©November 23, 2012 Revive Israel Ministries

All Things

By Asher Intrater

Our faith in God is more than a philosophy; it is a way of life. Our biblical world-view gives us a confident and optimistic attitude despite ever-worsening conditions around us.

Romans 8:28
All things work together for good to those who love God.

One of the daughters of a family in our congregation who had left the faith became upset by the recent rocket attacks and turned her life back to the Lord. Even the difficulties in the Middle East are part of a long, patient process from God to soften the hearts of our people and to create faith and moral courage within us.

Ephesians 5:20
Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father
I Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in all things

Giving thanks involves opening our mouths to say something. In Hebrew it is the same root as confess or declare. We give thanks to the Lord for He is good (Psalm 136:1-3). This involves our prayers. If we pray and believe that we receive (Mark 11:23), then we give thanks while we pray. If we pray without giving thanks, then we are praying without believing that we receive. That kind of prayer may just be an exercise of worry and anxiety, which doesn't do any good, and may even make the situation worse.

Philippians 4:6
Be anxious for nothing, but in all things by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.

By faith, we can obey God, being confident that He rewards those who diligently seek to do His will (Hebrews 11:6). Thus we can do anything with a positive attitude.

Philippians 2:14
Do all things without complaining and arguing.

We read this verse aloud in one of our staff meetings, and joked that it sounded like a Gentile Christian insertion in the text. It seems that part of our Jewish culture is to complain and argue about everything--it's like our "national sport."  Is it possible to do things without complaining!? - without arguing!? Yes, we can, by faith.

Colossians 3:23
Everything you do, do it with all your heart, for the Lord's sake and not for the sake of men.

By faith in Yeshua and the power of His crucifixion and resurrection, we can do all things with enthusiasm and energy. Even when the situation is horrible and totally against our will, as it was for Yeshua at Gethsemane, we can pray that not our will be done, but His. Then His will becomes our will, and we can do it with all our inner strength and focus.

By Jackie Santoro

Every missile attack from Gaza is aimed at civilian targets and the goal is to kill as many Jews as possible. Whenever there are wounded or killed, there is rejoicing and shouts of victory.  Israeli strikes are NEVER at civilian targets, only at weapons' caches, missile launchers or terrorist headquarters. Sometimes civilians get killed but it's not the intent or purpose of the strike. There is no rejoicing in Israel when Arab civilians are killed.

So-called "fair and balanced" reporting doesn't mention that Hamas and radical Islam have one goal and that is to eradicate us. So how would you talk to someone who wants to kill you? How would you show restraint? Israel has shown incredible restraint for a very long time and at the expense of the safety of its own people.

This isn't politics at all. The Israeli government and military are fighting for the survival of this nation.  We are very sensitive to the lies. The world doesn't hear that they are lies. That is why they are so effective. The lies are broadcast so often that people come to believe it is truth. The "fair and balanced" reporting is never either fair nor balanced.

By Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hizbollah

"The whole world should give thanks to Iran, for they are the ones supplying the weapons and finances in order to kill the Jews."

By Rachel Netanel

This week during the height of the bombings, I needed to go to Tel Aviv and I invited my niece from Rishon Lezion to come with me.  On the way, I shared the Gospel with her.  Then we sat by the sea and talked for a long time.  She wept and asked Yeshua into her heart.  Little did we know but precisely at that moment a rocket fell in Rishon Lezion destroying the building facing the shop where she normally would have been working.  She has not ceased to praise the Lord since then for His goodness to her.

6 Israelis killed by Gazan rockets last week
156 Gazans killed by Israel in "Pillar of Cloud" operation.
850 Syrians killed by Syrians during the same 7 days.

1,506 rockets fired this week from Gaza toward Israel
152 of those were misaimed and fell within Gaza (!?)
875 landed in unpopulated areas in Israel
421 were intercepted in the air by the Iron Dome defense
84% - amazing success rate of Iron Dome (only used against rockets that the system determines are headed towards population centers)
50,000 dollars - cost for each Iron Dome missile
58 Gazan rockets landed in Israeli populated areas

1,600 sites in Gaza attacked by Israeli air forces
980 of those sites were rocket launchers
206 weapons smuggling tunnels
26 weapons manufacturing sites
30 terrorist leaders killed in pinpointed attacks
19 Hamas command centers

By Avigdor Liberman

"The war goes on in three dimensions. The first is military. The second is diplomacy. The third is public opinion."