This Hebrew year 5784, represents the prison door being opened to Joseph. In prayer I heard, year of open doors. People are being set free from imprisonment and enslavement. Be diligent, sober minded and aware of the issues as you intercede for our world! Be encouraged! The winds of change are blowing. PRAY!
“Oh, that You would bless me … and keep me from harm.” 1 Chronicles 4:6
“The eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on all those who long for his kindness. As high as heaven is above the earth so His kindness is great to those who fear Him. The kindness of the Lord is forever to those who fear Him, His righteousness for the children’s children.”
Psalm 33:18, Psalm 103:11 Hebrew Bible
Yesterday the IDF was able to rescue 2 hostages held in Rafah. An extremely delicate operation was required to extract two men from a 2nd floor apartment. Still criticism only grows including from President Biden. Today 134 hostages remain in Gaza; while 31 are confirmed dead.
9 year old hostage: Emily Hand, in the covering photo was freed after 50 days. Upon release, she only spoke in a whisper as her captors threatened her with death by knife if she made any noise. Her Irish Dad, Thomas, described waking Emily up often when she has nightmares. “She once had a dream that she was escaping from Gaza and running back to her kibbutz. She uses code words for terrorists, certain objects and situations that remind her of her ordeal. She’s very good, making progress and is recovering. The rest of us are broken now.” See Emily in the covering photo above.
Music must always be our safe space: Social media influencer, Montana Tucker was invited to walk the red carpet at the Grammy Awards last night. Her grandmother was a survivor of the Holocaust, and Montana was struck by how similar Grandma’s stories resembled the attack of Oct 7th. She chose to wear an Israeli designer gown. In a live interview with i24 news today she said, “Many thanked me for wearing the large yellow ribbon with the message bring them home. I was very nervous but it got a lot of attention and I believe opened eyes. Lots of people didn’t even know what, bring them home means? Others said, ‘Thank you!’ I think most people are afraid to do something, they don’t want to risk their career or business. But because I was given a global audience, I wanted to make a statement. I used my liberty as the world has been largely silent. This is about humanity not politics. I hope I can keep using my platform and encourage others to speak out. Even if you are reaching out to just one person, telling them the truth about Israel, don’t stop, we need you. Keep it up, it can grow.”
David and Eli were army buds years ago in Givati, a combat unit.
The Underground World of War: Israeli Brigadier General Dan Goldfus took foreign journalists to Khan Yunis to witness the extent of the most recent tunnel discovery
What about those truckloads of medicines that we saw going into Gaza after Hamas demanded 1,000 times the medication Israel provided for the hostages? In this video you will see boxes of Israeli medicines thrown on the floor.
Brothers in Arms: Mark Knofler music and lyrics, and IDF film footage.
You must copy and paste this to YouTube
Prime Minister Netanyahu said Feb.7/24 “Hamas’s terms for accepting a hostage release deal were delusional and anyone would refuse them.”
US President Biden said Feb.8/24 “I’m pushing very hard now to deal with this hostage ceasefire. There are a lot of innocent people who are serving and a lot of innocent people who are in trouble and dying. its gotta stop.” Did you know that the USA hit 85 sites in Iraq and Syria this week? All linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corp including Hamas. Is Biden being pressured by the US State Depart?
France: “Oct 7th is the worst atrocity in the 21st century. We are 68 million and stand with Israel and the Palestinians.“ Prime Minister Macron.
Argentina: “President Javier Milei arrived in Israel pledging to move Argentina’s Embassy to Jerusalem. Taking office two months ago this signals a major shift in his nation’s foreign police towards the USA and Israel, after having backed Arab counties for decades.” Etgar Lefkovits, Feb 6/24 Jerusalem News Service.
Why People are Rethinking Their Place in Canada: “ According to Israel’s Diaspora Ministry, and The World Zionist Organization: In Canada antisemitic incidents have increased 800% since Oct 7th.” J. Roberts, Feb. 3/23. Jerusalem Post.
Lost in Trans Nation:
I recommend this book. “A child psychiatrist’s Guide Out of Madness.” By Miriam Grossman, MD forward by Dr. Jordan B. Pedersen
Grossman asserts: “No child is born in the wrong body; it’s their emotional lives that need healing. Whether one are facing a gender identity battle at home or want to prevent one, this book will guide you and your loved ones out of the madness.”
“The assault against parents and our children is real, so you need to be prepared and educated. ‘Lost in Trans Nation’ is a must for all parents to arm them with the ammunition they need to “be proactive and get educated, feel prepared” warns Grossman. “Be confident to discuss trans, nonbinary, or whatever your child brings to the dinner table. it could be one or all of the following threats. ‘Trans is as common as red hair,’ or, I’’m not your son,’ or ‘I’m not your daughter,’ or ‘do you prefer a live son? or ‘do you prefer a dead daughter?’
Grossman says, “No family is immune and, learn to fight what many families describe as the most difficult challenge of their lives. Parents will learn what to say and how – at home, at school, and if necessary, to the police if they appear at your door.” <calito@action4canada.com>
From the Desk of David Hathaway, England: Feb. 2024 “Ministering in Poland to war refugees from the former Russian ’Soviet’ Empire. I felt it was the beginning of the fullfillment of Hudson Taylor’s prophecy of 1889. The world-famous missionary to China was home on furlough in England and when saw this vision.
“I see a great war that encompasses the world. I saw this war recess and then start again, actually being two wars. (World War I and II.) After this I saw much unrest and revolts that will affect many nations. I saw in some places spiritual awakenings. In Russia I saw there will come a general all-encompassing, national spiritual awakening, so great that there could never be another like it. From Russia, I saw this awakening spread to many European countries. This all-out awakening, was followed by the second coming.’”
Please feel free to share my letter with anyone you think might be interested.
This comes from our home to yours in Blessing, asking for your prayers.
“nothing worthwhile is accomplished without prayer.”
“You (plural) shall serve the LORD your God and He will bless your (singular) bread and your water.” Exodus 23:25
I am so grateful to hear back that many of you are leading prayer groups. Some of your quotes are included. All are welcome. The fight continues and we are all battle weary, to say nothing of the people of Israel. I hope this letter will lift you and give you renewed fuel for prayer at this unique time in history. It is packed with wonderful articles. Take your time, and share on screen with your prayer groups and churches. Share the knowledge, increase the call to pray.
“King of the nations
The LORD is near to all who call on Him.
And He will wipe every tear from their eyes; and there will be
No more death; there will no longer be sorrow and anguish,
crying or pain; for the former order of things has passed away.”
Rev. 15:3b, Psalm 145:18a, Rev 21:4
Prayer has to be our first priority. Israelis are defending themselves with their lives and homes. It is costing everything and the nation hangs on as the infrastructure of Hamas is being dismantled. Families of the hostages were just assured the government is doing all it can to secure the release of all 136 souls.
INCASE YOU FORGOT? A video by David Rawlings – www.israelvision.com
World Education Day. Jan. 24th. Hatred ultimately led to October 7th; a result of the PA and UNWRA refusing to remove hatred from their schoolbooks. Impact-se (https://www.impact-se.org/ could change that and is prepared to teach the next and following generations of Palestinians to respect the other. We need the world to demand along with us, that Impact-se is the way to teach their children.
UNITED NATIONS Release: The U.S.A., Canada, Australia, Italy, U.K., and Finland said they will suspend the transfer of funds to UNRWA following reports on the involvement of 12 of the agency’s employees in the Hamas’ October 7 massacre. It has been proven over and over again that this agency promotes hate literature which teaches Palestinian children to hate the Jews and kill them.
Update: Secret Hamas Doc – Psychological Warfare: Jan 30/2024
Israeli forces in Gaza recently found a secret document written by a senior Hamas official detailing the terrorist group’s psychological warfare strategy against the Israeli public. As you read this, they are ALL lies. The document orders:
1. – photos and videos of the Israeli hostages continue to be published “due to the psychological pressure they create.”
2. – singles out Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as a target for psychological attack.
3. – emphasizes the importance of maintaining the narrative that Israeli Prime.
4. – they pushe the idea that IDF ground operations will not create the conditions necessary for the return of the rest of the hostages.
5. – it says the social divide in Israel is as an issue to focus on, and increases pressure around the issue of the hostages.
Sinwar is believed to be hiding in the Hamas stronghold of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, where he has reportedly surrounded himself with a large number of living hostages. Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas’s “military wing,” is also believed to be holed up there.
On Oct. 14, IDF International Spokesperson Lt. Col. Richard Hecht told journalists that Sinwar and his entire command team “are in our sights. Yahya Sinwar is the face of evil. He is the mastermind behind this, like [Osama] bin Laden was [with the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks]. He built his career on murdering Palestinians when he understood they were collaborators [with Israel]. That’s how he became known as the butcher of Khan Yunis,” Joshua Marks. United with Israel
The Israeli army is dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities in Khan Yunis, in the south and is beating back their forces in the west. 2/3rds of Hamas terrorists in Khan Yunis have been killed; that is 20-30% Hamas terrorists killed and 48-60% wounded. The IDF has struck 3,320 targets and 400 tunnel shafts in Khan Yunis, 150 of which have been destroyed. Among other findings, is a major rocket-making factory and the offices of senior Hamas officials, including Sinwar.
A Word to the European Parliament:
Member of Knesset Boaz Bizmuth had prepared a speech to the European Parliament but instead spoke his mind.
Oded Rahav, a man of peace, speaks out “Humanity is at a crossroads”
NOTE: You can use each of these articles in your prayer warfare.
Here are some of your notes to me:
“Shalom. How grieved you and your nation must be. We stand with you in this struggle to understand life. We are shocked to see these lovely young men and women cut down in their prime. I am leading the church prayers on Sunday. The Lord Jesus said to pray for two countries in war; Israel and Ukraine. You have given me help to pray. Terry (her husband) said, ‘when are you coming here?’ He doesn’t forget the fun we had with you both. Lots of love and blessings in Messiah.”
C.T. England.
“I am really glad to hear how the Rawlings family have teamed up to come to Israel’s assistance during this mind-boggling time we are living in now. Well done!!
