Hi friends! If you have followed along, you know we are rewinding our February 2023 EXPERIENCE ISRAEL TOUR, and my prayer throughout is that you have come to love Israel in a measure deeper than before. There is absolutely nothing like being in the land of Israel and allowing the Holy Spirit to touch the deep places of our hearts and minds, and to more fully grasp the truths of His Word and the love for His people.

We are about to enter perhaps the most impacting part of the tour where we visit the places Jesus spent the last hours of His earthly life. We’ll go to the Mount of Olives (including the Garden of Gethsemane), the Upper Room, Golgotha, and of course the empty Garden Tomb. Please don’t miss the remainder of our journey over the next few days.

However, an interlude seems appropriate today because it is important to understand that Israel’s past, present and future are inextricably linked by Scripture. On our journey together, we have seen historical sights such as Judea and Samaria, the Galilee, and Jerusalem, and we see evidence of how God has cared for His people. He brought them back from Egyptian and Babylonian captivity, then caused them to survive the Holocaust and dispersion around the world. We marvel at the fact Israel was reborn as a nation in 1948.

In the present, however, Israel remains threatened, as they have always been. Israel does not start wars but is constantly forced to defend herself against the attacks and evil schemes of Satan’s minions. (Yes, I believe Hamas, Hezbollah, the IRGC and other enemies of Israel are pawns of Satan himself.) Bible prophecy tells us that the Lord of heaven’s armies will protect Israel, and we see definite signs of “stage-setting” on the Golan Heights, in Gaza and in the West Bank (Biblical Judea and Samaria), all of it described in places such as Ezekiel 38-39 and Mathew 24. One day, our King of Kings and Lord of Lords will return and all we see will make perfect sense.

For today, let’s consider the words of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As the US administration begins the process of turning its back on Israel, Netanyahu (himself under intense scrutiny) speaks in agreement with what Scripture seems to tell us about the last days. He recently spoke to a large crowd at AIPAC, the largest pro-Israel lobbying organization in America, and had these things to say:

“We will finish the mission in Rafah, and at the same time we will allow the civilian population to leave the danger zone” – summary of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s speech to the AIPAC conference

▪️ Let me be clear – Israel will win this war, no matter what. In order to win this war, we must destroy the remaining Hamas battalions in Rafah. Otherwise, Hamas will organize, arm and retake Gaza, and then we’ll be back to square one.

▪️ We will finish the mission in Rafah, and at the same time we will allow the civilian population to leave the danger zone. We have taken measures to minimize harm to civilians that no other army has taken throughout history.

▪️ To our friends in the international community I say: you cannot say that you support Israel’s right to exist and defend itself and then oppose Israel when it exercises this right. You cannot say you support Israel’s goal of destroying Hamas and then oppose Israel when it takes necessary actions to achieve that goal. You cannot say that you oppose Hamas’s strategy of using civilians as human shields and then accuse Israel of civilian casualties that are the result of the same cynical strategy of Hamas.

▪️ I know that the absolute majority of the American people stand by us. I know the vast majority of Congress is on our side. There are people who will make you believe that the people of Israel are divided. In fact, there are people who will make you believe that there is the prime minister and then there is the people of Israel. The truth is that the people of Israel overwhelmingly support the policy that I and the government headed by me are outlining – they overwhelmingly support the need for total victory, and they overwhelmingly oppose the idea of ​​a Palestinian state imposed on us.

▪️ They also overwhelmingly reject the idea that we should plant the Palestinian Authority in Gaza after we destroy Hamas. The Palestinian Authority educates their children for terrorism and the destruction of the State of Israel.

~Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu at March 2024 AIPAC conference in Washington DC

Dear friends, international pressure on Israel, led perhaps by the US, will soon ensue to persuade Israel to back off on the destruction of Hamas, a terrorist organization who has vowed to commit October 7 atrocities “over and over and over.” Hamas’ very own charter calls for the destruction of Israel.

To be in Israel drills understanding of this evil deeper and deeper into our hearts and minds. As believers who have been to the land (literally or virtually) and understand the nature of evil facing Israel, it is impossible NOT to stand with Israel.

Will you stand? How will you do so? Hear are some ways:

• Read and study your Bible. Examine the history of how God deals with His people and with the nations. Learn about Jesus’ ministry while here on earth. Study Bible prophecy. (Matthew 24 and Ezekiel 38 are great places to start if you want to know what’s next in earth’s history!)
• Learn everything you can about Israel. There are some wackos out there, so be careful where you get your information! If it does not align with Scripture, run from it! (You are welcome to follow this blog or folks like Amir Tsarfati, Mark Hitchcock, Jack Hibbs, Barry Stagner and Jan Markel. Even still…be a Berean and study to make sure everything aligns with God’s Word.)
• Speak out about Israel! Be bold. Jesus was bold for you, and He will give you boldness to speak. When you hear someone bad mouth Israel, ask them where they get their facts. Refute the lies. They are God’s uniquely called people who were given a very specific task: bless all the families of the earth. (Genesis 12:3) BTW – that verse also says those who bless Israel will be blessed and he who curses Israel will be cursed. Stand on the side of blessing!
• Call or write your elected Senators and Representatives in Congress and express your support for Israel. Then let them know you expect them to support Israel also. (The Bible mandates it!) If not, vote them out!
• Speaking of voting…DO SO! Vote your Biblical values, including where the candidates stand on Israel. If they (like Bernie Sanders, a Jew himself) want to blame Israel and cut off aid to them, VOTE THEM OUT! How we vote matters!
• Finally, EVERYONE can do this: PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! Israel faces the greatest challenges of any nation on the planet due to their mandate from God and the evil plans to annihilate them. Use Isaiah 62 or Psalm 122 as patterns of prayer for Israel. Pray God’s Word back too Him and you can be assured He will answer!

Join us right back here tomorrow as we dive into the sights of Jesus’ last days before ascending to His Father’s side! You will be blessed!