As 2025 burst on the scene, Israel was celebrating the 10 million mark in population, and America was awaiting the second inauguration of Donald Trump. There was an air of cautious optimism. We sighed a bit of relief as 4 years of catastrophic immigration and woke policies in America were halted, yet we mourned with Israel longing for the return of their hostages.

January brought mixed messages about the return of hostages and we wondered if heads would roll over the apparent intelligence failure that enabled Hamas’ brutal attack in 2023. In February, a small group of us traveled to Israel to participate in ministry projects. Before leaving, we answered the questions, “Why now?” and “Isn’t it Dangerous?” It was a fantastic trip and we filed daily reports, beginning with this one. (You may scroll through our daily reports by opening the post and clicking the “Next” button at the bottom of each post.)

Our tour continued into March, but upon our return, we focused on several thoughts and questions such as: Does our understanding of Israel really indicate our understanding of God? Is there hope for the people of Iran? and Eli Sharabi’s gut-wrenching testimony of his hellish time in terrorist captivity. April was filled with meditations regarding the upcoming Passion Week (beginning here).

A very important question was posed in May: Are American conservatives splitting over Israel? This was the first mention on this site, but it would grow into a much broader conversation over time. In June, a well-thought response provided guidance on where God’s Word instructs us to stand.

July opened with posts regarding how Israel managed to take out Iranian nuclear facilities (with the help of American B-2 bombers), followed by Netanyahu’s visit to the White House. Then, in August, Pastor Jack Hibbs and Daniel Cohen (RLN’s news director in Israel) met to discuss the situation in Israel.

In a special report in September, Joel Rosenberg sat down with One for Israel’s president, Dr Erez Soref to answer the question, “Are Israelis Beginning to Seek Jesus?” You may find the answer surprising! Perhaps this got buried in the news cycle as it predated the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which sucked the wind out of every other newsworthy piece. But before Charlie left us, he left this very important message regarding Israel. (If you see nothing else, take 90 seconds to view that video.)

October was the two-year anniversary of the Hamas attack, yet one released hostage demonstrated why it is impossible to keep Israel down by proclaiming, “I love life!” Likewise, another hero-turned-hostage became a hero once again.

Before departing for our November 2025 Israel tour (daily updates begin here), we once again addressed the issue of whether or not Israel is dividing the church. We opened the month of December (beginning here) addressing that issue in broader context. In late December, I personally witnessed the animosity between big-name conservative influencers at AmFest, Turning Point USA’s annual convention.

You have likely heard reports of the brutal conflict at that event. The controversy centers around Israel and it is becoming a very key battleground politically, and one that, unless it is curbed, will split the political right and may split the church as well.

Turning the calendar page to a new year is traditionally a time of reflecting upon what was, and building optimism for what is to come. But friends, I regret to say we may need to put our seatbelts on and hang on for the ride. The Bible’s admonition is clear: those who stand with Israel will be blessed and those who curse Israel will be cursed (Genesis 12:3), and our world may get rocked when we stand on the side of blessing. Unfortunately, this issue is being politicized by both the right and the left, and seems intent on tearing the right apart.

There will be more in the days ahead, but as 2025 draws to a close, I exhort you to remain true to God’s Word. There will be enormous pressure to appease others on the political spectrum in order to “save the party,” but our allegiance must remain to God and His Word. Standing with Israel does not mean agreeing with everything Israel says or does. But it DOES mean standing up for Israel’s right to exist, Israel’s right to the land God promised them, and Israel’s right to defend herself. On those, we must not compromise!

Stand strong, my friends. God will never fail us when we are in the center of His will.