I know you listen to the Holy Spirit and He will bring healing and peace in this trouble we are going through. The eye of the storm is the best place to be.’”
H. F. Russia.
“It is so sad what is happening in Israel. I am so sorry. I pray for protection and wisdom. Fortunately our Lord knows everything and his plan is the best plan for your country. All the same we are praying.” M. S. Switzerland.
God Shows Up
I believe this story was told in a Toronto synagogue.
—
That’s it for this week friends. Do your best for the LORD who never slumbers nor sleeps and keeps watch over us all. Share your thoughts and prayers. They are welcome.
But Zebulon was a people who risked their lives to the point of death.”
Judges 5:4,18.
“How the mighty have fallen!” 2 Samuel 1:25
It is a time of utter sadness in Israel. In one day this week, we lost 24 soldiers in Gaza. I quote David as he begins his lament over the death of Jonathan and his enemy Saul. The photo above shows the faces of 21 of our sons who fell together this week. The entire nation mourns as the war grinds on. The desperate plight of the hostages has everyone’s attention as well. IDF surveillance has been unable to find them. Many of their family members stand at the Gaza border fence, crying out over loudspeakers; calling them by name over loudspeakers, assuring them they are NOT forgotten!
At times like these, we lean into the LORD. He has given us many names by which to perceive His character and purposes in the earth. I especially love,EL-ELOHE. It rolls off one’s tongue and means, God, the mighty God of Israel. It is especially important to speak it forth when addressing Him in these days of war. Another name I love is YESHUA or Salvation. We who believe in the Messiah understand Him as our personal Salvation.
“The LORD is my strength and my song. And he has become my Salvation; This is my God and I will exalt Him.”Exodus 15:2
Your messages: I love hearing from YOU: The following came in.
“Far be it from You to strike the righteous with the wicked … shall not the judge of all the earth do right?” Exodus 18:25 M. England
“We still pray every Thursday from 2:00 to 3:00 pm for Israel at the prayer centre in our church. I have had such a burden for the hostages because they think they have been forgotten. I know their captives tell them this. We have been praying God would send them dreams, visions and encouragement by His Holy Spirit. We pray; ‘wisdom, discernment protection and courage for the IDF as well as the ruling government.” N. Canada
And this: “Maybe I’m mistaken but haven’t the Palestinians made the claim that the Jewish people never lived in the land of Israel? Correct me if I’m wrong.” W. USA
I appreciate your questions and wish more of my readers would be as brave. Yes, unfortunately, the vast majority of Palestinians claim this. If you want good historical information go to Prager University. They have produced 5,000 historical clips each 5 minutes long. Meridel
“Then the righteous will answer him, “LORD, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.’”
Matthew 25: 38, 39, 40.
Quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King:
“I see Israel as one of the great outposts of democracy in the world… as a marvellous example of what can be done… how desert land can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy. Peace for Israel means security and that security must be a reality. I solemnly pledge to do my utmost to uphold the fair name of the Jews.”
I Meridel, want to thank every one of you who has prayed for Israel and also have encouraged and stood with the Rawlings Family for over 55 amazing years now. We bless you as you are brought to our remembrance. Very soon now, Miracles Among the Nations will be ready for you to order on Amazon. It is a saga that covers the years of our lives from 1969 to 1976. We travel to every continent with our small children and walk through the open doors given to us. It closes as we leave Europe for our home in Israel. Jay has a 3rd volume to follow this, Israel Our Odyssey. Stay Tuned. Our sons are talking about making it into a film script or TV series. Who knows where it will all end?”
Will you thank the LORD with us for the encouraging and most treasured gift of faith and hope! We are empowered to reach out in new ways to help and lift up many lives.
Every single day let’s make space to contemplate or better yet desire to just ‘be’ present with the LORD in loving communion, listening for HIS thoughts! I read the Word first, this way I am lighting a candle which ignites His Presence within. This does not just happen, especially when we live active lives. Settle down and your intellect will draw your will into the LORD. Choose to draw closer to the Source of love. He is our strength and inspiration. With blessings from our home to you and yours.
“The most important aspect of faith is hearing the voice of God.”Mother Theresa
One of the greatest things each of us possess is our testimony. In this week’s letter, you will meet many living witnesses of October 7th in Israel. They cannot cease from praying and believing for victory to emerge from this madness of Israel fighting Hamas. The agony of war has turned a switch inside of Israel, causing the people, as a whole to lay down their lives for one another in amazing ways. This unfolding truth was reinforced deep within when I came to this startling realization. This painful birthing process going on in the very heart of Israel is what I wept and agonized over from April to August just months before the war. I thought at the time, I was just heartbroken because of the fractured relationships on every level in the nation. No. Abba was preparing to birth a people for HIMSELF! Warfare is being waged in prayer and a brutal gorilla war on the ground. May we all be found faithful and receptive, listening, watching and praying.
“Can you discover the depths of God?
Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?
They are high as the heavens, what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol, what can you know?
We speak, God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom …
Which God predestined before the ages to our glory.
To make plain the plan of the mystery,
hidden in the mind of God throughout the ages.
[the unity of Jews and Christians as one].”
Job 11: 7,8, 1 Corinthians 2:7, Ephesians 3:9.
“When I gather the house of Israel from the nations
and I manifest my Holiness in them in the sight of the nations,
then they will live in their own land which I gave to My servant Jacob.
They will live in it securely; and they will build houses,
plant vineyards an live securely when I execute judgment
on all those around them who despise them.
Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.”
Ezekiel 29: 25,26.
“Israel was not created in order to disappear. Israel will endure and flourish.
It is the child of hope and the home of the brave.
It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success.
It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom.”
President John Kennedy
My dear friends, yes, every family member in Israel, no matter what age is weary with this terrible war. From the survivors of Oct 7th with no hope of returning to their ruined homes and 90,000 refugees from the Northern border, and the hostages it is a crucial moment. I haven’t mentioned the sorrowing widows, parents and children for the fallen, so please do not give up reading God’s promises back to Him, and standing in the gap for Israel, a despised people by the world. See the scripture above; “all those who despise them”. This conflict is more important and far-reaching than any of us could possibly imagine.
Grim Facts:
To date: 194 soldiers have fallen.
Fighting continues all across Gaza.
9,000 Hamas fighters silenced, 5,000 remain, and all Hamas commanders have fled.
136 hostages remain in Gaza and there is no proof of life.
Soldiers have found Chinese and North Korean weapons on the Egyptian/Gaza border. Now, Israel will work to stop the munitions trade over the Southern border. The Rafa Crossing is also called the Philadelphia Corridor, a 9-mile area filled for decades with stockpiles of weapons. Egypt battles Muslim Brotherhood who smuggle weapons into Gaza and are also a threat to Egypt. The city of Rafa is split between Israel and Gaza. It is a highly populated area with dense populations of refugees who have fled the Northern strip.
*Note: Did you watch the film, Esau and the Palestinians? One person responded. I welcome your questions. Truth is tough to take. We have never been against these people. We are against Evil. The film expertly explains in light of the Bible, that there is a tragic dark spirit they are born under that is perpetuated. Jesus can change that. Pray.
The meaning of the name Kibbutz Nir Oz is: magnificent meadow; or a mighty ploughed field. It was once home to 400. It and other kibbutzim on the Southern border were founded by the Aliyah from South America. Soon after the founding of the State of Israel in 1948. Young people from Jewish youth groups came to Israel with the sole intention of building agricultural communities which is the central ethos of Kibbutz life. It is their descendants, their children and grandchildren who were slaughtered like lambs, when on Oct 7th thousands of Hamas operatives attacked in full force. Approximately 3,000 descended by land, sea and air, assaulting and destroying all in their path. 1,200 Israelis were killed, raped and mutilated. What is left of this area has to be levelled to the ground. On October 7th, from this kibbutz, 1 in 4 were killed; 1 in 17 taken hostage.
Jimmy Miller:“One of the baby bottles of baby Kifir Bibas was found. He was stolen at 9 months with his brother and Mother. Weeks ago, Hamas announced to the world, these boys were killed by Israeli bombs? I, Meridel, dreamt 2 months ago that their hair was dyed black, and a big Palestinian woman took them south to hide them.”
Note: Happy birthday to little Kfir Bibas who was one on his 100th day of captivity. Ariel, Shiri and Yarden Bibas were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. There is not one person with a heart who did not cry at the sight of Shiri’s agonized face grasping those two little “Gingies”. The real world has begged for their release, but either their captivity is considered too good a hostage or, God forbid, they are no longer alive. I know your hearts are breaking too. The baby has spent 1/4 of his life in captivity. *Press on the above picture and it will come up on Youtube.
Sharon Aloni:“My daughter and I were taken hostage for 52 days, my husband is still a hostage. Every day Hamas told us,‘You have been forgotten’”
Mor Belasen. “At 6:30 on a Sat morning our whole life changed with nothing we can do about it. Nothing will ever be the same again. My brother Johnny texted and said stay inside. Another friend wrote to say they have been badly shot. We have not heard from them since. They were injured and maybe dying in a safe room 50 meters away and we could do nothing. We were locked in until 4 p.m. The soldiers came around 4:30 and we walked to a big shelter the kibbutz had and counted survivors.”
Amit Tov Vahaba: “I feel we are still living in Oct 7th, we are never going to sit again on the same balcony, sharing our coffee. Today, we sense the overwhelming absence of life. That day we ran to the safe room with our kids. Terrorists came in and out of the house, screaming with happiness. They stayed in my house, all the time, I was locked in the safe room with my family. My dog was trying to bark. I had to hold his mouth shut. The terrorists shot at the door of the bomb shelter. Later, we could hear them spilling gas, they bombed the house and then set it on fire. We were breathing in the smoke. We couldn’t even see each other. I told my husband, I am going to suffocate, I would rather be shot. I opened the window, and heard the gun shots of a crazy war, we decided to stayinside.”
