Reporting From Israel

08/15/05 - Israel Update: Tears of Sorrow

 

Shalom All,
 
I write to you on a somber day, a day I will never forget and am thanking God for allowing me to be in this country for such a time? as sorrowful as it is right now.
 
Today I saw something that will forever haunt me.  Something that I will never forget as it has been burned into my memory.  All of the staff on my floor paused at the television as we watched something I doubt will make it into the news on your side of the world.  Gush Katif is the settlement in Gaza that remains to be evacuated.  A three star Colonel (Golani Fighter ? most notorious and amazing unit of the IDF) stood in front of the Gush Katif settlers and listened to several of the settlers as they took turns yelling out their pain and frustration.  One man in his late twenties/early thirties was wearing an orange shirt and was crying and sobbing and saying ?I once served under you in the IDF and now you are here to remove me from my home? why, why,why must you do this to us?  Why are we against one another now?  How could we let the enemy come between us and cause such distress?  Why must I leave my home and everything I love, why!?  This man sobbed and I have never seen such a heartbroken person.  Then the Colonel did the most amazing thing I have ever seen.  He walked right into this man and held him, hugged him as they both cried.  The Colonel said, ?I am your brother, I am not your enemy and I love you.  I do not want to do this but I must because I am ordered to.? And they continued to cry together and sob.  Right then, I started crying myself and stood there with tears streaming down my face.  I had a realization? if you are for God then you must be for Israel.  If you claim to be for God but against Israel then you have been deceived.  These people are suffering and being forced to negotiate with terrorists.  These are God?s people and we are to support them.  As I went back to my room, Mandy and I were glued to the television as we watched the Palestinian leaders being interviewed. Here are some interesting and sickening facts:  The Palestinian government is setting aside 1.4 million dollars to THROW A PARTY once the last of the settlers are removed.  I was so angry I threw my pillow at the TV.  Not only this, but the Palestinians are producing tons of souvenirs that say, ?First Gaza, NOW JERUSALEM!?  I am infuriated.  I am telling you now, you must keep your eye on Israel during these next few months. More will be happening here that will usher in the return of Messiah than ever before, I believe.  We will NOT give them Jerusalem and you have my word that if a war breaks out, I will remain here until the day I die to support Israel during such a time.  Please Pray!!!
 
Now if I may be ?preachy? for a moment, I want to challenge you all.  I know from experience because I have been born and raised in the USA? I know the mentality there.  There is a very deceptive and alluring spirit that has settled upon the Believers there.  It is a spirit of complacency, selfishness and offense.  If we are not careful, those things can cause us to be completely blinded and unaware of what is going on in the rest of the world.  I challenge you to open your eyes and start to see what Yeshua is doing to get our attention!  The time is at hand, the time is near and we must be doers of the Word and not hearers.  One hour on Sunday does not cut it.  Reading a few verses and attending a covered dish dinner does not cut it.  I challenge you to get out of your comfort zones and do something new, something different, something bold.  Mandy and I believe that His Return is so very soon? but can you sense this in your spirit also?  Are you having dreams, visions?  Are you sensing the urgency in your Spirit that the One who has redeemed us is on His way back?
 
I had a vision years ago that still remains in my heart.  I saw Yeshua sitting at the right hand of God and I could not see God, He was a blinding light, I could only see Yeshua.  And all of the sudden the angels threw themselves on the ground in silence.  All of the sudden, cries could be heard, cries of urgency, of longing? these were the cries and prayers of the Believers on earth.  Then Yeshua leaped out of his throne and had such an amazing piercing passion in His eyes.  He was about to rush down to earth to take His children back when God?s arm went before Yeshua and held Him back.  Then a loud voice said, ?Not now, My Son, but very soon? very soon.?
 
And I leave you with this:  The time is soon, the events are unfolding, Israel is the center of all of the end-times events.  It?s time to take a bold step out into the unknown for the sake of the lives of those that are perishing without a saving knowledge of Yeshua.
What will your part be?
 
Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is thirsting come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
 
This is Erin reporting LIVE from Jerusalem?