VOL. 60                     NEWSLETTER          JANUARY 2009

Dear Friends, brothers & sisters in the Lord, Israel’s engrafted co-heirs;

I really did not want to write a letter about Israel’s war against the terror organization Hamas. It would require of me to get all the news, to do fact finding, to read and focus on what would make me angry, oh so angry. And I don’t want that! There are some reliable folks who are covering the events truthfully. I just want to set my mind on the things that are above and not on the things that are on earth, specifically, right here in Israel’s south where we live.

But, I cannot keep quiet! I must join those who disseminate the truth, who come against all the terrible lies and slander and against those voices that are once again calling  for the annihilation of the Jews.

Please visualize - imagine - the following hypothetical scenario:

Lakewood Church - the largest mega-church in the States - takes a stand with the people to whom they have been joined as fellow-citizens and co-heirs according to Ephesians 2:11-22, and Romans 11. They travel to Israel to demonstrate to the whole world who is in the right here. John Hagee’s mega church in San Antonio hears of this and decides to join in on this courageous act of solidarity with the people into whose tree they have been engrafted. They, too, enter Israel during this time of rocket siege¹ in Israel’s south and Gazan war.

Both churches are in on this action because those who have plenty provide for those who otherwise could not afford it, so that every one of them can take a stand for the truth in the sight of the whole world and their lying, slanted media.

Other churches throughout the United States, in Canada, in Europe, in Asia, even Africa, hear of this bold stand of solidarity with beleaguered Israel and follow the example with joy and excitement. The airlines’ flights are fully booked, Israeli hotels are filled to capacity – [why, there is no room in the inn …] -, and the streets of Israel’s cities are overflowing with marching, singing, banner-swinging fellow-citizens, declaring Israel’s right to her own land and to defend her citizens.

The entire world’s news stations just buzz with covering this amazing event of hundreds of thousands of Christians having poured into Israel to stand with this harassed nation. Suddenly their view, their perspective of this situation shifts, and Jews around the world - especially Israelis - are weeping, rejoicing and dumbfounded at whatever got these hundreds of thousands of Christians to pour into their tiny land.

Not a single TV station or newspaper misses interviewing these “strange” Christians from all over the world who have come during Israel’s time of danger and global vilification. And all of Israel, from ultra-secular to ultra-orthodox, will repeatedly hear the same answer to that question, "why?"

“We have come to take our stand with you just as Ruth the Moabitess did. And we speak as she did, therefore: ‘Do not entreat us to leave you or return from standing with you; for although the whole world is against you we are for and with you, because your G-d is our G-d², and in our hearts we are part of your people, we are one with you. Like you we believe in the resurrection from the dead, in the coming Messianic reign and the Kingdom of G-d. When those who hate you war against you we want to uphold you like Aaron and Hur upheld the hands of Moses in the battle with the Amalekites. We want all the world to know and see that you are not alone, but that your G-d is with you, and so are we.”

This DEED would speak louder than words ever could.

This Monday morning our TV news featured – even ultra-secular channel 10 - a non-Jewish family who lives in Beer-Sheva, who had come to Ashkalon to demonstrate their love and solidarity with our people. Standing near the Barzillai hospital the man sang and played on the guitar a song he had composed about Israel’s situation; his wife holding their little one sang also, and the older son accompanied on the violine. They sang in Hebrew, expressing faith and hope in the G-d of Israel and His salvation. The stations broadcasted the whole song without cutting it short. Hence, all of Israel got to see and hear it because we all leave radio and TV on to stay abreast of developments. Both the reporter and the TV stations were amazed and touched, clapping hands.

And this was only ONE family demonstrating their solidarity. Imagine the effect tens- or hundreds of thousands would have upon the world’s view of Israel, and upon our isolated, harassed people, upon their faith and hope. It would be received as though G-d Himself was speaking to them. 

What a demonstration of love that would be; of “where the rubber meets the road”; of “taking up your cross and follow Him,” Who is the Messiah and King of Israel. Hallelujah!

The Henrik Hudson School District Library Media Centre provides a model essay for sudents which ends with the words, 
Perpetrators, collaborators, bystanders, victims: we can be clear about three of these categories. The bystander, however, is the fulcrum. If there are enough notable exceptions, then protest reaches a critical mass. We don’t usually think of history as being shaped by silence, but, as English philosopher Edmund Burke said, ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good men to do nothing.’ 

During the Nazi era there were mainly “bystanders,” and comparatively few “good men doing something” to prevent the genocide of millions, and/or save victims out of it. Bystanders become “collaborators” with evil because they are doing nothing to oppose, prevent or stop it. 

The Lord alludes to this principle in Matthew 12:30 and Obadiah 10-11..

Similarly stated: “If you are not part of the cure, then you are part of the problem.”

And another axiom states: “The best mind-altering drug is truth.”

Here are several hyper-links to web sites which report truth. They contain important information along with an unmistakable warning of another genocide looming over the Jewish people should  Christianity choose, once again, to stand by passively rather than intervene actively against the perpetrators of such evil.