minister to them, to reveal himself to their hearts in these terrible places and times the deepest prayer that we are really praying is the promise that God gave if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and call to me, then I will hear from heaven and I will heal their land. And that is truly what I believe we should pray.
Speaker 4:First and foremost is that the people that God would put questions in their heart, that they would ask the question why is this happening? Why always? Why it was the Holocaust, why in all our history and we've always been persecuted why, what is this? And truly call out to God. They took comfortable, you know, and anybody who's comfortable and feels they don't have a need, they're not going to look for a solution. So I think for us, as believers we are. We are very aware in this country that we have a living relationship with the God of Israel and we are his children and he delights to answer our prayers. And we really are fighting the battle on our knees. We really are fighting the battle and we need to be strong for those who are, who are fighting on the front lines of fighting in the physical here, as we need to really cry out to the Lord for the deliverance of Israel, spiritually first of all.
Speaker 3:I think it's no different from any other.
Speaker 3:The history of Israel is, no, is no different from any other nation. It's only when you prays hard, you cry hard, and when you don't, when it's comfortable and I see a being in, we just came from Holland and, yes, there is it's comfortable life for the churches. We've been in many, you know, in places and people are comfortable, and when they are comfortable we don't need God. So so that's kind of, and and that's the story, always, when Israel was pressed by the enemy, they cry out to God. And I believe the story of the end will not be different. It will be exactly as Marty mentioned, when the enemy will press Israel hard and they will know and it will be not only Gaza but many of the nation then maybe, and then only Israel will realize that not in their power, they cannot do that they will go on their knees to cry out for the God of Israel and they, then you will hear their voice, and then they will look at him, the one that appears, and then the Messiah will come and then salvation will come to Israel.
Speaker 2:And, of course, this is my prayer for Israel too. And I think it's interesting that in the months leading up to this horrible event, there were the animosity against Christians for some reason intensified in Israel, and partly due to the ultra-right influence within the government, and there were reports even days before the attack that there was somebody was spitting at Christians at holy sites in Jerusalem. And yet, like Pastor Israel said, it is in the darkest times, and the most difficult times is when a nation or an individual starts seeking after God, and when that is done with a pure heart of truly wanting to know God. It's impossible not to see the truth, it's impossible not to have the revelation of what that relationship with God looks like. You know, it has the face of Jesus all over it.
Speaker 2:Well, here's a question that I want to ask you, pastor Israel, but that question, I think every Christian in any country should ask themselves, because none of us are exempt from tragedy, and history has proven that. You know, being a patriot, being a nationalist and being a Christian is not. It's kind of a. It can be in conflict with each other. Let's put it this way. You know, I think it's important for us to recognize who are we first a Christian or an Israeli, a Christian or an American? Because the governments of this world do not necessarily make decisions that align with God's plan and God's will. So what are your thoughts on that?
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's actually a wonderful question and I'm glad that you asked this question. It's a question that surely, obviously will be going on the mind of so many other Christians who basically see us and see us supporting the soldiers and so on. Listen, we first of all and we say it on every stage in the church we are identity. It's first of all in Jesus, in the Messiah, and then we are and, by the way, our citizenship is in Him, is in heaven. Then we are Israeli, and that's something very clear to me to be understood. We will stand and we will, and we did stand, against the Israeli government and the Israeli thing when it's regarding our faith. We are, first of all, believers in Jesus. In this.
Speaker 3:I just been in Holland and I asked them what does Jewish mean? What does Jewish mean? Leah, when she gave birth to her fourth child, she called him Yehuda. Thank you, hoda'ya. What is the meaning of it? It's thanks and it's also praise. So what does it mean to be Jewish? It's mean one who prays God, one who gives thanks to God. That's the essence of what does it mean to be Jewish. Jew is a Jew inwardly. The book of Romans teaching us Not all Israel are Israel.
