“Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy.” (Luke 2:10)
The story of Jesus’ birth is one so familiar as to require no special comment, and yet in its simple details lies the hope of the whole world. Four thousand years previous the birth of this child was promised, and all the way along during those forty centuries some faithful souls continued to trust in the promises and to look for the salvation to be brought about through Him. We may surely take for granted that the humble shepherds to whom the message of the Lord’s advent first came were men who thus hoped in the promise of God: for to such, and to such only, the Lord disclosed His purposes.
These men were quietly tending their flocks by night when suddenly the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone around about them; and they were sore afraid (Verse 9). But their fear was soon overcome by the message of the angel, contained in our text, but which is only partially quoted, leaving out one of the grandest features of the message ‑viz., that it was to be to all people.
The message reads: “Fear not; for, behold I bring you good tidings, of GREAT JOY, which shall be to ALL PEOPLE.” It will be observed that the blessedness of these tidings is cumulative: first it is “good tidings”; then it is “great joy”; and then the crowning feature of it is that it is “to all people” – not only to you shepherds who are this night looking for the hope of Israel, but for all your friends and relations and neighbors far and near; and to all their friends and relatives and neighbors, both to those who now live and to those who shall live, as well as to all those now in death.
Blessed tidings! Hearken to the gladsome sound: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (V. 11) Then He was to be a saviour to all people: so the Scriptures clearly affirm, saying that, by the grace of God, He tasted death for every man, and that He gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time – to all. (Heb 2:9; 1 Tim. 2:6) The testimony however, is quite as necessary to the salvation of the sinner as the fact that Christ gave Himself a ransom for all. The favor of salvation will not be forced upon any; but the testimony that has been provided for every man, on condition of his acceptance of the favor upon God’s terms, is to be given to every man, for his acceptance or rejection. And though millions of the race for whom Christ died have gone down to the grave without such testimony, still the fact remains that the testimony shall be given in due time – which due time, to all such, must be after their awakening from death.
And to this agree the words of the Lord: “The hour is coming in which all that are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of man, and shall come forth; they that have done good [who during the present life have come into judgment and have passed their trial successfully], unto the resurrection of life [the full reward of the faithful]; and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:28,29) That is, the latter class will come forth from the grave to have the truth testified to them then, for their acceptance or rejection; and their final judgment of worthiness or unworthiness of life will be based upon their course under trial after the truth has been testified to them – in the Millennial Age. Thus the angel of the Lord preached the good tidings of the restitution of all things to the shepherds on the plain of Bethlehem (Acts 3:1921) .
Verse 12: Then they were told where and how they should find this Bud of promise, so that when they would see Him they might feel doubly assured that this was He. The angel gave the shepherds an intimation of the humble conditions under which this great King of earth was born into the world – as a babe, wrapped in swaddling bands and lying in a manager. This was necessary, not only to their identification of Jesus, but necessary also to bring down their thoughts from the great and grand results to its humble beginnings, lest they should be misled in their expectations.
Verses 13,14: “Then suddenly there was with the angels a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” This shows how the angels of God are interested in the affairs of men, and how they sympathize with us and rejoice over our prosperity. And this reminds us of other statements to the effect that there is joy in heaven among the angels over one sinner that repenteth (Luke 15:7); and again that they are earnest students of the plan for human salvation; and that they are all ministering spirits sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation (1 Peter 1:12; Heb. 1:14). Thus we see them to be creatures of God full of loving benevolence even toward a fallen race, and esteeming it a privilege to serve the heirs of this salvation, although they know, as they studiously look into God’s plan, that some of this fallen race are by and by to be highly exalted, even above the angels who never sinned.
Thus we see their humble recognition of the right of the Creator to do what He will with His own, and their cheerful and joyful acquiescence to His perfect will, which they know to be determined by His unerring wisdom and His fathomless love. Oh, what universal joy will prevail when the whole family of God, in heaven and in earth is brought into fullest harmony under Jehovah’s Anointed!