Amit Tov: “… so many of our families are not whole. Israel is doing all they can, but the world needs to do more. Wives need their husbands and old folks need to end their lives here, they came and believed the Zionist vision and they end up hostages in Gaza?
I can imagine I could ever come back here, I would be unable to sleep at night. I don’t know many people from Nir Oz who will return. It’s not because we are scared, but we have been violated in so many ways for 40 years and so many are no longer alive.”
* Note: The villages and kibbutzim both in the south and north are still under daily rocket fire, by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Rabbi Doron:“My son, an IDF soldier was taken hostage. We feel the love and embrace of Israelis and people all around the world. We have no idea what condition he is in, so we need this support. Israel cannot leave Gaza until everyone comes home. It’s only on going pressure on Hamas that will bring our families home. Please pray for Daniel ben Shalom Sharon Doron to be returned asap.”
Thomas Hand: Watch the interview with a father whose 12-year-old daughter was taken hostage. She could only whisper upon her return to Israel. She strokes her Daddy’s cheek when be becomes emotional.
Sgt Maya – Sky Ryder Unit: “We were 30 girls, when the terrorists saw us approaching Nir Oz we shot back, throwing grenades. They killed my commander, we kept shooting, and ran to a room and locked ourselves in. I realized my head, chest and leg were bleeding. We stayed locked in for 7 hours. We heard Hamas shooting, yelling, celebrating, so happy. We were still in our pyjamas and had only 3 bullets left, so we just waited, We all knew something was insane. When I was recovering I wanted to return to my team, my people on the front lines. I am glad for the girls we did save but I wish we could do more and now it’s our time to do more.”
Colonel Markovitch: “Yes, it is a tragedy. We salute you and your team for your bravery and courage. You saved lives on Oct 7th. Maya you are a woman, a combat soldier who fought against the dark obscurity of Hamas. It shows one thing, we must fight. We must continue to fight. You are an example of resilience, strength and inspiration. All soldiers have a strong spirit. Ben Gurion said a long time ago; ‘We have planes, but the difference is the pilot in the cock pit of the plane,’ Maya is that example. Our IDF men and women are the back bone of Israel, the real Iron Dome … I see them as the eyes of the future. Unfortunately the war is not over.”
Sr. i24 news correspondent, Jonathan Regev:“ Khan Unis, is 2 kilometer from this kibbutz. The terrorists telephoned Gazan civilians: ‘the fence is open, come in and steal.’
It was a very big failure on Israel’s part. We need to ask how this happened? These people deserve an answer. We were told for years and years this could not happen. The fence was breached and no army was here. Where was the army? So people were stuck down. Israel needs an answer to know this never happens again. An unwritten pact here in Israel is that the IDF is here for the people. Israelis give everything to their nation. But, the army was NOT here for them. Israeli citizens give and give … this social contract was shattered. The government was very quiet after this tragedy. Then three full weeks later, still there was no official statement to mark the beginning of Israel’s military engagement.
There are still plenty of tunnels from which Hamas operates. In the North, Hamas now operates without commanders for they are dead or have fled. There are no short cuts in fighting terror. It is the Israeli people who have stopped this Evil from getting further into Israel. The broken trust between the citizens and the state is something that is going to is difficult to rebuild. It may take generations. They were promised that someone would always be there and NO ONE was there. It will take years and years for this land to recover if ever. It was never an easy place to live but such a thing had never happened.”
Medical Extortion: Essential medication has been delivered to Qatar who delivered it to the Red Cross who delivered it to Hamas who hopefully delivered to the surviving hostages? They have been without any medication for over three months. Hamas demanded that any and all medication intended for the hostages be multiplied by one thousand, yes one thousand. In other words, the medicine for colitis, asthma, heart disease and high blood pressure is multiplied by one thousand. The international community complied? Still, we have no idea who is dead and who is alive; where our people are and what their medical condition is or whether they will ever come home?
Parasha ha Shuvah:
I am sure that you are familiar with the custom of Jews globally reading the exact same weekly Bible portion. This week the Torah portion is Exodus 10 (Bo). We read about the last of the 10 plagues God brought upon the Egyptians. Our son Chris noted that during Moses last encounter with Pharaoh, he asked Moses to bless him . The prophetic portion is in Jeremiah. It reveals God’s promise to save us from our enemies.
* It’s time to pray, to help and not faint. Please consider what you have read, will you pray for the Israelis home by home; grandparents, fathers, mothers, children, soldiers, leadership. Father have mercy, thank you for your promises over this persecuted land.
War in the International Criminal Court:
South Africa, of all nations, was obviously bribed to accuse Israel of genocide and take Israel to this court. Just remember, from antiquity laws were created to destroy Israel. There was Pharaoh, Esther, Herod, the Romans, Hitler and again today we have Hamas supported by radical Muslim nations. History repeats itself. For years Iran has called for the annihilation of Israel. “From the river to the sea …” is the rallying cry for genocide by Yemen, Syria, Turkey, Lebanon and Gaza along with ignorant rioters all across the globe. This refers to the total genocide of Israel. Truth has been turned upside down.
Here is a note from my friend who translated my SMV into German. She works as much as is possible with her demanding time restraints. She writes:
“Here is the new translation of your letter. As always, I am very impressed by the content. Yes, it is an urgent time to pray. We are in dangerous and challenging times. Who knows where it will all lead?” M.S. Switzerland.
Shabbat Shalom from the Rawlings family. We are currently working with Chris who is giving us some weeks from Finland. He has stood with me in the creation of the Still Small Voice from the beginning. He made my website: www.stillsmallvoice.tv and helped edit my books and get them printed. Now he is working with his brother Josh, and doing a final edit on Miracles Among the Nations, with his Dad. It will soon be available.
Our eldest sons David and Chris have resurrected Israel Vision TV for their generation. Kindly encourage them in their quest to produce films and stories about people making a difference in Israel.
Please support the work of Israel Vision TV at the GoFundMe website that my son Chris has set up. Click the image below to view the video and support the work on GoFundMe. Thank you!
Esau and the Palestinians: Yes, we are all living through perplexing days. It is always time to pray. This week I want to share with you the documentary entitled: Esau and the Palestinians. It gave me new insights into the 4,000 year old roots of this present raging war in Gaza, which is reverberating among the nations. The noise is deafening. We know, The Eternal One will always have a people Israel, this we know. I guess what troubles me is the willful ignorance globally. It aims at destroying Israel.
Disclaimer: In the film we are presented with the producers interpretation of how Israel will be protected from the antiChrist and the Second Coming.
The International Criminal Court:
South Africa has taken Israel to the ICC with accusations of genocide. Former head of the Supreme Court will stand in Israel’s defence. Pray for truth to prevail. Israel a moral army and has taken precautions to save civilian life. Yes, the loss of any innocent soul is a tragedy. Yes, we expect ugly accusations ignoring Israel’s very careful execution of military strategy. They have extensive proof in film footage of Hamas’ military use of hospitals, health clinics, schools, kindergartens, Islamic Mosques, Gazan homes plus UNRWA (The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) facilities in which to stage strategic warfare against Israel, build weapons factories, and weapons depots. We pray for heavenly armies to confuse the enemy. May the final be by Divine intervention.
“The gates of your land are opened wide to your enemies; fire consumes the bars across your gates. Draw water for a siege! Your shepherds are asleep.”
Nahum 3:13b,14a,18a.
USA:
Jerusalem Post Jan 9th 2024 by Allgemeiner
“Angry anti-Israel protesters in New York City took to the streets of lower Manhattan, where they blocked access to drivers on four bridges. This led to hundreds of arrests and a miserable commute for thousands. They blocked traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge, and Holland Tunnel for over two hours Monday morning. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said 325 people were arrested, with many facing misdemeanor charges.”
“First the Saturday people and then the Sunday people!” This phrase was and is a favorite of radical Muslims wanting to rid the world of Jews and Christians.
Canada’s National Post:
“Since at least New Year’s Eve, the Toronto police have assisted in overseeing daily closures of the bridge (Avenue Road), reportedly to preserve the safety of “demonstrators” and “counter-demonstrators. Men clad in keffiyehs have led Muslim prayer services right in the middle of roads approaching the bridge. Crowds carrying Palestinian flags and placards comparing Zionism to Naziism have blockaded streets and intersections surrounding the overpass. Demonstrators have set off red and green smoke bombs and kept up a steady stream of honking and bullhorn-amplified chants of “free, free Palestine.”
“Due to public safety concerns, the Avenue Road Bridge will be closed,” read the Toronto Police’s most recent update, issued early morning Jan 10th 2024.”
I saw the film footage. The police just stood around watching … doing nothing?
A Canadian volunteering in Israel speaks:
“I volunteered for 3 months and help serve hungry soldiers. These guys are the best of the best, every day may be their last. I love them and am so proud to stand with them. You must understand in this fight, these brave men and women of the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) stand between us and Hamas! We Canadians just don’t get how serious this war is. The stakes are higher than most people in North America image or care to know. These soldiers are fighting not only for Israel, but for us in America and Canada. They’re the last line of defence before the terrorists come for us. The Palestinian Authority says once they liquidate the Jews, they’re coming for the Christians and by that they mean North America. They want to set up a world wide Muslim caliphate … and they mean business!
The hardline Hamas terrorists want to die for the cause. Martyrdom is the only guarantee of eternal life with Allah. Hamas is a Hebrew word that appears 60 times in the Old Testament. The word is Semitic in origin even though the terrorists mistranslate it to mean Resistance Movement. The original meaning of Hamas is found in Hebrew and means violence, destruction and false witness. War is a way of life here that I have experienced 24 hours a day since my arrival. It changes your world view and causes you to rethink your reason for being here at such a time as this. It also causes you to think where you would spend eternity if today was your last day on earth, as it unfortunately will be not only for some IDF soldier, but also for the terrorists in the tunnels beneath Gaza and civilians. We in the West get caught up with ’the stuff’. Most of us do; but to die with the all the toys means nothing if we haven’t left behind more than we’ve taken. To put it another way, ….we have no idea how well off we are in the free world.