Speaker 3:Those are not the ethnic identities, not the ethnic ones. It's a spiritual one. Therefore, we are in Christ, our identity is in Christ. Therefore, even when I ask how many Jewish people before I explained that I asked how many people are Jewish Nobody pick up their hand after I explained that and I told them. By the way, if you take the Dalit, the D out of Yehuda, it's the name of God. So, who is God? On which heart God is written His name on? Of course, on us as the believer born again, christian believer from all the nation. So therefore, again, not only that I am a Jew, but many Christians who believe and praise God and thank God, they are in the essence of the word, they are Jews because they give thanks to God, they praise God and the name of God written on the heart. So, yes, I am first of all a believer, I am a Christian, I am a Christian believer in Jesus. My loyalty is first of all to Him first, and then to my people, and then to my, obviously, to my country, to my family.
Speaker 3:And, of course, in this hour there is a great need. There is a great need to stand with our people against the enemy that wants to kill and destroy them and the picture of what we've seen in Gaza they are enough enough to. It's just too much and we need to stand with our people now, in this hour, to love them, to support them. We're not going to carry guns to support them. We carry love, we carry the message of Christ to support them. We use the weapons. It's not the weapons of guns and things. We carry the weapon, the sword of the Word of God, to fight against evil, to fight in this hour.
Speaker 2:So let's talk about some of the specific prayer points, of how Christians can pray for the best possible outcome, because there are Christians living in Gaza too. We don't want innocent lives lost. I know that war brings inevitable loss. I mean, we just lost a very dear friend in Ukraine who was a US citizen of a Ukrainian descent and chose to fight in the war. He was a very young man and really had no business of being there and lost his life. And that's war. That's the reality of war and it's unavoidable. Sometimes you know the loss of lives. But let's outline some of the specific prayer points how we can, in an informed way and a specific way, without altering God's will. Sometimes you know our prayers are too specific and we don't always know everything, no matter how much information we have, but also that our prayers are not vague.
Speaker 3:You know, I think this is what you know in the book of Romans, chapter 8, the Lord says I have put creation under frustration, the whole creation. He put under frustration in a hope. So I pray that this hope from all sides, that war, that death, is that it won't be any peace. They ask me do you believe there will be peace here between Israel and Palestine, between Israel and the Arabs, real peace? I said no, it can't be. There is no peace outside of the Messiah. There is no peace. It won't be a peace Only in Christ. How many American presidents and European presidents try to bring peace? It never worked, because it's a peace that men try in his own effort, in his own ways, to make peace and put God outside of the picture and put Christ outside of the picture. No, he is the way, the truth, the peace, the hope, the everything our life. It won't be a peace. So what I pray for both? My prayer that this is will bring and rise in the mind of Jews and Arabs in both sides to realize it's futile. What are we fighting about? Maybe they will turn to God and find the true peace in Jesus Christ, because we can pray for peace, we can pray outside of the will of God. I pray that the will of God will be done, whatever it means God will to be done in both sides, and whatever I mean, but I do.
Speaker 3:Before we move on to another question, I really want to touch on something that you said about the Jews, those Orthodox Jews who are spitting against Christians. I really want to tell you, those are zealous people, as Shaul says. They are jealous but with no knowledge, and it is those very Orthodox, ultra-orthodox groups that lives in Jerusalem and whatever they are, but it's not the Israelis. The Israelis will never do that. We condemn all of this most of the Israelis I'm not talking about, of course we, as a messianic Jews, we will stand against that. No secular Jews will tolerate that and that was way too much and I think the voices came strong in Israel against this and they put in prison even some of those people and they put strong hand against it and I believe it will stop because they were a little bit slow there, but I believe it will stop.
Speaker 2:Well, and I'm also thinking that those people remind me of Saul before he became Paul. You know, he too was zealous, without knowledge, and Jesus stopped him in his tracks and revealed himself to them, and I think that there is a potential. I mean, these are the people we should be praying for. You know, when I mentioned that, I wasn't saying this, you know, with bitterness or anything, but I think of them as probably our best prospects, wouldn't you say, for an encounter with Jesus. Because it took a zealous persecutor of Christians to become just as zealous as the apostle. You know, he just carried that zeal from being against Christ into being pro-Christ, and that made him an extraordinary apostle.
Speaker 2:So I have tremendous hope, tremendous hope for the country of Israel, not just because the Word of God promises us so, but I see the signs all over it, having been there many times and worked with you guys. So I'm for one, I'm very thankful that God placed people like you and other brothers and sisters in Christ that are like remnants sprinkled throughout this land to preserve the righteousness. And so how, how can we help you at this time? What can we do to equip you to be the light and the hope and the truth to your country?