Verses 15,17,18 show the teachable attitude of the shepherds: they recognized the angels and their message as from the Lord, and, their fears being allayed, their hopes revived and their faith increased, they felt that they must go at once and see this which had come to pass. After seeing the babe, as they went away they published abroad the good tidings which the angels had brought to them, and how they had actually seen Him of whom the prophets testified. There was also three wise men from the east who came to see Him, who “is born to be King of the Jews.” Upon seeing a strange star (evidently a meteor, as it could not have been a fixed star) moving in the direction which the angel had told them to go, they followed the star until they reached Bethlehem, when it stood still over the place where the young child was. And when they saw Him they worshiped Him and presented to Him gold and frankincense and myrrh, recognizing in Him the long‑promised Messiah. And being warned of God in a dream, they disregarded the request of Herod to inform him of the whereabouts of the new‑born king, and so departed into their own country another way. An angel then appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to take the young child and his mother to Egypt. Thus Herod’s threat to the child was thwarted (Matt. 2:1‑13).
Verse 19: “But Mary [mother‑like] kept all these things and pondered them in her heart,” doubtless calling to mind also the message of the angel to her (Luke 1:28‑35). Again and again we seem to hear her say, “My soul doth magnify the Lord... for he that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is his name.” (Luke 1:46‑59)
Verse 20: The shepherds returned to their flocks, fully assured of the wonderful truth that the promised seed of the woman who was to bruise the serpent’s head had really come. And they rejoiced and glorified God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as they were told unto them.
“Unto you is born this day in the city of David a saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) That our Lord existed prior to His incarnation, and in a more exalted nature and condition, is clearly stated in the Scriptures. (See John 17:5; 2 Cor. 8:9; John 1:13,10; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:15‑17; Heb. 1:2; Rev. 4:11)
This change of nature was a miracle, the philosophy of which, like that of all miracles, transcends the limits of human thought; and like all other miracles, it was performed to meet an emergency for which no natural law could otherwise provide. The philosophy of the Divine plan of redemption which required it is, however, very manifest to the thoughtful mind guided by the Scripture statements. The Son of God was made flesh that He might give His flesh – His humanity – for the life of the world; that as by man (Adam) came death, so by man (“the man Christ Jesus”) might come the resurrection of the dead (John 1:14; 6:51; 1 Cor. 15:21). In other words, He was transformed from the spiritual to the human nature, so that in giving His life for the world’s redemption He might give the exact equivalent or corresponding price for that which was lost.
For the sake of brevity we must of necessity pass by many points of interest connected with this narrative of our Lord’s birth, e.g. the prophecies of His coming (Gen. 3:15; 22:18; 49:10; 2 Sam. 7:12‑16; Isa. 9:6,7; 11:1‑9; Dan. 9:24, etc.); the date of His birth; His human lineage as Son of David and of Abraham, and His Divine origin as the only begotten Son of God; and, lastly, the condition of the world at His advent. But these the student can with profit look up for himself.
On the last point, however, we would have none fail to observe the evidences of the Lord’s preparatory overruling providence in so shaping the world’s affairs to accomplish the purposes of His plan at that time: in due time the very best medium for the communication of the Gospel of the New Covenant.
(4) It was a time, too, of increased intellectual activity, which was ready to operate on this and every other question of public interest. Thus the circumstances of the time were peculiarly adapted to the announcement of this wonderful event – the advent of the world’s Redeemer. The fullness of time had come, and under the overruling providence of God, the conditions were ripe.
It is worthy of notice that the announcement of the Saviour’s birth was not made to an assembled world, in whose most vital interest He had come, nor even to assembled Israel, the chosen people of God; nor yet to all of those who, like Simeon and Anna, with devout hearts had long been looking for the hope of Israel. But it was made to only a few devout shepherds who were watching their flocks by night. The grand truth was one to be received by faith; and it was sent through humble, but trustworthy, human agents, who were the honored instruments in God’s hands. And any who proudly despised the instruments were unworthy of the good tidings.
