Shalom from the covenanted land!
Our family just returned from a two-night family conference of Jewish and Arab believers on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. As with anything in and from God, this fellowship has had to overcome spiritual and psychological barriers, and in doing so we have seen an increasing breakthrough by the Word of the Lord and His Spirit to bring us into a closer and godly relationship to the glory of the name of Yeshua/Isua/Jesus.
Two main things came through — broke through:
1. Christian Arabs/Palestinians will have a sense of partaking in the blessing of living in Israel as they believe and accept the Covenant that YHVH God made with Abraham pertaining not only to righteousness, but also to this land. Christian Arabs are leaving in droves from the Middle-Eastern countries taken over by Islam because of buying into the covenant of death which Islam (and traditional Judaism) promote, rather than the covenant of Life which is only realized through Messiah Yeshua. We who are Jewish believers say to our Arab brothers now living abroad, “Ishmael, come back home to Father Abraham’s house”.
2. Through much tribulation we enter the Kingdom of God. Several brothers and sisters shared the trials and sufferings which they have been going through (some quite seriously). Yet they were able to give praise and glory to the Lord as He uses tribulation to strengthen their faith and to embolden them to take the gospel to the peoples regardless of the risks entailed.
As a Jewish believer, I would also like to ask you who are so gracious to us, both as a “category” of people and also personally, to please consider how our Father in Heaven would have you extend your blessings to the other “category” — our Arab brethren and their ministries and families. How can we all begin to appreciate more and more that we are one body in Messiah, and to let our unbelieving peoples see that we love each other for His sake.
In the meantime, we want to wish you all a wonderful summer — or winter — as God shows His greatness in the turning of this unique Planet in this unique solar system.
In the love of the truth,
Howard and Randi