Speaker 3:First of all, it's really prayer. But you know, pray that come with tears and on their knees, that, because who can help us? It's only God can help us really in this situation and pray, pray, pray, pray, and the prayer of the righteous, and really it's something that I mean, you know we say pray, pray, but you know we throw it like this Okay, let's pray, and we know it. Sometimes pray that come from deep, from from a heart that cries out for God, and I want to share my dear brothers and sisters. Israel is the way by which everything will happen. The Lord will work in the land of Israel. That's what he says. Look to the fig tree to understand the fig tree. You understand. Go to the Old Testament. The fig tree is Israel. When you see Israel have been established, no, and understand as he says in Deuteronomy 32, verse 43, I will restore you to the land and I will restore my people.
Speaker 3:So there we are 75 years in Israel and slowly, slowly, the tree showing fruit Remnant, the remnant of Jewish believers that come to faith. So when you see that happen, know that, understand that the time is near, near to what, Near to the coming of Messiah and the trouble and all that goes around us. It's exactly to illustrate, to bring in perfect timing, what God is doing in the world and bringing the attention back to His people, back to Israel. Because, as I mentioned many times to you, ellen, when you were with us, when King Solomon was staying in Jerusalem, it brought a lot of glory to the people of Israel. It brought a lot of fame to King Solomon and the people around him and to the nation. But it's not King Solomon that going to reign from Jerusalem, it's the King of King, it's the King of the whole world, the creator of the whole world, jesus the Messiah. He's going to reign in Jerusalem. Now you can imagine what that will bring about in Israel. But until then we know trouble and more trouble will come upon us in the world and in Israel. And, by the way, we are in the world under persecution, the Christian in the world, so, of course, in the world rejecting God and rejecting everything that is of God in Israel, it's also part of it. So that will bring the end and it's inevitable that this is so. We stand strong in Christ Jesus, in our faith and holding on. They can take our bodies, they can prosecute us. We belong to Jesus, you know.
Speaker 3:As my sister one day asked me, why do you do that? Why don't you? Why are you talking about that so much? Why are you talking about Jesus so much? And I told her, yorah, jesus is who I am, is what I am. My identity is in Him. Nothing in being Jewish or Israeli, or even in our family. My identity is in Jesus Christ and that's what we must really drive to each and everyone all over the world.
Speaker 3:To understand the reality of Israel, you need to understand the Bible. Don't listen to BBC or CNN or any other news to understand. Because if you listen to it and you let that shape your mind, then of course Israel is evil, israel is that, israel is that. But if you let the Bible shape your mind, go and wish. We are called to have a biblical worldview, not BBC or CNN or any other news worldview, biblical worldview and as we see that and as we see the event that happening in Israel? Perfect. It goes exactly to the plan of God to bring about the end and to bring His kingdom back to earth. As we pray Father in heaven, let your kingdom come. Let your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven.
Speaker 2:Marty. Any final thoughts?
Speaker 3:Amen.
Speaker 4:Amen. Yes, you know you ask about prayer points and, Helen, we really need. I would really ask you, pray for the body of Messiah in the land, Pray for the believers too, that we will be strengthened, that we will not become fearful with you. It's not like, you know, you might be in an army unit in the front line and quickly find the believing body to pray with. The believing soldiers are few and far between. So really to pray for the church, pray for the body of Messiah, you know we do what we can to support, to support our soldiers, to support the war effort, to, of course, show the love of Christ and to spread the word. But we need to be strengthened and we really need the church worldwide to pray for us. That's what I would really really request for the church. Pray for us.
Speaker 3:I just want to say something regarding, you know, when we brought, when we brought, you know, because we received some donation to get to, I mean to help the soldiers with food.
Speaker 3:You know, jonathan, my son, in his birthday he decided to give any cloth, open his restaurant just to cook for the soldiers, to make food for the soldiers.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, so we use this hour to bring, and, you know, using our volunteers, but we had two German women volunteers with us, two sisters that helping us while we did donation that we get to buy food, to buy socks, to buy underwear, to buy t-shirts, to buy things that we can help and bring that love, physical love, you know, not, you know we pray, pray, but we need to bring them that love that they will taste it, that they will touch it, that they will see it. The donation we got a few videos I can send of soldiers that thanking you guys so much to the evangelical body in the world, thanking so much for the support that they have shown to them, that they brought so much thing that they needed For instance, they needed some protective gears for my brother's unit and my son David's unit and they really gave and sent and helped. So that's when you see, when you realize, wow, why the evangelical body? Why? Why they're supporting us?