The announcement was one which modern “orthodoxy” could not justify; for it was the very reverse of its bad tidings of great misery to nearly all people. The angel’s message was, “good tidings of GREAT JOY TO ALL PEOPLE; for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
The tidings are of redemption and restitution and everlasting life for all who will accept this blessing on the terms on which it is offered – viz., faith in Christ as the Redeemer, and full repentance from sin, which of necessity implies the forsaking of sin and cultivation of righteousness. Christ was born to be a Saviour by subsequently giving His life a ransom for all. These good tidings – this miracle of Divine goodness and mercy to fallen and doomed mankind – met a marvelously cold and indifferent reception. The world in general, though apprised of the fact and its import, manifested no faith nor interest in it, while it is written that He came unto His own people (the Jews), and they received Him not. But the jubilant heavenly hosts, who were capable of appreciating what fallen men could not appreciate, and will not until their blind eyes are opened and their deaf ears unstopped, broke out in a rapturous strain of heavenly melody, saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14)
The full import of this song will not be fully realized by mankind until the Millennial reign of Christ shall proffer them full emancipation and deliverance from sin and its entailments.
“Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matt 1:21) We have elsewhere presented the Scriptural evidences that the date usually celebrated as the anniversary of our Lord Jesus’ birth is incorrect and that, instead of being December 25, BC 4, it really was about October 1, BC 2; nevertheless this need not mar our pleasure, nor our appreciation of the great fact so generally celebrated on the wrong date; for its lessons are as appropriate to one date as to another.
The great thought is that the first‑born of every creature left the glory of a spirit existence, the glory which He had enjoyed with the Father before the world was made, and in conformity to the Divine plan for human salvation, “humbled himself” to human nature, became a man, “was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14; Phil. 2:7,9)
But why did He do this? The Scriptures reply that He took our form and nature – the form of a servant – for the suffering of death. It was for the sin of man that He was to atone; and, to do so, to pay our debt, to give our ransom price, to be our substitute, He must be a man; that as by a man came death, by a man also should come the resurrection of the dead.
No wonder, then, that the birth of the babe Jesus, the first step in the Divine plan for salvation from sin and death, was hailed by angels as well as by wise men and the shepherds as most notable, as a most momentous event. And only those who see quite clearly the necessity for a ransom (a Corresponding price), before sin could be forgiven or one member of the condemned race of Adam could be set free from the death penalty resting upon all, can appreciate the depth of meaning there is in that song which the angels sang.
The infant Jesus was the first ray of light and hope to mankind; because He would become a man, and as the man would give His life a ransom for Adam and all condemned in him; and thus, by virtue of having paid our price, “bought us with his own precious blood [His life given],” He would be legally qualified before the Divine law to be the “Mediator of the New Covenant,” which He sealed or made effective with His own precious blood; “the blood of the New Covenant shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matt. 26:28)
The great plan for human salvation, begun by the birth of Jesus, has not yet reached completion. It will not be complete until his people have been saved from their sins and from the penalty of their sins – death, which includes degradation – mental, moral and physical. The ransom, thank God, has been paid, and Justice has accepted it; and now the Mediator of the New Covenant is seeking out “his people.” First, during the Gospel Age, He seeks His peculiar people, His “Bride”; and in the age to follow this, the Millennium, he will cause the knowledge of the Divine offer of life under the terms of the New Covenant to be made general; all shall know, and then “whosoever will may take of the water of life freely.” And all whom He now is, or ever shall be willing to own as “his people,” will gladly avail themselves of that New Covenant’s gracious arrangements and return to full favor with God; all others will be willful sinners, and as such will be cut off from life in the Second Death.
How strange that any should refuse to see the very plain statement of the Scripture that God has provided through Christ that every member of the human family shall have a full opportunity of coming to a knowledge of the truth, and then of relinquishing sin and of accepting new life of righteousness under the New Covenant – and that then whoever still refuses and will not submit himself to this righteous arrangement shall be utterly destroyed from amongst the people – in the Second Death, that none will be suffered to live in sin and opposition to God to blemish any part of God’s dominions, but that all the incorrigible shall be as though they had not been. In no other way can we possibly imagine that the time will ever come when there will be full peace among men.
The only solution which God offers respecting the establishment of peace is in connection with the establishment of His Kingdom, for which our dear Redeemer taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.” That will mean peace in its fullest and most absolute sense. The Scriptural proposition does not include the violation of any man’s will, but merely the offering through Christ of an opportunity for his everlasting blessing and peace, or his cutting off it he fails to appreciate the Divine offer.