‘The Jews are liberated, but we are not free’ is a line I read the other day visiting Yad Vashem, the National Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. Yad Vashem literally means ‘a memorial and a name. In the Hall of Names, every Jewish victim of the Holocaust in Europe is being added and recorded as they are still being identified. The museum itself is massive and as you walk through it builds the story from 1933-1945. To see it is to live through it and it breaks your heart. I stood beneath that dome filled with photographs of holocaust victims. It makes you cry.
I truly hope you understand. Israel does not want you to ask for a ceasefire. A ceasefire will only give the enemy time to reload.
I leave you with a question in closing. ‘Why is it that Israel is the only nation in the world that has to defend itself for defending itself?’” Lorne
I hope this has brought you new understanding of the roots of this hatred between these two brothers. Send me your comments. Thank you to those who write. Its
Great to hear your news too. Thank you for the encouragement I so many ways.
Every blessing,
Meridel Rawlings
“The most important thing is to hear God’s voice.” Mother Theresa
But it is a blessed time in God’s time clock. The Still Small Voice whispered into my heart: 2024 is a year of OPEN DOORS! I thank my Heavenly Father for His Presence!
“Weeping may endure for a night, but JOY comes in the morning.” Ps. 30:5
I love to watch the sunrise every morning, as the black of night gives way to the light.
“All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you pay attention to the voice of the LORD your God.”Deuteronomy 28:2
“Israelis have been overwhelmed by the incredible people of every faith who have come to volunteer, console, support or just show up. It has been so heartwarming to receive friends from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand and the USA or as Turkey, the UK and Europe. This expression of love by people of all ages has had a profound effect on all of us, an effect that often counteracts the demonstrations of hate. Thank you.” Sheila Raviv
Finland:
It’s lovely that the holidays bring us news from family and friends far and wide:
“Your Christmas Message with the Gethsemane picture contains such a deep exegesis. You ended with: “What shall I give HIM this holy season? Will it be my heart? [Micah 5:2]. This is a good motto for us in 2024!” W and I.
The USA:
“I sent the Man of the Year article about Israeli soldiers (see SMV Dec.31st 2023) to all of our pastors and much of my family. Of course, I have been praying and watching – limited media here in America – I know so much is incorrect. The testimonies of the hostages have been appearing. I am asking God: “Open the doors and give them eyes to see, open the eyes of the IDF to see what they are not seeing.” I am so happy you ‘came back’ (from death) and also for where God has placed you both. Lancaster Pa. Pastor Abby King.
What’s New in the USA?
“America’s ‘Gen Z’ does not like Israel! They do not know history. These numbers one day may put Israel in danger in the decade ahead. Israel is a country and culture of people who celebrate LIFE not DEATH. In this current battle, the truly oppressed ones are the Israeli people, surrounded by seas (nations) of hostility.” US Actor and comedian Bret Gilman
“Beware of a marriage between the religious and political spirit.”
Cindy Jacobs prophesied that a year ago at this time. This is exactly what our last elections brought when Likud and Shas, (two right-wing parties) came to power. Question: One of the first laws the new Knesset changed was to permit ministers with police records and past convictions to hold ministerial positions. Are Israelis paying a price for this today, now in the midst of this terrible urban guerrilla war? This week, the Israeli government sat with the heads of the military-IDF. The meeting ended when dissension by government members caused an impasse. Meanwhile, Israel is waging this war on 6 fronts with Iran, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian Authority and the Houthis. As you have read above, there is no peace in the heart of Jerusalem.
We have 200,000 homeless, in hotels with no possibility of returning to their bombed and shattered homes in both the South and North. At this point, the survivors are left to fall between the cracks. Every Israeli is stretched to the breaking point. There are 136 living hostages in Gaza, 23 have been murdered. Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome stalks every Israeli and Palestinian. The harsh realities of this awful war are everywhere. I see it as a perfect opportunity for the LORD to come on the scene. Pray for it. This 60 Minutes: interview with Yarden Roman-Gat: https://youtu.be/ixynqr-88gE?si=H_tsO-iOC7z_s_H7
My letter to the secretary of our Synagogue Bible Study Group:
“We watch the tragic consequences of neglect by those who should have been the first to
understand the power of this disease … of ‘unexplainable hatred’ which exploded during the First Intifada in the 1980’s. It is … exhausting. I cannot imagine what you are all experiencing and yes we have family in Israel. Everyone knows someone affected by Oct 7th with its deaths and hostages, along with men on the front lines
Our youngest son Daniel, now 37, father of two little boys, reminded us recently; “At the age of 12, I remember Dad and David editing footage of Palestinian summer camps for kids. (Palestinian Media Watch) I was as chilled by the hard facts, then, as I am now. Everyone swallowed the Peace lie around the ‘peaceful’ Oslo Accords, I, watched the newscasts on TV and cried when Israel armed the PA army.
For years, we documented the madness on many levels in the PA, starting with the Mufti. He clearly emphasised, “There is no historical proof that Jews ever lived here?” That is called willful blindness. Israel Vision’s programs went global. I wonder who took it seriously? We could sense what was coming. Where will it all end? How desperately sad for every Grandparent, parent, child and grandchild in Israel and the Jewish Community in the Diaspora.” Meridel Rawlings
Jesus taught“… What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight;
what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but cannot kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the
One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Matthew 10: 27,28
The WAR in Canada. Bill C-4: See the explanation of Bill C-4 in this video.
Sunday, January 14th is the Third Annual Sexuality Sunday. Action for Canada
Is your church too spiritual to address this topic? Beware! Christian counsellors could land in prison for up to 5 years. If caught teaching sexuality to your children in light of Biblical truth, in your home, you could also end up in prison. This is the law under the present Criminal Code of Canada.
My life’s work is in this field. I know: that sexual malpractice can destroy one’s soul.
Over decades I was taken into the broken lives of men, women, boys, girls, and the lgbtq community. I saw many leave their brokenness behind to enjoy lives renovated by the mercy of our Saviour. Very few Church doors were welcoming. Only brave individuals who knew the power of Redeeming love opened their homes, or rented halls and ballrooms where I could teach and work. My advice:“Bend low, the sword of the Lord is coming in judgment. Stop lying, be honest! To survive, honour God! Do you understand that mankind has now passed over a Divine timeline!”
Greetings from “Change Action Nepal”:
“We see epidemics, natural disasters, political instability, discrimination and violence against women. The economic crisis makes the situation for children worse. We hold firmly to the HOPE brought into this world by a child and woman. A child who taught us to pray in the secret place to our Father who is unseen, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on each as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10. Sent by our adopted daughter India Ghale.
I, am adding this verse to the above greeting from Nepal.
“Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, “this child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken again, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed …” Luke 2:34.
The film we produced is on Israel Vision YouTube channel:
Books: Honor Thy Father??? and Stain Remover, by Dr. Meridel Rawlings. Amazon
Let us all continue in prayer:
I am asking you to PRAY for Israel in the command form. This harassed nation is being trapped inside and out. As you know, there is a great global offence against Israel. The word Jew and Israel, elicits global antisemitism and abuse.
Remember:Only those who love us truly define us.
Do you know what Gabriel is referring to in the writing of truth? Daniel 10:21
Check it out. This is how you pray for Israel.
Every blessing to you and your generations in 2024.
They go to war knowing that the lives of their friends and families depend on them.
I read the following article and said to myself, I have to share this with my friends. It touched me so deeply because it explains why we Israelis have the power to stand up and be counted! Thank you for having been there for us for over 50 years.
In a year when the civilized world is stuck in a state of retreat, he is fighting back.
Under Biden’s leadership, America has been invaded by hordes of millions of migrants, and Europe continues to stagger under an endless wave of migration from the Muslim world. That’s why American and European cities are being torn apart by rioting mobs supporting Hamas.
But after Israel was invaded on Oct 7, it fought back. The men on the front lines are not the politicians or the generals, they’re among the 360,000 reservists activated in a nation with a Jewish population of 7 million who left behind their homes, families and jobs to go and fight.
The Israeli military was unprepared for both Oct 7 and a call-up of this size. The soldiers were fed, clothed, and equipped by the people. While the media reports on the fighting, the truly incredible unreported story is how civilian volunteers have become the supply and support (the ‘tooth-to-tail’) of the Israel Defense Forces or the IDF.
In a small country, volunteers have been bringing food every day, they have provided clothes, shipped in body armour and even showed up with washing machines on pickup trucks to do the laundry. Some civilian volunteers have been wounded and even killed while delivering food. Israeli housewives have formed the Baking Battalion to make cookies, a cooking school that produces meals for the troops and restaurants operate free food trucks. Others have stepped in to harvest crops and run the shops of the reservists who have been called up to serve in Gaza.
When the government and the leaders failed, the ordinary Israelis stepped up.
Some armies call themselves the “people’s army”: IDF soldiers really are. They’ve gone into Gaza knowing that the country stands behind them, not as an ideal, but as an everyday reality. Israel is a small country and everyone knows someone who died, came under attack, is among the 200,000 who left their homes to be out of range of the terrorist attacks, or in the ranks of those who are fighting or who have already fallen in defence of their nation.
Israel today reminds me of New York City after September 11 where for a brief shining moment everyone except the worst leftists pulled together against a common enemy. That spirit may well pass in Israel as it did in America, but while it lasts, it is something to admire and emulate.
Islamist mobs rampage around Manhattan and our elites celebrate Hamas, but the Israelis woke up after one terrible day and decided that they wouldn’t take it anymore. They rejected the dogma that fighting doesn’t work and they went to war. And far more than their own country is riding on the outcome. Nation after nation has surrendered to the Jihad, appeased it, and accepted the lie that Islamic terrorists can’t be defeated and fighting back only radicalizes them.
America accepted Islamic terrorism as the new normal, and now we’ve accepted Muslim mobs smashing up our cities as the new normal. What new horror will we accept next?
The Israeli soldier is in the field fighting against this corrosive mainstreaming of evil. He is at war not only with the reality of Islamic terror but the idea that we are defenceless against it. That is why we all have a stake in what happens thousands of miles away. Gaza is not a territory: it’s a state of mind. There are Gazas in the ‘no-go zones’ of England and France, forming in Michigan and emerging in New York City. It is not a question of whether our war will come, but when.