Speaker 3:They're asking because we love you, because we love the God of Israel, because we believe in the Messiah of Israel, and they want to know, they want to hear why. That's how I came to faith, that's how Ziv came to faith, that so many of us Jews came to faith, because we've seen the love of Christian not by words, but in also in action. And that's brought us to ask question, to read the New Testament when is that love come from? We don't understand that because we know Christians for thousands of years persecuted and hated us. So where is that love come from? Why and that's what I always say to the Christian that come and volunteers and you know it very well, ellen that we teach you how to train the guys, how to share the gospel with love and support and to show them the love of God and to show them the Messiah of Israel through the generosity, through their grace, through their love, through their prayer and through being with them in this hour.
Speaker 2:Well, I want to assure you of our unwavering support and prayers and in finances. We want to equip you to be the light and to share and convey this love and, yes, I have seen this happen many of our trips to Israel that love in action that works. I want to do something unusual. I've never entered a podcast like this before, but I want the three of us to pray together and I encourage our listeners to join us in this prayer for Israel, for the people who live in Israel, for anyone who is, has been and will be affected by this conflict, and just ask the Lord to intervene.
Speaker 3:Yes, our Father in heaven, lord, we come in this hour to ask for guidance, for wisdom, for we know the pain here in the land.
Speaker 3:It's too much, the pain of so many people who've seen their daughter, their sons, their father, their mother, their children in Gaza as a hostages.
Speaker 3:I can't imagine, lord, the pain that they go through to bury their sons and their daughters of Father in heaven, the pain it's too much to handle. I pray, father, that, lord, you will send comfort to those who mourn. You'll bring, indeed, wisdom to us how to help, how to minister, how to give the gospel in the way that, in the right time, in the right ways, in the right time, to the right people. Father, help us, for this is bigger than what we can handle, bigger than our capacity to do. It's only by you, it's only by you empowering us, you're empowering the body of Messiah here in Israel, in the world, to bring the gospel, to minister love, to minister grace to a dying people in this land. I pray, father, that this disaster will not be in vain, not be for nothing, but you will use it to open the heart of many Israelis, of many Jews and Arabs to the question what is the meaning of life?
Speaker 1:More land less land.
Speaker 3:what is it when you're going to destroy the world? What is the meaning? I pray that you will open the heart of many to find the truth, to find the Messiah Jesus, the Messiah as the way, the truth and the life. So, father, may you will send, indeed, in this hour, refreshment from above, Mercy, a spirit of mercy and supplication to many people in this hour that they will know you, that they will come to worship you Because, Father, we are born to glorify you. We are here to glorify you.
Speaker 3:Our purpose, our destiny, our future is to glorify your name. Father, help us to bring many to salvation, in Jesus' name Amen.
Speaker 4:Father, we want to just thank you, Lord, father, we just want to praise you, lord, that, father, we can come to you. Father, even if we go through the darkest valleys, we can come to you. You are always there. You're a very present help and time of trouble. We thank you, lord, that we know you like this, father, this is your character, this is who you are.
Speaker 4:Lord and Father, we just really want to pray. I just really want to pray for the believers in the country. Pray, father, lord, that you would strengthen us. Pray, father, you give us perseverance, give us energy, father, give us opportunity, lord, make us sensitive, father, to sense, lord, when somebody is ready really to receive the good news of the Messiah. Father, we know that this is our opportunities, father, we just pray, lord, that you will give us to meet the right people, father, and open our mouths. Father and Lord, let your name be glorified and truly make a mark, father, that people would not be able to remember this war without remembering the believers that they met.
