Whose news are you watching? - Julia Fisher reports on her recent visit to Israel
Whilst millions read, hear and watch secular news reports, unlike other
journalists I feel challenged to report on what God is doing in Israel and
the Palestinian Areas and get the stories of the people I meet to as wide
an audience as possible, because, frankly, they defy the politics of the
region. Jews and Arabs worshipping God together, reconciled as brothers
understanding they are equally loved by God. How can this be?
I have recently returned from a brief six day trip to Israel and the West
Bank. I was there with Jane Urquhart, one of the trustees of the Olive Tree
Reconciliation Fund – a charity that supports Jewish and Arab believers
who are in need (more information at the end of this article). We were there
to visit some of the people and projects supported by the OTRF and to visit
some potential new ones.
We arrived at Ben Gurion airport late afternoon and caught the train up
to Haifa to meet Joseph and Ibittsim Haddad (Joseph was born in Haifa to
Lebanese parents) who pastor a largely Lebanese congregation that meets
in Nahariya in the north west corner of Israel (you can read their story
in my book, “Future for Israel?”, published by Authentic). The original
plan was they would take us to meet their people that evening. But at the
last minute the plan changed as Joseph had been asked to translate for a
preacher who would be speaking to a gathering of Arab Christians in a village
between Nazareth and Tiberias.
We drove for over an hour before turning off the main road and parked in
the main street of the village. As we approached the building where the
meeting was being held we heard people singing; the meeting had already
started. On entering, I was amazed to see how crowded it was. The worship
was enthusiastic and the prayer was fervent. There, in the middle of a predominantly
Muslim Arab village in northern Israel were well over a hundred people praising
God!
One of the musicians, was playing an instrument that resembled a lute. Later
that night he told me how he became a Christian when his baby daughter was
dying in hospital from an incurable cancer. He cried out to the Lord to
heal her and promised that if God healed her he would spend the rest of
his life serving Him. And He did! His name is Jihad! A professional musician
and well known in northern Israel, his testimony’s had a profound effect
in his community.
The preacher got up to speak. “People are hungry for God” he said, and the
people responded enthusiastically. A young boy playing the drums was healed
last week from a problem affecting his eyes. He had come to the meeting
the previous week wearing glasses. His parents had asked for prayer for
him. “We agreed with God’s Word that where one or two agree the prayer is
answered. He went back to see the doctor who confirmed his eyes are getting
better. The Word of God is sure; He will honour our faith. There’s more
power in the name of Jesus than we realise! God wants to encourage you tonight.”
And so the meeting continued. The people were hanging on every word the
preacher said. “Are you willing to ask God to break the bondage that is
over your life or family or village or town or country? Even if you live
in Gaza or the deepest place in the West Bank, God wants to use you and
bring revival to your community. We don’t need to worry about the (security)
wall or anything else. God is greater than the wall and He wants to use
you to bring revival to this country.” And the people applauded. We were
witnessing a group of Arab Christians living in a Muslim village in the
north of Israel who were praying for the revival of Israel!
The meeting ended and many people who were sick came forward for prayer.
I was moved to hear the serious problems these people were living with ...
cancer, deafness, and many other disabilities. Healthcare is expensive in
Israel, and if you are poor, you cannot afford it. These people were putting
all their trust in the Lord to help them.
We eventually arrived at our hotel in Haifa in the early hours of the morning.
Thankfully somebody had told us that we were staying close to a zoo. I was
glad to know that because the lions were roaring during the night and they
sounded very close!
The next morning we met with Rita Tsukahira, a Messianic believer married
to Peter. Together they are part of the leadership at Kehilat HaCarmel where
Rita also responded to a prompting from the Lord a couple of years ago to
prepare one of the empty buildings on the site and transform it into a refuge
for women and children. She had no idea then that she would be caring for
dozens of Sudanese refugees and their children as they fled from the trouble
in Darfur. I have written previously in Sword magazine about Rita and her
work. Rita told Jane and I how the numbers of women and children in her
care was growing, and how grateful she was for the donations sent by readers
of Sword to help her provide for the needs of these women.
