If you have kept up with what has happened in Israel over the past few months then your heart is aching for the families of the recent terror victims. Among the victims were three sets of young Jewish siblings – Yaakov and Asher Paley, Hallel and Yagel Yaniv, and Maia and Rina Dee. These were...Read More
Heroes rise to the occasion and bravely fulfill their mission. Most of our Christian Zionist heroes stood against insurmountable pressure, and some gave their lives. Christian Zionist William Hechler was thoroughly convinced that the Jewish people would return to the land of Israel. When he met Theodore Herzl, he knew he must do all in...Read More
Father figures are important. They play a very unique and powerful role. A good father stabilizes, affirms, casts vision, and builds confidence. No other person could say, “See that goal, you can make it,” “You’re doing good,” or, “I’m proud of you,” and have the same impact. Fifteen times in the Old Testament and seventeen...Read More
Getting to know someone can be challenging. There is so much depth to every individual – strengths, weaknesses, personality traits, character, experiences, dreams, and passions. I was really close to my grandfather before he finished his time here on this earth. We spent time together working on his cattle farm and tinkering on cars. I...Read More
Remember when you first started learning about Israel, and whether it was something about the biblical feasts, covenants, or prophecy, you were amazed by how rich and meaningful it was? If your experience was anything like mine, you were astounded by how deep and heart-connecting these biblical, Jewish, Israeli things were. Honestly, it kind of...Read More
Shalom and Chanukah Sameach! Have you ever considered why the Greeks went to such great lengths in their efforts to conquer the Jewish people? Would you not agree that sending hundreds of thousands of troops to take out a small band of rebels is a little overkill? This war was very different from previous attacks...Read More
The Feast of Tabernacles is the climax of the biblical festivals. Joy runs sky-high as festive meals, music, dancing, praises to God, and smiling faces light up the atmosphere. Deuteronomy 16:14-15 puts it well: “You shall rejoice in your feast… For seven days you shall keep the feast to the Lord your God at the...Read More
Have you ever harvested fresh produce? Whether you’ve got a pumpkin in your backyard garden, you visit the u-pick peach orchard every year, or you make your livelihood as a farmer, harvest time is one of the most joyous times of the year. There is something fulfilling about plucking fully ripened, fresh, luscious produce right...Read More
As the sun sets this evening we will enter into the biblical festival of Trumpets/Rosh HaShana. On this special day of “blasting,” we listen to the sound of the shofar. There are several biblical meanings embedded into the sound waves of a shofar blast. It can be a call to war as in the battle...Read More
Imagine this – a beautiful rolling terrain with birds singing from tree tops, children laughing at play in a crystal clear, bubbling stream. Men and women peacefully at work in their vineyards and sheep folds. Wisdom from the Bible and words of prayer are frequently on the lips of young and old. The ruler of...Read More
Muskets and short sabers glistened in the afternoon sun as the French Emperor walked the streets with his military escorts. As they rounded a corner, the entire company stopped in their tracks. What was that sound? Straight ahead, in the distance, was a beautifully-built building. Yes, the sound was coming from inside. A few men...Read More
As Christians who believe in God’s covenant promises, our hearts ache when we hear about the rockets being fired at innocent civilians and the burning of synagogues in Israel. Just today I heard about what happened to the Avigal family in the town of Sderot on Israel’s southern border. As is all too common in...Read More
This week, Christians all across the United States gathered for the National Day of Prayer. It is encouraging to see men and women zealously crying out to God. Prayer is powerful! It has stopped the mouths of lions, raised the dead, delivered nations from destruction, and flowed from the lips of peace-filled martyrs until their...Read More
The Israelite slaves were released from Pharaoh and their leaven was deflated before they were truly free. Humanity is healed from world pandemics through humility, prayer, and repentance. Broken relationships require repentance before reconciliation is reached. Let’s compare these three realities and see if we can find a theme that will strengthen our faith and...Read More
Over the last century, the land and people of Israel have experienced one of the most dramatic and miraculous resurgences ever seen in the history of the world. Many Christians are recognizing this obvious fulfillment of biblical prophecy and are filled with excitement to see God’s hand so clearly demonstrated. However, of the 2.5 billion...Read More
Sukkot is commonly known as “Z’man Simchateinu” – “Season Of Our Joy.” This title was given by the sages of Israel based on Leviticus 23:40 and Deuteronomy 16:14-15, where God commands Israel to rejoice during the feast of Tabernacles. Happiness is one of the most desired emotions. We all crave fulfillment, contentment, and happiness. Myriads...Read More
Atonement is an incredible gift from God. The fact that the Almighty Creator of the universe would look down on one of the millions of individuals in the world, hear their cry of repentance and forgive their sin is astounding! As we approach the biblical “Day of Atonement,” or “Yom Kippur” in Hebrew, my heart...Read More
The biblical Feast of Trumpets/Rosh HaShanah is fast approaching. It is customary to greet one another with “Shana tova u’metuka,” “Have a good and sweet year.” “Sweet” is certainly not the word that comes to mind as we look back over the previous year. “Confusion,” “plague,” and “chaos” more accurately describe recent events. Is this...Read More
Three thousand years ago, an old man with a long, tear-stained beard and rough, tattered clothes made his way to a rise on a hillside not far from here. As he turned around to face the growing crowd, the look on his face turned from brokenhearted sorrow to rays of joy that pierced through the...Read More
As I have traveled around the world sharing about the miracle of Israel’s rebirth, I have encountered well-meaning Christians who claim that the modern State of Israel is secular, pagan, and against the will of God. They point to the fact that many of the founders of modern Israel weren’t believers, that the government is...Read More