For now we can still pretend that a 7th century madman’s book doesn’t affect us.
American soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq all too often had to ask why they were there, no Israeli soldier in Gaza ever has to ask that question. Such questions end when the war comes home.
We’ve become used to wars that are abstractions, and geopolitical policy decisions to change a regime or protect the international order, but that’s not what wars are like in Israel.
It’s a one-hour drive from the hyper dense Tel Aviv metropolitan area to Kibbutz Be’eri where Islamic terrorists carried out some of the worst atrocities on Oct 7. The thousands of Jihadis, some on pickup trucks with mounted machine guns, had orders to keep going until they reached Tel Aviv. They didn’t get that far, but they did make it to Sderot, a town of 27,000 and they attacked Yad Mordechai just down the road from the city of Ashkelon.
It’s a six-hour trip along Israel. On the narrowest points, it’s walkable. In wartime, there is no ‘over there’ in Israel, it’s all ‘over here’. IDF soldiers are not fighting for international order or to nation build anything: they’re traveling hours to the north to protect their homes.
The Biden administration, the international community and the rest of the foreign policy ‘blob’ are obsessed with nation building in Gaza. They keep demanding a ‘day after’ plan from Israel. Conspiracy theorists claim that the lack of a ‘day after’ plan proves that Israel intends to expel all the Arab Muslim settlers from Gaza. The truth is that Israel doesn’t care about the same nation building nonsense that failed in every single Muslim country it’s been tried in 30 years.
When the madman across the street just butchered your family, you don’t plan out a rehab program or discuss his prison sentence while exchanging fire with him. That sort of madness is reserved for international foreign policy experts with no clue or skin in the game. The same goes for the obsession with “proportionate responses” or “winning the hearts and minds” of Hamas.
Instead of the nonsense that wasted so many of our lives, Israel is focused on winning the war.
Buried in the CNN and MSNBC reports, which are virtually indistinguishable from Al Jazeera’s Hamas propaganda barrage of bombing videos, is the fact that Israeli soldiers accomplished what the Biden administration’s military experts believed was impossible in record time.
Secretary of Defense Austin had urged Israelis to use his fight against ISIS in the Iraqi city of Mosul as a model. The fighting in Mosul took 9 months and led to over 1,000 casualties among the anti-ISIS coalition. Two weeks after the beginning of ground operations, Israel was in the heart of Gaza City. Now, IDF leaders say they’re close to having operational control over the north.
As of now, 164 IDF soldiers have fallen in the fighting against over 8,000 Hamas terrorists. Those approximate, but improve on, the casualty rates of American forces fighting against ISIS (then known as Al Qaeda in Iraq) and Iranian militias during the peak of the 2007 ‘Surge’. But the Israelis don’t have any Muslim allied forces fighting alongside them in urban battles.
Oct 7 heavily damaged the myth of the IDF, but the myth was always based on a misconception of what the Israel Defense Forces are. The IDF has its origins in groups of volunteer guards who were trained by Major General Orde Wingate, a devout Christian Zionist highly unpopular within the British military, in the unconventional doctrines that he would apply in WWII. The IDF is excellent at offensive operations, but poor at defensive ones except when individual soldiers launch desperate last stands of the kind that helped turn the tide in a few crucial battles.
The strength of the IDF has never been in its generals, though like the U.S. military, it had some capable old-school celebrity generals, now long gone, but in the character of the average fighting man. Strategy and leadership are crucial, but the IDF was built on the resilience of the ordinary soldier. Nations don’t make peoples and generals don’t make armies: its people who make nations and armies. That’s as true in Israel as it is in America.
Unlike the Islamic Jihadists they are battling, IDF soldiers don’t go to war fueled by meth or promises of 72 virgins, they go knowing that the lives of their friends and families depend on them. The politicians and the generals may fail them, but they do what needs to be done.
In Gaza now, they make beds among the rubble, put in earplugs and try to sleep while bombs and bullets shatter the night, and then, when it is time, they rise and fight. They are not superhuman or infallible: only ordinary men who know what is at stake. But they don’t know everything that is at stake. They see only their homes and the children they said goodbye to.
What they don’t see is a thousand year Jihad, the rafts bringing invaders to Europe and planes carrying them to America. They see only their small corner of the sky and earth to protect, but they are fighting a small battle that will shape the outcome of the greater civilizational war.
That is why the IDF soldier is Front Page Magazine’s ‘Man of the Year’. In a year of defeatism, he is still fighting. Even though all the experts say he should stop, he does not give up.
Those of us who see the big picture are often prone to despair, but the Israelis never look at big pictures. Israelis, unlike American Jews, have little interest in the big questions because, also unlike American Jews, they are religious in a mostly matter-of-fact way. When they look in the mirror, they don’t see insecurity, they see a fallible human being and when they look at the sky, they don’t see existential questions, they see G-d. That is why they have hope, not woke.
These are important because they not only encourage us to hope but tell us how.
The IDF soldier is the reflection of a nation that has learned to live in the face of impossible threats by focusing on what needs to be done today. That lack of vision is a weakness but also a strength. We too can turn from worrying about tomorrow and ask what we can do today.
The ordinary Israeli is in the field, or making cookies, washing khaki clothes and harvesting crops. He does not think about the unlikelihood that a nation of millions can survive the hatred of over a billion fanatics who believe that their only path to paradise is through genocide. He or she does what needs to be done, without despair or rage, but with the inner strength of purpose.
Israel is a nation at war with our enemies. The Islamists and leftists, the professional racists and deranged woke armies march through the streets of our cities calling for Israel’s destruction. It is not only a physical war, but a spiritual war, a cultural war and a moral war. It is a war that encompasses all of us, our homes, our families and our futures, but at the moment only one group of men is fighting that war, not just with words or elections, but with bullets.
Their fight gives us hope. Their fight shows us how to fight. Their fight shows us the future.
This article lays out WHY such a life and death struggle!
Silent Horror Unveiled: Inside the Grueling Mission of ZAKA Volunteers Collecting Remains After Hamas Massacre
Each day brings with it a fresh understanding of what happened on Oct 7th in South Israel along the Gaza border. What remains is a SILENT HORROR. Why do I trouble you? We are fighting for survival and we are beseeching you to pray for JUSTICE to come out of this massacre. Thank you.
Jay and Meridel Rawlings, Box 47554, Ermioni, Griechenland 210 51
Unser himmlischer Vater IST die Liebe. Jesus IST Sein Geliebter. Der Heilige Geist IST der Geist der Liebe.
Möge Jesus uns in dieser Zeit der weltweiten Ausbeutung, des Verlustes, des Krieges und des Kummers Frieden bringen. Ich habe eine Kopie dieses ungewöhnlichen Gemäldes ausgewählt, weil es zeigt, wer Jesus auf Erden war und für uns heute IST. Hier sehen wir einen Engel, welcher ihn in diesen letzten einsamen Stunden im Garten stärkt, während Satan im Schatten lauert. Jesus stand seiner letzten Prüfung gegenüber und fühlte sich verlassen und allein. Im Olivenhain war alles still. “Vater, wenn du es willst, lass diesen Kelch an mir vorübergehen”, flehte Jesus. Seine Antwort war ein furchtbares Schweigen. Was für eine ernste Lektion in Gehorsam und Treue.
Schauen wir zurück auf die Nacht seiner Geburt, welche von der Stille der Himmelswache überschattet war. Die Heilige Familie, von der Welt «ungesehen», wurde allein gelassen und für die Welt als bedeutungslos betrachtet. Die berühmten Hirtenfelder von «Bethlehem-Ephratha» (der Ort, an welchem die Lämmer für die Tempelopfer aufgezogen wurden), explodierten im Klang und Licht der himmlischen Pracht. Hirten, welche von der Gesellschaft verschmäht wurden, kamen demütig und beteten an. Herodes, König der römischen Provinz Juda, fürchtete sich vor diesem Kind.
Frage: “Was soll ich ihm in dieser heiligen Zeit schenken?” Wird es mein Herz sein?» Micha 5:2
Update der Familie Rawlings
2023 war ein Jahr der Veränderung mit einem großen ‘V’. Jay und ich genossen Weihnachten 2022 mit Chris, Terhi, Noam 24, und den eineiigen Zwillingen Youni und Liam 16 jährig. Sie überhäuften uns mit jeder Art von Freundlichkeit und Güte, einschließlich eines Konzerts, bei welchem der großartige 500-stimmige Knabenchor auftrat in der “Weißen Kathedrale”, von welcher aus man den Hafen von Helsinki überblickt. Die berühmten “Cantores Minores” wurden von Terhis ältestem Bruder, Professor Hannu Norjanen, dirigiert. Ihr schönes finnisches Haus hat eine eingebaute Sauna. Das Zusammensein mit ihnen war das beste Geschenk für Jay und mich.
Wir flogen für knapp eine Woche zurück nach Griechenland, bevor wir nach Jerusalem zurückkehrten. Monatelang hatte der HERR mit uns beiden, Jay und mir, darüber gesprochen, Israel zu verlassen. Es war eine schwierige Umstellung, nachdem wir uns 50 Jahre lang, mit totalem Engagement und Mitwirkung in der Nation, Israel hingegeben hatten, und Bürger geworden waren. Wir verliebten uns in Israel und gaben der Nation unser Bestes. Unsere Söhne waren genauso engagiert, aber sie waren noch sehr jung, als wir ankamen. David und Josh dienten in den Kampfeinheiten der IDF (israelischen Armee). Wir alle haben viele Kriege und den nicht enden wollenden Terror miterlebt. Jedoch was heute geschieht, ist das Schlimmste überhaupt! Die Realität ist entsetzlich und beinhaltet eine intensive psychologische und satanische Kriegsführung, welche auf jede Seele in der Nation angewendet wird, und auch alle erreicht, welche für Israel beten. Ich bin sicher, dass Ihr über die Nachrichten auf dem Laufenden seid. Habt Ihr die Tatsache erkannt, dass “die großen Jungs” nicht wollen, dass Israel gewinnt? Die IDF-Soldaten an der Front sehen dem sicheren Tod durch die Hand von Verbrechern, Lügnern und bösen Manipulatoren in die Augen. Die dunkle Seite triumphiert zurzeit, und wird von der UNO und der Welt unterstützt und sogar geschützt. Die Palästinenser im Gazastreifen haben seit 1953, nachdem sie vorher von Ägypten regiert wurden, keinen einzigen Tag mehr in Freiheit verbracht. Sie sind die ersten Opfer der Hamas. Wir beobachten und beten. Der Herr spricht zu uns in der Heiligen Schrift und in unseren Träumen. Wir lieben es, mit dem Heiligen Geist zu arbeiten, so traurig es im Moment auch ist.