We then went to visit Yousef Dakwar (again, his full story is told in “Future
for Israel?”) An Arab pastor in down town Haifa, Yousef has recently had
the challenge of finding a larger building where his congregation can meet
because numbers have been growing so fast. Yousef and his wife Christine
are also part of Kehilat HaCarmel where he plays in the music group alongside
Messianic believers every Shabbat. His heart is to see Jews and Arabs reconciled
via the Cross. It’s happened to him.
Yousef and Christine took us to see their new church on the first floor
of a building which includes shops and offices. We climbed the stairs and
Joseph unlocked the double metal doors to reveal a spacious reception area
from which a number of doors opened to rooms that had clearly been recently
decorated. “These are for the children’s work,” Yousef explained. “Follow
me.” And he led us to another door which as it opened revealed a very large
room. “This is our new church,” Joseph said emotionally. “We have seen miracle
after miracle. The Lord has provided this.” Yousef and Christine told us
with tears in their eyes how they would never have contemplated taking on
such a large space because of the expense. But the Lord had reminded them
of the story of Samuel; how, every year, his mother Hannah made him a new
coat. To begin with the coat was too big for Samuel, but during the year
he grew into it. Encouraged by that story they went ahead and their numbers
are growing. They are seeing many Palestinians becoming Christians – and
Jewish people too. I knew we were standing with a couple who are living
entirely by faith, who feel the responsibility to bring the Gospel to as
many people as they can (both Jew and Arab) and who are believing that God
will meet all their needs.
Our journey then took us south to Beersheva where we stayed overnight with
Howard and Randi Bass, who pastor a Messianic congregation. Later than night,
as we were having dinner, they told us about their eldest son who had recently
returned from serving with the Israeli army in Gaza; of their anguish at
not knowing whether he would come out alive; of their struggles in Beersheva
with some Orthodox Jews who are making life very difficult for the believers
there; and of their concern for Arab Christians living in the West Bank
for whom Howard is a leading advocate.
He told us the story of how Labib Madanat, Director of Bible Society work
in Israel and the PA, (again his story is in “Future for Israel?”) had called
him after the war in Gaza was over, asking Howard to take him to the nearby
hospital where injured Israeli soldiers were being treated. A Palestinian
Christian from East Jerusalem, he wanted to visit them to show he cared.
Howard described how they went first of all to the florist’s shop to buy
flowers. The first soldier they met had severe head injuries and although
he couldn’t understand what Labib was saying, eight of his fellow soldiers
who were there visiting him understood. “I’m a Palestinian from East Jerusalem;
a Christian who loves the God of Israel and the Jewish people. I’ve come
to say how very sorry I am that you have been injured and I’m praying for
your recovery.” The soldiers were amazed. Their initial nervousness at having
a Palestinian at such close quarters soon melted as they realised Labib
was no ordinary Palestinian but a man with a unique heart prepared to step
across the bridge and extend the hand of friendship in the name of Christ.
Howard told us how he followed Labib’s words with words of his own. “I told
them Labib was a friend of mine. That I too believed in Yeshua - the Messiah.
And how my son had also fought in Gaza. We all ended up crying. And this
was repeated in every room we went into.”
Space does not permit me on this occasion to tell you about the remaining
four days of this short trip. But I hope I have told you enough to help
you realise that God is on the move in Israel and the PA and people are
responding to Him in ways that defy the politics of the region and rather
demonstrate the words of Paul in his letter to the Ephesians, “His purpose
was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,
and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross,
by which he put to death their hostility.”
However, I must also appeal to you because these Arab and Jewish believers,
and many others like them are struggling to survive; poverty is rife in
Israel. Most pastors have to work to support themselves because their congregations
cannot afford to support them. If you would like to hear more about what
God is doing in Israel and the PA, and be a part of this unfolding story,
then please get in touch. Thankyou.
Julia Fisher is a writer and broadcaster and Director of the Olive Tree
Reconciliation Fund. For more information visit www.olivetreefund.org
If you would like to send a donation then please make out your cheque to
the Olive Tree Reconciliation Fund and send it to me, Julia Fisher at PO
Box 850, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 9GA.
There will be an OTRF tour to Israel from 5-15th September, 2009 - details
are on the web site. If you would like more information or would like to
join this important tour, please email enquiries (at) olivetreefund.org
To build bridges of understanding and support, in a spirit of reconciliation, between believers (both Jewish and Arab) in the Holy Land (Israel and the Palestinian Areas) and Christians worldwide.
