I just got news from friends about a prayer concern which I would like to share with you.
Do you remember my telling about the heroic ministry over there called Shevet Achim?
They are a Christian ministry that goes to Gaza, Iraq and Syria to bring children to hospitals in Jerusalem for lifesaving heart-surgeries.
When families come from hostile areas and see the care that Jewish doctors and nurses lavish on their infants and toddlers, they are absolutely shocked, and their perceptions of Israel are utterly changed.
(I’ve written before about the amazing experience Jonathan Miles, their founder had at a Gaza police station.)
The Lord has given their ministry a wonderfully fitting home in a historic location — the first children’s hospital in the Middle East, near the Old City of Jerusalem. Renting the building has always been subject to the fact that the landlord can terminate the agreement with 30 days notice, and Shevet will have to leave.
Just today, after hosting families there for fourteen years, the 30-day notice finally came. In their weekly update, Jonathan shared that the property had been purchased by a family that intends to convert the building into a private residence. So I’m asking for your prayers for the Lord’s hand to be on Shevet’s situation right now.
It’s ironic that today is the beginning of of the Feast of Tabernacles when Jews live in temporary booths to remember their 40-day journey in the desert. During this “feast of living in an insecure home,” they are feeling the insecurity of their own home.
The next time when you travel to Israel, make a point to seek out Shevet Achim and see what they are doing, no matter where the Lord situates them. They are very happy to have visitors see their work and spend time with the children and families. (You can read about my afternoon with them some time back.)
We often talk about the need for Christians to bless Israel. If you think about it, there is hardly any blessing more needed than for Israel to gain esteem in the eyes of the surrounding peoples. In the process, the love of Christ and of his Father, the God of Israel, shines into a very dark world.
Maggie says
Thank you for sharing this need and reminding me about the work that is being done there. I will certainly pray for God to provide an even better facility.
Judi says
This really spoke to my heart for more prayer. My Lord and my God, You meet us in our every need and here their need is great, as Maggie is praying, I am also praying for a facility that will cover their every need, Amen!
gary says
Imagine talking to someone who attempts to justify the horrific crimes against humanity committed by Adolf Hitler or Joseph Stalin. What would you think of such a person? Even if they condemned such behavior today, their justification of brutal crimes committed in the past would not be excusable. You would look upon such a person with disgust and contempt and consider them incredibly immoral.
So let’s take a look at Christianity. Practically every version of Trinitarian Christianity, from fundamentalist to liberal, sees Jesus as the God of the Old Testament. To deny that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament is to deny the Trinity. If Jesus is the God of the Old Testament he is guilty of some of the most barbaric, horrific acts of infanticide and genocide known to man. Yet Christians of all stripes pray and worship this mass murderer of men, women, and little children.
Any Christian who refuses to condemn and denounce the God of the Old Testament is immoral.
Lois Tverberg says
Hmmm, considering your logic, shouldn’t we find Jesus condemning and denouncing the God of the Old Testament? Instead I hear him saying, “I and the Father are One” and “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” Could it be that the God he found in his Scriptures is different than the one you’ve found?
I gather that you’re from a Lutheran background, and I’m from that background too. I grew up with a lot of dislike for the OT God. Then I started reading commentaries by Jewish scholars, and it blew me away to hear about their strongly positive assessment of the God I liked so little. The God they find in the Torah and Prophets sounds a lot like Christ, believe it or not. Below are couple articles, if you’re interested:
Mr. Spock’s God: The Mistake of Western Theology
ISIS, Ancient Violence, and the Torah’s Radical Response
Jed says
This article is amazing I love hearing how God works in great ways. Being able to see How God uses the Jewish doctors to perform life-saving heart surgeries. I feel like the more amazing thing is just the location of these hospitals located in the middle east just makes it that much harder with all the chaos. This ministry is truly a blessing to the community and bringing shalom to the chaos in this world.