The shepherds having heard of God’s grace manifested their interest by visiting and paying their homage to the Saviour; and so each one who has heard of the grace of God with an appreciative heart can do nothing less than seek the Lord and do Him reverence and serve His cause by proclaiming the gracious message with which he has been favored. Let us each do so, and thus more and more increase in our hearts the joys of the Lord and our appreciation of His grand gospel. (Gal. 3:8,16,29)
Then, let us, who know the blessed story of the love of God in Christ tell abroad the gracious message, the foundation for which was laid in the birth of Jesus – “Behold, we bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people.” “He shall save his people from their sins.” Let us make sure that we have accepted Him and are “his people.” Let us be true wise men and present to Him our treasures – all that we have and are – our hearts.
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‘NIGHTLINE’ & ABC NEWS IGNORE ISRAEL’S EARTHQUAKE RELIEF EFFORTS IN TURKEY
New York State Senator Seymour P. Lachman (D‑Brooklyn) called Ted Koppel host of the ABC television network program Nightline and on the producers of ABC News, to review their editorial judgment in reporting events regarding the State of Israel.
“Alone among major national and local news media,” Senator Lachman stated. Nightline and ABC News failed to report that the State of Israel dispatched the first, and initiated the largest, rescue team to Turkey, following the recent massive earthquake. On August 17, ABC’s Nightline devoted a segment to the devastation and duly noted that the United States, Germany and Greece were aiding in rescue efforts.” the Senator observed.
“Nightline and ABC News can hardly claim that this assistance was unknown when it broadcast its August 17 program, since earlier in the day Israel’s contributions were reported by NBC News, which aired videotape of Israeli rescue efforts.
“The next day, on August 18, when The New York Times reported on special equipment sent by Israel to extract survivors from beneath earthquake rubble, a distinguished physicist from New York University’s Courant Institute, who had viewed the Nightline broadcast, contacted the program’s staff to inquire about its failure to report Israel’s assistance. He was informed by a Nightline spokesperson: ‘We did not list all the countries assisting in the rescue effort. Koppel chose to highlight just a few of the countries and the teams helping in order to provide a more specific example of the rescue effort.’
“Interestingly, there was no mention of the State of Israel which was the first to arrive, with the largest number of rescue and relief workers.
“Nightline, in its failure to inform viewers of Israel’s rescue efforts in Turkey, has demonstrated poor editorial judgment regarding an example of unstinting humanitarian cooperation in the face of overwhelming loss of life.
“Nightline and ABC News owe viewers better judgment, and an apology to the distinguished member of the Courant Institute for its cavalier dismissal when that poor judgment was brought to the attention of its staff.” (The Jewish Press, September 3, 1999)
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PAPAL COMMENTS ON HELL RECEIVE WARM RECEPTION
With a new pronouncement from Pope John Paul II and temperatures in Central Florida pushing 100 degrees, hell is on people’s minds.
Last week, the pope defined hell, telling Catholics it is not a physical place and there are no flames – at the very least calling into question a thousand years of Christian art and a century of irreverent cartoons.
The pontiff’s remarks surprised few area religious leaders, who supported his position.
“The pope basically reiterated standard Catholic teaching” that hell is a state, rather than a place, said the Rev. Joseph Harte of Orlando’s Mary, Queen of the Universe Shrine.
“There is very little known about hell,” Harte said. “You can’t use hell as a deterrent, like the electric chair.”
The Rev. Charles Horton of College Park Baptist Church agrees. “I think the pope has helped us to bring about an awareness of the fact that people make a virtual hell on earth for themselves by their choices and lifestyle,” he said. “Hell is eternal separation from God’s love. A separation from God is worse than fire.”
For Lutherans, hell is “the logical consequence of the choices that human beings make in excluding God from our lives,” said the Rev. Barry Snowden, of Epiphany Lutheran Church in Oviedo.
The concept of hell has long had a hold on the popular imagination. Dante, in the 14th century, and Milton in the 17th century, told a story of cosmic rebellion in which Satan (Lucifer) and his angels rebelled against God, only to be cast out of Heaven, and into their underworld domain.
In the 1700s, scientists thought hell might be on the sun or a comet. In the past decade, Trinity Broadcasting Network and other evangelical organizations spread tales that in Russia, a microphone lowered two miles below the surface of the earth had recorded the sound of souls in torment.