Speaker 4:Father, father, we want to thank you for the church worldwide, father, who is standing with us. Thank you for Chuck and Helen's church, father, thank you for the churches in South Africa and Sweden and Holland and China all over, father, who are really standing and who are being starting to be persecuted for their stand with Israel. Father, this is something that we've really become aware of lately, father, we want to thank you for them. We thank you, lord, that their hearts are for you, father, that their hearts are for your people, lord, and we know, father, that they will be blessed, but, lord, they will go through hard times also, and so, father, we just really pray that, lord, you would bless the leaders of our churches worldwide, father, pray that you'll give them much wisdom, father, to discern what they hear about, what is happening here, what to know, that they would rightly divide the word of truth, fire, and that they would educate and teach those around them and those who are following them.
Speaker 4:Father, we pray, lord, that your church will rise up, lord, and really unite. Father, this is truly a higher level of uniting between you and Gentiles, and, lord, we praise you that this mystery that you said it is will be that angels long to know and the prophets long to know about. Father, we don't only know this mystery, but we are this mystery, father, in today's day. And so, father, we pray, lord, that you will bind us together with chords of loving kindness. Father, strengthen your church, father, please, lord, strengthen your church. We pray and, father, we thank you for Helen and for Chuck and for their wonderful ministry, father, we pray that you will bless them, father and Lord.
Speaker 4:we look forward to the many, many testimonies that will come out of this very dark and difficult time. So, jesus' mighty name, we pray Amen.
Speaker 2:Father, we cry out to you in this difficult time. Lord and Father, you promised us, if two or three agree upon something in your name, that you will be among us. So we're creating your presence right now, lord, in joining our voices in prayer, father, and we believe with all of our hearts that you hear us and you hear prayers of your children all across the world lifting this tragedy that is happening in Israel today. Father, we ask for your mercy. Father, you promise that those who will cry upon you, those who will call upon your name, will be saved. Father and Lord, we just lift to you the people who are struggling, who are suffering, who are in the face of danger, who are fearful about their future, father, and we pray that they have the revelation of who you are and how much you love them, and that you're able to save them and that you're able to deliver them, father, wherever they are, wherever they live, whoever side they're on, lord, if they cry upon your name, they shall be saved. So we ask for mercy, father. We ask for mercy, for we ask for protection, Father. We ask for wisdom upon the government, father. We ask for wisdom on governments of the world, lord, to to act according to your plan and purpose for this nation and for this crisis, lord.
Speaker 2:Father, we trust you that you will equip your church, and especially the believers in Israel, to be the salt and the light, to be the hope and the truth at this time. So I ask right now that you strengthen their hearts, lord, that you strengthen their spirits, that you equip them, father, to shine, because this is their moment to shine, lord Jesus, like stars in the dark, father, and we just trust you, lord, that you will bring fruit out of the greatest tragedy, that the good fruit will come to the glory of your name, father, king, come, lord Jesus, come. We worship you, father, in Jesus' name, amen, thank you so?
Speaker 2:much for joining. I know it's been a long and difficult day for you. We stand with you in prayer and I'm wavering support. If we don't see you in a few days, we will see you in a couple of months. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3:You know. I just want to say one thing in closing what it is a disaster, we see as an opportunity, and this is an opportunity for not only us but for many of the nation and the church and the believers to show their love, and that's an opportunity for all of us.
Speaker 2:Amen.
Speaker 3:Thank you. God bless you all.
Speaker 2:You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her. The appointed time has come for her stones. Adhere to your servants. Her very dust moves them to pity. The nations will fear the name of the Lord and all kings of the earth will revere your glory, for the Lord will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory. This is Psalm 102, verses 13 through 16. Friends, we need to pray for Israel. Let's pray for the Jewish Christians, palestinian Christians. Pray for the people who call upon the name of the Lord. Pray for the lives of the innocent and pure and righteous to be spared. God's love shines in the darkest of hours and his ear is turned to our pleas. And if you want to help equip the church in Israel to share love among the people, check the link in the show notes or visit our website rfwmaorg. Slash forward. Give Tune in next week for another episode of the Limitless Spirit podcast. Until next time, I'm Helen Todd.
Speaker 1:Limitless Spirit podcast is produced by World Missions Alliance. We believe that changed lives change lives. If you want to see your life transformed by Christ's love, or if you want to help those who are hurting and hopeless and discover your greater purpose in serving Christ through short-term missionary work, check out our website, rfwmaorg, and find out how to get involved.