“Wenn zwei sich einig sind…” Jay und ich haben nach 55 Jahren Ehe gelernt, nichts zu tun, WENN wir nicht einer Meinung sind. Schließlich konnten wir uns darauf einigen, den Vertrag für den Verkauf unseres Grundstücks in Jerusalem zu unterzeichnen. Glücklicherweise zu diesem Zeitpunkt. Im April begannen wir, das Medienzentrum und unser Haus zu räumen. Joshua kam zu uns, um uns bei der schweren Arbeit und den unendlichen Herausforderungen zu helfen. Die Familie, welche unser Haus gekauft hat, fragte uns: “Wie könnt ihr einen so schönen Ort verlassen, seid ihr Propheten?”
In der Zwischenzeit, im April, sprach der Herr zu Daniel und Shelly, nach Kalamata an der Südküste Griechenlands zu ziehen. Shelly hatte eine Offenbarung, welche ihnen half, diese Entscheidung zu treffen. Als sie sich überlegten, ein kleines Haus in Israel zu mieten, fragte sie den Besitzer: “Haben Sie einen Luftschutzkeller?” Er antwortete: “Nein.” Sofort sah sie sich selbst, Ryan und das neue Baby Gabriel, während eines Raketenangriffs unter einem Tisch kauern. (Seit dem 7. Oktober sind mehr als 2.000 Raketen aus dem Gazastreifen, dem Libanon und dem Jemen in Israel eingeschlagen). Dan und Shelly fassten schnell Mut und zogen um. Kalamata liegt wunderschön am Meer und ist auf drei Seiten von Bergen umgeben. Die Stadt ist berühmt für ihre großen Olivenbäume. Sie blickt auf eine 4.000-jährige Geschichte zurück, und hat heute einen blühenden Hafen, ist eine Universitätsstadt und hat ein florierendes Handelszentrum. Eine interessante Tatsache ist, dass Kalamata auch ein NATO-Stützpunkt ist. Israelische Ausbildner instruieren NATO-Piloten und lehren sie das Fliegen mit den Jets.
Meridel: (Jay schreibt) In diesem Jahr wurde sie durch die schmerzliche Realität der finanziellen Belastungen und des allgemeinen Leids der Israelis herausgefordert und verändert. Mit der Gabe des “Sehens” wurde es zu einer unendlichen und schmerzhaften Realität. Ich bin sicher, Ihr habt es in ihrem Blog Still Small Voice gespürt. Sie schreibt und liest es mir dann vor, und wir überprüfen es gemeinsam. Danke, dass Ihr für Israel gebetet habt, und mit uns in Kontakt geblieben seid in diesen seelisch niederschmetternden Zeiten. Wir wussten, dass die Dinge schlecht stehen, wegen der Korruption in hohen Positionen, aber wir haben diesen schrecklichen Krieg nicht kommen sehen. Meridels Herz hatte einfach keine Kraft mehr, und am 31. Juli gab es auf. Zum Glück rief sie: “Jay, ich kann nichts sehen…” und starb dann. Ich rief sofort den Namen Jeschuas an und band den Geist des Todes. Ihre ehemalige Klassenkameradin, welche 63 Jahre alt ist, Irene Bredlow, und ein weiterer Hausgast schlossen sich mir an. Ihr Puls war weg, zusammen mit ihrem Geist, ihre Augen wurden blau. Wir hörten nicht auf, im Namen Jesu zu schreien. Das ist die absolute Wahrheit. Wir hatten fast alle Anforderungen für den endgültigen Auszug erfüllt. Acht Tage später flogen wir zurück nach Griechenland. Wir haben jetzt unsere Aufenthaltsgenehmigung erhalten. Nach unserer Rückkehr schickte uns Chris diesen Segen: «Meine Hoffnung und mein Gebet ist, dass ihr nun beginnt, eure goldenen Jahre mit euren Kindern zu genießen. Ihr habt beide viel Leid ertragen müssen, was euch beide stark und fähig gemacht hat, anderen zu helfen.»
Jay gewöhnt sich nun langsam an ein viel ruhigeres Leben und kann etwa 9 Monate im Jahr schwimmen. Nur 500 Meter von unserem Haus entfernt, breitet sich am Fuße unserer sanft abfallenden Talstraße, ein wunderbarer Strand von 1 bis 2 km Breite aus. Das Plätschern der Wellen ist von unserer Terrasse aus zu hören. Wir haben Oliven und Obstbäume gepflanzt.
Daniel und Shelly haben sich inzwischen in ihrer eigenen Wohnung eingerichtet und lieben ihren Wohnort. Sie sind sehr gastfreundlich und treffen sich jede Woche am Schabbat zum Essen mit einer Gruppe israelischer Eltern und ihrer Kinder, welche erst kürzlich aus Israel gekommen sind. Shelly erstellt einen Videoblog auf Hebräisch. Daniel dreht Videoclips für ihre verschiedenen Unternehmungen und bietet seine medialen Fähigkeiten an, wann immer er angesprochen wird. Auch Immobilien haben ihr Interesse geweckt. Ryan hat so viele verschiedene Interessen und verkündet: “Ich habe eine sehr gute Idee?” Gabriel ist stimmgewaltig und macht sich auf witzige Art und Weise bemerkbar. Nachdem er die jungen Eltern in Aktion gesehen hatte, meinte der große Bruder David: “Daniel & Shelly sind die besten Eltern …”.
Joshua wird schnell zum Landwirt. Er liebt das Land, und während ich schreibe, ist er damit beschäftigt, die Olivenbäume zu beschneiden. Wir verwenden den “Abfall” nachts im Kamin und machen aus den Zweigen und Blättern Kompost. Wir sehen, wie die Einheimischen alles verwerten. Ein Höhepunkt in diesem Jahr war, mit den Enkeln in die Berge zu fahren, um unseren Freund Petros zu besuchen. Er ist Hirte und entstammt einer langen Stammeslinie von Hirten, soweit er zurückdenken kann. Es hat uns allen viel Spaß gemacht, mit den neugeborenen Lämmern zu spielen und sie an unseren Daumen nuckeln zu lassen. Josh hat gute Freunde gefunden und spricht Griechisch. Er machte die Planung und überwachte die Gestaltung, den Bau und die Fertigstellung des Erdgeschosses und des Grillplatzes im klassischen griechischen Stil. Deshalb machen unsere Kinder mit ihren Ehefrauen und Enkelkindern das Haus jetzt zu einem Urlaubsziel. Wir haben hier schon alle gesehen, außer Adi und Amitai, und wir hoffen, dass sie an Weihnachten mit David kommen werden. Die Zeit mit der Familie steht an erster Stelle. Die Töchter von Josh, 24, 20 und 18 Jahre alt, sind im Juli vor unserer Haustür gelandet und haben sich sofort wie Einheimische eingelebt. Sie lieben Griechenland. Maya absolviert ihr letztes Jahr des Osteopathie-Studiums in London. Sophia ist im 2. Jahr ihres Physikstudiums in Kopenhagen. Cecilia beendet die High School in London. Sie ist mit ihrem Vater in das Geschäft mit den Jogginganzügen eingestiegen. Gemeinsam haben sie die Designs und das Geschäftsmodell entwickelt. Die Mädchen sind eine Freude für Josh und ich weiß, dass er auch ein Trost für sie ist.
Chris wurde dazu veranlasst, Israel Vision neu zu starten, bevor der Krieg am 7. Oktober ausbrach. Es ist jetzt ein privater, gemeinnütziger Dienst für Familien, der von Chris und David geleitet wird. Es gibt eine Pay Pal Taste auf der Seite, der Webseite: israelvision.com. Er hat eine Go Fund Me, eine Spende Kampagne für die Familien der 240 Geiseln, welche in Gaza entführt wurden, eingerichtet. Zusammen mit Israel Vision und Still Small Voice haben wir 5.000 Euro gespendet. Das entspricht: CD$ 8.500. oder 20.000 israelischen Schekels. Es wird einigen Familien der Geiseln helfen. Wir segnen alle, welche gespendet haben. Vielen Dank! Chris hat seine Familie in diesem Herbst zu einem Urlaub mitgebracht. Traurigerweise hat Terhi im Februar ihre Mutter verloren. Youni ist ein wertvoller Basketballstar in der High School, und Liam ist ein begeisterter Fischer und hat die gleiche Begabung zum Zeichnen wie sein Vater. Beide planen, den nächsten Sommer bei uns zu verbringen. Noam hat einen BA-Abschluss in Wirtschaft und Finanzen von der Universität Amsterdam und arbeitet in Helsinki. Er und seine Verlobte Heidi werden im September 2024 heiraten. Wir segnen sie und hoffen, dabei sein zu können.