The notion of a physical hell after death predates Christianity. For ancient Greeks, it was Hades, surrounded by the River Styx. The dead were ferried across by the boatman Charon. Their concept of the afterlife evolved from a muddy bog to what the philosopher Plato called a place of “temporary punishment for the curably wicked and eternal punishment for the incurably wicked.”
For Greek Orthodox Christians, hell is “a separation from God, that in our exercise of free will we bring upon ourselves,” said the Rev. Mark Elliott, of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Maitland. “The soul is in torment because it is separated from God.”
In the Old Testament, some believe it is the underworld of Sheol, which can be translated simply as “the grave.” Other rabbis, in the 2nd century BC, believed it was Gehenna, named for an infamous valley south of Jerusalem where an early pagan cult sacrificed children. Gehenna was considered “a cosmic disposal site for the wicked,” according to historian Alan Weinstein, author of The Formation of Hell.
Today, Jews don’t talk much about hell from the pulpit, said Rabbi Alan Londy, of Temple Israel in Orlando.
“Clearly, hell is a biblical, Jewish idea,” Londy said. “But the issue is, what does that term actually mean?”
(By Mark I. Pinsky of the Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, September, 1999)
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The following was sent by Lev and Hava Bausch:
DANGEROUS AMERICAN MISFITS
For the most part, America really is a wonderful country – the land of opportunity, freedom and democracy, and the beacon of individual liberty.
But with so much going for them over there, the gun culture defies all understanding. Violence is certainly not unique to the US on average, its citizens are probably not crazier than in other countries. In the Middle East, Arabs and Jews have been killing each other for the better part of a century. As we were reminded this week. terrorism is still a daily threat.
The Indians and Pakistanis are no better. Indeed, it is difficult to find any part of the world where different groups are not fighting for some ideology or land to call their own.
But there are some important differences that set the violence in America apart from the rest of the world. The murderers who spray their high‑school classmates with machinegun bullets, or who walk into a local Jewish community center and shoot at children, are not fighting for a nation or for a cause (not that this excuses violence and terror). Instead, they are maladjusted crazies, neo‑Nazis, and psychotics. They are angry at the world, filled with jealousy and hate, and unable to fit into normal social frameworks.
Such people exist in every society, including Israel’s. But only in America, the land of opportunity and individual freedom taken to its irrational extreme, can every crazy fill his car with guns, bullets, and explosives. The random violence in the US is a plague, and has turned this beacon of freedom into a fear‑ridden society, in which the threat of murder is always present. Car hijacking and drive‑by shootings are common occurrences. No one can feel safe.
After decades of mounting violence, it is clear that the American people, for all their virtues, are simply unable to cope with this cancer that is destroying them. In 1963, John F. Kennedy was shot by a social misfit using a mail‑order rifle; since then, the toll has mounted, but nothing has been done to cure the disease.
While all the polls indicate popular support for far‑reaching limitations on the ability to purchase guns and other lethal weapons, the power of the gun lobby in the US remains dominant. The National Rifle Association has been able to wrap itself around the flag through a warped interpretation of the American Bill of Rights.
But the rights to bear arms and to maintain a well‑regulated militia were rooted in the historical context of the war with the British over 200 years ago. This basic right of self‑determination and self‑defense has absolutely nothing in common with neo‑Nazis and gun‑nuts.
In the world’s greatest democracy, the people seem unable to be organized and mobilized enough to choose leaders who will act responsibly to end this farce. Under these circumstances, the Americans could use some major foreign aid.
In its relationship with Israel, Washington has always been very generous with its assistance, both substantively, and in terms of advice on the great issues of war and peace. This is an opportunity for the Jewish people to return the favor, and help the US out of its self‑imposed misery.
The Bible, a sacred document a few thousand years older than the American Constitution, lays down the basic rules for any civil society, including the prohibition against murder. No exceptions are made for members of hate groups, and a society that cannot prevent murder has no future. Sodom and Gomorrah have disappeared from the face of the earth. Americans pride themselves on their religious (mainly Christian) devotion, and the time for them to return to these basics is long overdue.
Jewish law also prohibits placing an obstacle in the path of a blind person. With the knowledge that there will always be maladjusted individuals and social misfits in any society, and that they are prone to be violent, allowing them access to weapons is like dropping a boulder in front of a blind man.
