Shalom Faithful Ones,
Life as I knew it to be, even in the past several months, will never be the same. I am reminded of this as I sit here at a café to use the internet and see a police van block off the road to check for suspicious people. I am reminded of this as I watch the Palestinians rally in Gaza over the recent elections. I am reminded of this as I speak to friends who are searching the city for suspected potential suicide bombers. I am reminded of this as I go through double security just to get on my bus. I am reminded of this as I grow further and further away from home and adapt to my new home
a home with a prophetically tumultuous future.
What is it like to speak with friends about normal things like jobs and family? I do not know anymore, for my friends speak of war and future concerns. This suits me well, as you all know. I was never one for small-talk. I would have talked about God until 3AM on any given day. Yes, this culture suits me just fine!
The climate has shifted. And the world watched in horror as a known terrorist faction (Hamas) became the official political party of the Palestinians. I hope the USA makes me proud and will hold fast to the belief that they will not negotiate with terrorists. I hope that the rest of the world will consider the effects of such an event. I hope, I hope, I hope
or else I could never live in such a country.
Dark days are ahead. Prophecies are unraveling, the hands of the clocks are spinning and the world as we know it, or knew it, will never be the same. Of this I am sure. What we knew yesterday, we will not know tomorrow. I groan in the spirit words which I do not know, words that only Abba knows as He nods His head in understanding. The time is near
no, the time is here.
And it's time to get serious.
Days of deception are ahead. My words may sound negative, I know, but they are realistic. If I could show you what I see, if I could uproot you and plant you in this city for one day
if if if! Instead, you will have to trust the report I give you. Our long-awaited Messiah is coming! Prepare the Way! Do something drastic for Him. You won't regret it. Do it now!
Hamas is in power, as it was predicted. Tiny Israel needs your prayers and support! Talk about it with your congregations, pray with your families and consider supporting Israel in any creative way God reveals to you! The harvest is ripe
which leads me to my next story.
I asked you all to pray for Tomer, my police friend, since he agreed to go to "the deepend" with me. He came that night and was so deeply affected by what he saw and heard that we got into another huge discussion about Yeshua. I even showed him "The Passion of the Christ" (please spare me those of you who doubt the power of the movie) and it has spurred him into a head-on pursuit to know Yeshua! Tomer is reading his Bible, asking me a billion questions and is even talking to his police unit. This week there is a unit dinner and they asked me to come and speak to them because they have many questions! They are not only reading the book of Psalms I gave him, but they are reading another book as well that discusses the prophecies of the Old Testament that speak of Yeshua as Messiah and also Endtimes events! After the deepend, Tomer told me he had never seen people our age worship God like that. He said something was missing in his life, that he wanted to know where he "fit into all of this." Please pray for Tomer as he searches! This is amazing! Also, pray for Tomer as his unit will be forced to evacuate yet another Jewish settlement tomorrow. This is very dangerous and they need your prayers. Pray for their safety.
The longer I am here, the less I have in common anymore with anything outside of Israel. It's amazing how I have adapted to things and I only could do it through the grace of God and my love for Israel. Life for me requires standing on packed buses and praying that the Arab with a large coat on is not a suicide bomber. Life for me requires speaking a language I didn't know a word of just months ago. Life for me requires standing in long lines and walking long distances with heavy bags just to get groceries. Life for me means waiting an hour for the water to heat up so I can take a shower and lighting ten matches before I can get a flame to heat my burners so I can cook food! Sometimes I giggle at myself because everything is such a process! One time I couldn't get the burners lit and fell into a laughing fit by myself on the floor. Life is not easy and now I know how truly easy I had it before. But what is life if you don't have to work for it? You don't learn from it or appreciate it as much. When the water is hot for my shower, when there happens to be one seat left on the bus, when my grocery bags don't break, I am reminded that yes, life is just so good! And what an honor it is to serve the Almighty in His favorite land!
Eh, I can save the mansion for eternity.
Right now, I have a job to do.
This is Erin reporting live from chaotic ISRAEL