David und Adi, Amitai und Liyah leben im Herzen von Jerusalem. Sie sind alle sehr mit den Kriegsanstrengungen beschäftigt. Liyah macht eine Pause, um ihre Cousinen in London zu besuchen. Sie und Shelly (Israelis) sind verrückt nach der Weihnachtszeit! Adi leitet eine Jerusalemer Tanztruppe, welche durch Israel reist und Veranstaltungen organisiert, bei welchen die Einheimischen mittanzen, und für einen kurzen Moment das Leid des Krieges, vergessen können. David erstellt Videoberichte für Israel Vision; derzeit ist er durch seinen sterbenden Computer daran gehindert, aber wir glauben alle an ein Upgrade für ihn. Gott sei Dank ist Israel Vision wieder da. Unsere Söhne arbeiteten mit ihrem Vater an diesem Projekt. Noam arbeitete mit Großvater Jay, welcher der Gründer und Geschäftsführer war. Siehe: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@israelvisiontv https://www.youtube.com/@israelvision5344
Jay feiert diesen Februar seinen grossen, runden 80. Geburtstag. Einige von Euch werden sich daran erinnern, wie uns geholfen wurde, einen “kleinen Esel” zu kaufen, eine Honda von 2009. Wir haben ihn verschenkt, als wir weggingen. Die Söhne und ich haben ihn kürzlich ermutigt, einen neuwertigen BMW der Serie 2 aus dem Jahr 2016 zu kaufen, welcher nur 43.000 Kilometer hat und sehr sparsam ist. In Kanada (1969) fuhr er eine Corvette Stingray. Als er “einberufen” wurde, stieg er auf einen Waffenträger aus dem Zweiten Weltkrieg, einen Toyota, einen Muldenkipper, usw. um! Während anderen Zeiten gingen wir zu Fuß oder reisten mit Nahverkehrszügen, Bussen, Straßenbahnen, Lastwagen, Auslegerkanus, Fähren und Billigflügen. Seine Sehkraft und sein Gehör sind inzwischen zu einer ernsthaften Herausforderung geworden, und wir möchten, dass er seinen Ruhestand genießen kann. Wir bitten Euch um Eure Gebete. Er hofft auch, wieder mit der Malerei beginnen zu können.
Meridel (Jay schreibt) ist in ihr 82. Lebensjahr hineingerutscht. Ihr Geburtstag brachte ihr so viel Liebe, viel Lachen und drei Torten! Ich habe sie in meinem neuen Karren nach Kalamata gefahren, wo sie drei Tage lang Spaß mit der Familie hatte. Einige Familienzitate:
“Alles Gute zum Geburtstag für die einzigartige Königinmutter“. Adi. “Alles Gute zum Geburtstag für das Licht unserer Familie. Alles Liebe für dich und Jay.” Shelly. “Mom Honey” (der Name, welchen Amitai wählte, als er noch ein kleines Kind war), “Du bist die aufmerksamste, fürsorglichste und mutigste Oma, welche ich mir wünschen kann. Ich wünsche dir das Allerbeste für dieses Jahr. Bis bald, junge Dame!” Amitai.
Wir haben aufs Neue die Realität Jesu erfahren. Es war eine Umstellung, außerhalb des Sturms zu leben, welcher ständig über Israel schwebt. Das Leben dort war alles verzehrend, aber wir haben den Auftrag, täglich im Gebet wache zu halten. Jeden Morgen liebe ich es, den Sonnenaufgang zu beobachten, welcher die Dunkelheit Stück für Stück vertreibt. Das tröstet mich, und erinnert mich daran, dass unser Vater immer noch das Sagen hat.
Dieser lange Brief wird mit unseren liebevollen Gebeten und Gedanken gesendet. Danke für das, WER Ihr für uns seid. Gottes reichen Segen für eine sinnvolle und zärtliche Weihnachtszeit mit ruhigen Momenten, und ein gesegnetes neues Jahr.
Jay and Meridel Rawlings. Box 47554, Ermioni, Greece. 210 51 December 2023.
Our heavenly Father IS Love. Jesus IS His Beloved. Holy Spirit IS the Spirit of Love.
May Jesus bring Peace to us at this time of world exploitation, loss, war, and sorrow. I chose a copy of this unusual painting because of Who Jesus was on earth and IS to us today. Here we see an angel strengthening Him in those last lonely hours in the Garden, while Satan lurks in the shadows. Jesus faced His last ordeal feeling forsaken and alone. All was quiet in the olive grove. “Father if it be your will, let this cup pass from me.” Jesus pleaded. His answer was an awful silence. What a severe lesson in obedience and faithfulness.
Let’s look back to the night of His birth; overshadowed as it was in the quietness of Heaven’s watch. The Holy Family ‘unseen’ by the world was left alone, and considered of no consequence to the world. The famous Shepherd’s fields, *Bethlehem-Ephrathah (the place where lambs were raised for Temple sacrifices), exploded with the Sound and Light of heavens splendor. Shepherds, spurned by society, came humbly and worshipped. Herod, King of the Roman Province of Judah became afraid of this baby.
Question: “What shall I give Him this holy season?” Will it be my heart? *Micah 5:2
The Rawlings Family Update:
2023 was a year of change with a capital ‘C’.Jay and I enjoyed Christmas 2022 with Chris, Terhi, Noam 24, and identical twins Youni and Liam 16. They showered every kindness upon us, including a concert to hear the magnificent 150-voice boys choir performing in the ‘White Cathedral’, which overlooks the Port of Helsinki. The famous ‘Cantores Minores’ was conducted by Terhi’s eldest brother Professor Hannu Norjanen. Their beautiful Finnish home has a built-in sauna. Being together was the best gift to Jay and I.
We flew back to Greece for less than a week before returning to Jerusalem. For months, the LORD had been dealing with us both Jay and I about leaving Israel. It was a difficult change after 50 years of total commitment and involvement with the nation of Israel, becoming citizens. We fell in love, giving the nation our all. Our sons were just as involved, being very young when we arrived. David and Josh served in IDF fighting units. We have all lived through many wars and the never ending terror. Yet what is going on today is the worst ever! The reality is horrifying and involves Intense psychological, satanic warfare being applied to every soul in the nation and reaching all who pray for Israel. I am sure you are abreast of the news. Have you discerned the fact that ‘the big boys’ don’t want Israel to win? The IDF men on the front lines face certain death at the hands of thugs, liars, and evil manipulators. The dark side triumphs at present, backed and protected by the UN and the world. Palestinians in Gaza have never had a day of freedom since before 1953 when ruled by Egypt. They are the first victims of Hamas. We watch and pray. The Lord speaks to us in scripture and in our dreams. We love to work with the Holy Spirit, as sad as the moment is.
“If two agree together…” Jay and I have learned after 55 years of marriage, to do nothing IF we do not agree. Finally, we were able to agree to sign the contract for the sale of our Jerusalem property. Fortunately at that time. We began to empty the media centre and our home in April. Joshua joined us to help with the heavy lifting and unending challenges. The family who bought our home queried: “How can you leave such a beautiful place, are you prophets?”
Meanwhile, in April, the LORD spoke to Daniel and Shelly, to move to Kalamata on the southern coastline of Greece. Shelly had an epiphany, which helped them make the decision. When they were considering renting a small house in Israel, she asked the owner, “Do you have a bomb shelter?” He replied, “No.” Instantly she saw herself, Ryan and the new baby Gabriel, squatting under a table during a missile attack. (More than 2,000 missiles hit Israel from Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen since Oct 7th.) Dan and Shelly quickly gathered courage and moved. Kalamata beautifully situated on the sea is ringed by mountains on three sides. It is famous for its large olives. Built on 4,000 years of history; today it is a thriving seaport, a university town and a flourishing commercial center. An Interesting fact is that Kalamata is also a NATO base. Israeli instructors train NATO pilots to fly jets.
Meridel: (Jay writes.) This year, she was challenged and changed by the painful reality of the financial strains and general suffering of Israelis. With the gift of ‘seeing’, it grew into an unending painful reality. I am sure you felt it in her Still Small Voice blog. She writes and then reads to me, and we proof it together. Thank you for praying for Israel and staying in touch with us in these soul crushing times. We knew things were bad, because of corruption in high places, but we did not see this horrendous war coming. Meridel’s heart just ran out of strength and on July 31st, it gave out. Fortunately, she called out, “Jay I can’t see…” and then faded away. I immediately called out in the Name of Yeshua and bound the spirit of death. Her former classmate of 63 years, Irene Bredlow joined with me as did another house guest. Her pulse was gone, along with her spirit, and her eyes turned blue. We refused to stop crying out in the Name of Jesus. That is the absolute truth. We had almost completed all of the requirements of closing down. Eight days later we flew back to Greece. We now have our residency. Upon our return Chris sent us this blessing;“My hope and prayer is that you will now begin to enjoy your golden years with your children. You both have endured many hardships which has made you both strong and able to help others.”
Jay is now slowly adjusting to a much quieter life and can swim about 9 months of the year. Just 500 meters from home a wonderful beach 1 or 2 km wide spreads itself out at the foot of our gently slopping valley road. The sound of lapping waves is heard from our patio. We have olives and planted fruit trees.
Daniel and Shelly are settled into their own apartment now and love their location. They are the heart of hospitality and have arranged to meet every week for a meal with a group of Israeli parents and their kids on Shabbat who have recently arrived from Israel. Shelly creates a video blog in Hebrew. Daniel makes video clips for their various enterprises and offers his media gifts whenever approached. Real estate has also caught their interest. Ryan has so many different interests, and announces: “I have a very good idea?” Gabriel is vocal and makes his powerful little presence felt in comical ways. After watching these young parents in action big brother David commented, “Daniel & Shelly are the best parents …“
Joshua is fast becoming a farmer. He loves the land, and as I write, is busy pruning the olive trees. We use the ‘slash’ in the fireplace at night and make compost with the branches and leaves. We see how the locals make use of everything. A highlight this year was taking grandkids up the mountains to visit our friend, Petros. He is a shepherd from a long line of shepherds as far back as he can remember. What fun it was for us all to play with the newborn kids and let them suckle our thumbs. Josh has made good friends and is speaking Greek. He planned and oversaw the design, construction and finishing of the downstairs and barbecue, done in classic Greek style. Consequently, our kids and their wives and grandchildren are now making it a holiday destination. We have seen everyone except Adi and Amitai and we hope they will make it this Christmas with David. Family times are preeminent. Josh’s daughters, 24, 20 and 18 landed on our doorstep in July and settled in immediately like locals. They love Greece. Maya is completing her last year of Osteopathy in London. Sophia is in her 2nd year of Physics in Copenhagen. Cecilia is finishing high school in London. She has gone into the sweatsuit business with her Dad. Together they developed the designs and business model. The girls are a joy to Josh and I know he is also a comfort to them.