Any personal stress or crisis, real or imagined, will set off the chain of events leading to yet another mass killing. The guns, bullets, and other implements of destruction must be put out of reach and harm’s way.
To be the world’s leaders, respected around the globe, it is not enough to have the world’s richest economy or the most powerful army. America leads the world first and foremost by example, from food and fashion, to democracy and human rights.
But when it comes to free access to guns, the rest of us draw a line. With every act of mass and random violence, the influence of the US declines even further. As long as anyone in the US can obtain and carry a gun, walk into a public place, and start shooting, America will fail to be a moral model for the world.
(By Gerald M. Steinberg)
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LETTER OF GENERAL INTEREST
Dear Emily,
We just want to send our love from the shores of the Sea of Galilee once again. Sadly the shores are getting bigger and the lake smaller as we still await some rain to water this thirsty land. Please pray we get early rains, as sometimes it can remain dry into November.
Thank you for your letters, and we pray you are feeling well. Thank you for the newsletters you and those helping you so faithfully send out. I know getting a publication together is not always an easy task. But you are blessing others, and we are so thankful for your stand for Israel! You had some good articles in the September/October issues. It is so important to bring out the one‑sidedness of the media, and how they are not objective in their reporting. That was a good example of the reporter Charley Reese!
We also know how people can change as even Martin Luther did. At first he was all for the Jews when he came out of the Catholic Church, but later turned so hateful that many of his ideas and statements against the Jews were used against them by Hitler – with the blessings of the churches!
Yes, I do think the media was very vicious against Netanyahu, and the pressures upon him were so heavy that he really “gave in” at the end. I think he was in a way glad he did not win and was out from under the burden.
Now Barak is into giving the Land back to Mr. Arafat for his smile and handshake! It is wonderful to know God will overrule all things.
Barak’s government is a very splintered group with so many different parties with a lot of opposing ideas. Something like a bomb waiting to explode with only a spark.
As you probably heard we had a car bomb last week here in Tiberias about ten blocks from us. I had just been on the spot a couple of hours before. It is really a miracle that the bomb went off prematurely on a street not in the center of the city where more people would have been killed or hurt.
We were a bit surprised to read the letter of Leif after his visit to Emek ha Shalom and that maybe Josef and Herman would live for a time at one of the settlements. After Lev got back from his father’s funeral (the end of May) we tried to contact Josef again. We even had friends who visited Emek ha Shalom in August but did not find Josef. It seemed that also the mobile phone that Josef had was not working, so we also were very concerned. Then yesterday Josef called us. He had been in the hospital for three weeks last month due to his digestive problems, and his mobile phone was stolen. He has gained some weight now, and is improving.
It seems we are having disasters on every hand – one can hardly keep up with them. Israel has been blessing her neighbors in their sorrows. Turkey is 20 times bigger than Israel and yet this tiny nation sent nearly 20 plane loads of aide to the people of Turkey including food, blankets, clothing, big equipment to dig people out of the rubble (they saved about 20 people alive), sniffer dogs to find people, a 100 bed field hospital with Israelis doctors and all, and a communication system. Then the earthquake happened in Greece and tiny Israel again sent aide to help save people. Thank the Lord that despite all of Israel’s problems they are still ready in a moment to help others.
Now Russia is feeling the pains of terrorists attacks right on their doorsteps. No nation is spared these troubles now – big or small.
Here many are concerned when we will have a big earthquake. as we sit on one of the biggest fault lines in the world. The last big earthquake in Israel was 1927 and destroyed much or Tiberias/Safed, etc. so it seems we are over‑due.
How wonderful to know our days are in the Lord’s hands from morning to morning? So great to know God is the “shomer” (guard) over Israel, and does not sleep day or night.
Lev has not felt the best since his trip to his father’s funeral... Please pray for him!
Well, Israel just started the year 5760 on the Jewish calendar and we can only pray for God’s mercy on His people day by day in the year ahead. Things change so fast here that we do not dare miss one day of news.
The Lord is blessing our small Bed/Breakfast by bringing guests. We were especially busy in July and August with families, and now will have guests during the holiday period here. We thank Him for this provision!
May the Lord bless you in every way! In His great love, Lev and Hava (ISRAEL)