Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

Dear friends and praying partners,

Many have written recently wanting to know how we see the recent events overtaking Israel and Gaza. If you are praying for us there are some things you should know to inform those prayers. The rocketing of the south and central parts of Israel have been intense, doing real damage and costing many lives in Israel and Gaza.

Notwithstanding Hamas’ deadly rocket barrages at Israeli population centers and Israel’s tough responses, especially heartbreaking is the eruption of widespread violence between Jews and Arabs within Israel itself (which has not been seen to this degree since the 1948 war). The mayor of Lod, a city in central Israel with a mixed population of Arabs and Jews, said that the recent Kristallnacht-like violence has destroyed decades of effort at co-existence. There has been mass rioting and violence, reports of lynchings by mobs, and hundreds of wounded civilians both in Israel and the West Bank, though those have calmed some this week. We know some of the Christian community in Gaza and one of our congregants is in Gaza now working with an international aid agency.

All of our staff and community members at Christ Church are well and safe. In Jerusalem, we have had sirens and some disturbances, but only one alert to go to a shelter. At Beit Immanuel Guest House in Tel Aviv, there have been several missile alerts sending staff and guests to the bomb shelter below the building. Beit Immanuel also serves as a public shelter for its neighborhood. The North and Beit Bracha Guest House in the Galilee are so far untouched by hostilities, but there have been some tensions across the Lebanon border. We are also seeking what the Lord wishes us to do in this situation. Please ask him to guide those of us who need to be making those decisions.

For Your Prayers

What is desperately needed is prayer led by the Holy Spirit, keeping in mind a few obvious points:

• Israel needs a permanent government – one that pursues righteousness and is not held hostage by Jewish and/or Muslim extremists.
• Leaders on all sides need divine wisdom and the desire to seek the common good for all peoples.
• The people of Gaza need to be free from the oppressive rule of Hama
• Both Jews and Arabs need healing of past and profound wounds in order to begin the process of reconciliation.
• The Body of Yeshua needs opportunities to let its voice be heard.