Chris was led to restart Israel Vision before the war broke out on Oct 7th. It is now a private nonprofit family ministry run by Chris and David. There is a Pay Pal button on the site. www.israelvision.com He set up a GoFundMecampaign for families of the 240 hostages taken into Gaza. Between Israel Vision and Still Small Voice, we have given away 5,000 Euros. That equals: CD$ 8,500. or 20,000 Israeli shekels. It will help some of the families of hostages. We bless everyone who gave. Thank you.
Chris brought his family for a holiday this fall. Sadly, Terhi, lost her Mother this February. Jouni is a valuable basketball star in high school and Liam is an ardent fisherman and has a sketching gift like his Dad. Both plan to spend next summer with us. Noam completed a BA in business and finance from Amsterdam University and works in Helsinki. He and his fiancé Heidi are to marry in September 2024. We bless them and hope to be present.
David and Adi, Amitai are Liyah live in the heart of Jerusalem. They are all very busy with the war effort. Liyah is taking a break to visit her cousins in London. She and Shelly (Israelis) are crazy about Christmas! Adi heads a Jerusalem dance troupe that are traveling around Israel creating events for locals to dance along, and forget the grief of war for a brief moment. David is creating video reports for Israel Vision; he is hindered at present, due to his dying computer, but we are all believing for an upgrade for him. Praise God Israel Vision is back. Our sons worked with their Dad. Noam worked with Grandpa Jay who was Founder and CEO. See : YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@israelvisiontv and https://www.youtube.com/@israelvision5344
Jay, celebrates his big 80th this February. Some of you will remember how we were helped to ‘buy a little donkey’, a 2009 Honda. We gave it away when we left Israel. The sons and I recently encouraged him to buy a 2016 BMW series 2 in mint condition, easy on gas with only 43,000 kms. In Canada (1969) he drove a Corvette StingRay. When ‘called out’, he graduated to a WW2 weapons carrier, Toyota, dump truck, etc you name it! Other times, we walked or travelled on local trains, buses, trams, trucks, out-rigger canoes, ferries, and cheap flights. His eyesight and hearing, have become a serious challenge now and we want him to enjoy his retirement years. We ask for your prayers. He also hopes to get back to painting.
Meridel (Jay writes)has motored on into her 82nd year. Her birthday brought so much love, lots of laughs and 3 cakes! I drove her to Kalamata in my new chariot for 3 days of fun with family. Some family quotes”
“Happy Birthday to the one and only Queen Mother.” Adi. “Happy Birthday to the light of our family. Love to you and Jay.” Shelly. “Mom Honey,” (The name chosen by Amitai when a tiny tot), ”You are the most attentive, caring, and daring Grandma I could ever ask for. I wish you the very best this year. See you soon young lady!” Amitai We have experienced afresh the reality of Jesus. It has been a change to live outside of the storm that perpetually hovers over Israel. Life there was all consuming, but we are charged to keep a daily prayer watch. Every morning I love to watch the sunrise, dissipating the darkness degree by degree. It comforts me, reminding me Our Father is still in charge.
This long letter is sent with our loving prayers and thoughts. Thank you for WHO you are to us. Every blessing for a very meaningful and tender Christmas season with quiet moments and a blessed New Year.
“For with You is the fountain of life, and in Your Light, we see light.” Ps 36:9
“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above. It comes down from the Father of Lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens.]”James 1:17
Hanukkah, The Festival of Lights, is a time of miracles. Hanukkah lights are being lit in Israeli homes, and inside of war-torn Gaza wherever the IDF soldiers are. Hanukkah reminds us of the history of the Maccabean wars. A brave godly father and his 5 sons stood up against evil, fighting for years for the liberty of Israel.
The war rages. Two senior Hamas intelligent officers were eliminated. Dozens of Hamas ‘Nekbah’ (the top fighting unit) operatives surrendered to the IDF. They were caught running away. They gave up and were taken into Israel, for interrogation. We are nearing the point when Hamas will have to surrender or die. You must know that all of the humanitarian aid Israel is sending into Gaza at this time has been snatched by Hamas. Gazans are becoming braver and are speaking out against Hamas. An old Gazan woman interviewed dared to say, “They will shoot us if we get in the way while they take all the food and fuel to their homes.” Hamas IS losing control. Keep praying and give thanks.
Light in Darkness:
The Hamas leadership and army will be taken out. This war is costing Israel her best military leaders. In the IDF is different from other armies. The leaders go before their men. To date 90 IDF have fallen, among them, the son of former Chief of Staff of the IDF Gadi Eisenkot, who serves as an observer on the War Cabinet.
The Ongoing Struggle:
Now, I am going to touch upon the sexual atrocities by Hamas. The world has kept silent. On October 7th, sickening sexual depravity was perpetrated against the innocent of all ages, men and women, children and babies (Including hostages.)
I want to open up the spiritual roots of this satanic sexual fixation and mutilation by Hamas. The roots go all the way back to Jacob-Israel’s struggle with the angel.
Israel’s call all through scripture until today is one of struggle. The Bible tells us in a hidden way, the real cost of Jacob’s name change to Israel. He struggled with the ‘messenger’, an angel? His hip was put out of joint, and consequently, he limped the rest of his life. For an unusual insight and understanding of what took place in that confrontation, I refer you to this explanation by Rabbi Pesach Wolicki.
“ We read of the famous struggle between Jacob and a ‘man’ the night before Jacob’s much-anticipated encounter with his brother Esau. The man turned out to be an angel. During the struggle, Jacob’s hip joint was dislocated, causing him to emerge from the confrontation with a limp.
As a result of this incident, Jews are forbidden from eating the ‘thigh muscle’ of an animal, known as the sciatic nerve. Why did the “man” just happen to strike Jacob at this exact spot on his body? The location of the wound is obviously significant enough that it results in a commandment relating to that specific limb of the body.
Why, is his (the Angel’s) attempt to “uproot Jacob and his progeny”, Why did the angel strike Jacob’s hip? What was he trying to do? The Hebrew word for “hip” used here is yerech. Yerech usually refers to a hip or thigh. Interestingly, the word yerech also has another meaning, namely, it is used in many verses in the Bible as a euphemistic reference to the loins, the reproductive organ of man.
Here are a few examples:
“The descendants (yotzei yerech, of Jacob numbered seventy in all; Joseph was already in Egypt.”Exodus 1:5
“He had seventy sons (yotzei yerech,) 9f his own, for he had many wives.” Judges 8:30
In these verses offspring or descendants are referred to as yotzei yerech, literally, “those who emerge from the thigh.” See also Genesis 46:26
Based on this, I would like to suggest that the angel of Esau who wrestled with Jacob was attempting to cut off Jacob’s ability to reproduce, to destroy his future.
The prohibition against eating the sciatic nerve (thigh muscle) serves as an eternal reminder that, although Jacob and his offspring can be maimed by Esau – (Amalek – Destroyer) although Israel may often limp through history because of oppression at Esau’s hand. Their future is never in doubt. Esau’s angel missed the mark: Jacob’s ability to reproduce, Jacob’s future, was not destroyed. Jacob’s offspring, the nation of Israel – through our special covenant with God – is eternal and supernatural.”
Brave Women Speak Out:
I warn you that the interviews with these courageous women are grim. They give explicit details of the sexual atrocities perpetrated on Oct. 7th.
The UN Agency for gender equality and Women’s Empowerment, released Nov. 25th was its first statement about the gender-based violence carried out on Oct 7; 50 days after they took place. A week later on Dec 1st, the agency condemned for the first time ever the Hamas terrorist attacks.
One Muslim Israeli Woman Speaks:
Lucy Aharish is an Israeli journalist and broadcaster, probably the most representative Israeli possible. She grew up in Dimona, was the only Moslem in school, dressed as Queen Esther on Purim and wore blue and white on Independence Day (Yom Ha Atzmaut.) She is a proud Moslem who married a Jew and is a wonderful proponent of the Jewish state. As a journalist, she interviewed a Hamas leader and accused him even then of atrocities. Her monologue, recorded in her home, is worth five minutes of your time.
Soldiers asking for Prayer:
The Israel Defence Forces in Gaza are heroes; confronting this cruel, depraved enemy entrenched among the civilian population. Sadly, it is apparent that 80% of Palestinians in Gaza are Hasmas-niks. To date, we have lost 90 IDF men, after 2 months of unprecedented challenges. The IDF is manoeuvring through Intense urban warfare and a dark underground system of 800 tunnels in 500 miles of Hamas strongholds. This is urban warfare never seen in modern history.
Prayer requests from soldiers in the IDF:
missing fellowship in the congregation.
Waning spiritual discipline
– strength to pray for the salvation of the enemy
– wisdom to share the Gospel in my unit
– shine the light and do the right things for the Lord
– lacking peace of mind and soul
– pray for our families, wives and children without husbands and dads
very intense warfare, exhausting and busy
need concentration and wisdom to heal and comfort as we deal with grief; losing friends who are kidnapped or severely injured and friends lost in the battle
special help to fight in the winter cold and rain
God is bringing His Israeli people together in the midst of the suffering. He is El Elyon, God of Heaven and Earth. We have nothing to fear. We must all pray realizing how much power we have been given from Heaven. Evil knows the power of our prayers and how it can change everything. Thank you for keeping your watch! There is mighty power and strength is standing up and saying NO. Watch, our God turn this war around for great good for Israelis AND Gazans. IF you are unsure, pray using the Bible.
A Blessed Hanukkah to every Jewish family in Israel and around the world.
“Avenge the vengeance of Your servant’s blood
From the wicked nation.
For the triumph is too long delayed for us,
And there is no end to the days of evil.”
From the Prayer Book
138 souls remain hostages, two children a 10-month-old and 4 year old.
