Shalom Partner and Friend of Israel,

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies,” Romans 8:22-23.

With the celestial signs, the signs in the severe weather patterns, lawlessness, persecution of Jews and Christians and the signs in the Middle East …we know that Yeshua (Jesus) is coming for His church SOON! We know this without a shadow of a doubt. The signs we were told to look for in Matthew 24 signify the Lord’s soon return - are all around us! This world has one major need right now at the beginning of this 21st Century …and that is that the “sons of God” to arrive on the scene! They must come forth for these Last Days. Many would say that the days in which we are living in are NOT as bad as other times in history …and they may even be right? However, we are NOT sure that at any other time in history has there been as many elements out of balance …and, all happening at the same time with great intensity as they are intensifying today. There are so many things so wrong, with so many problems that seem to be impossible – that we are sure our day may be worse than all the rest. The world has NO wisdom to solve these problems. God does have the wisdom, but He uses us as the channel to get that wisdom to the world. So, whether this is the beginning of the End Times or the stage leading to the return of Yeshua (Jesus) does not really matter. What does matter is that our world needs to see the sons and daughters of God rise up!

The “birth pangs” are getting harder and more painful as they contract and get closer together… This must mean that something is being born! There is always pain preceding the birth of something. Yeshua (Jesus) Himself likened the End-Times to the birth of a baby “…for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places. All these are the beginning of sorrows,” Matthew 24:7-8. The expression ‘beginning of sorrows’ means the beginning of “birth pangs or pains!” The womb where the baby is being formed in darkness is a most precious place - a place of tenderness, nurturing and protection - bathed in mercy. In Hebrew, the word for “womb” is “rechem” and comes from the root “racham,” which speaks of God’s tender love, nurturing, protection and mercy. God’s love is the reason we are born! And, that’s an important reason why abortion is not planned parenthood – it’s murder! God chose us when He planned creation (Ephesians 1:11-12); We are not a mistake, for all our days are written in His Book (Psalm 139:15-16); God determines the exact time of our birth and where we would live (Acts 17:26); We are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14); God knits us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13) and brought us forth on the day we were born (Psalm 71:6). God’s love is merciful and He is not going to allow this world to continue in sin and destruction!

Adam was literally formed from the dust of the earth by God Himself and placed in the beautiful Garden of Eden just as Yeshua (Jesus) was miraculously placed in Mary’s womb by God Himself. The word “racham” in Hebrew has two meanings – “mercy” and “womb” and the connection of the mercy of God’s love is linked to the womb! The creation of Genesis 1 and then the re-creation of the earth after the flood and days of Noah in Genesis chapter´s 6 and 7…is connected to re-creation of the earth at the time of the Lord’s Second Coming! “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so, shall also the coming of the Son of man be,” Matthew 24:37-39. On the day in Genesis 3:16, when God put a curse on creation …He also included hope! The seed of the woman would one day come and crush the serpent’s head - implying that the curse would be reversed on man and creation! The creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  The fate of creation has been linked with the fate of mankind (man in bondage to vanity, sin, death) - so also shall creation be. But, on the day when man is finally and fully delivered …so also shall creation be delivered from its weary cycle of birth, corruption, death and decay. Our full salvation will also be the salvation of the world itself. This is not something Creation can do to itself! Creation is going to be liberated at the Second Coming of Yeshua (Jesus Christ), in the “regeneration of all things”, and somehow it knows it and anticipates this!

Signs in the heavens and on earth… “First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘where is this “coming” he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’ But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and with water. By water also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men,” 1 Peter 3:3-7. Notice that the Scriptures are warning us that in the last days people are going to be saying ‘everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation carrying on just as there in the Days of Noah and Lot! God in His mercy promised Noah he would never again cut off all flesh by flood waters (Genesis 9:11-12). So, we have this assurance that all flesh and the whole earth will not be destroyed by floods, but that does not rule out the possibility of destruction in some areas, or many other kinds of destruction coming upon the earth. About 2,500 years ago, the prophet Daniel received a warning from the angel Gabriel regarding a time of unprecedented trouble coming prior to the return of the Lord. Gabriel said, “There will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued,” Daniel 12:1. This year (2017) has seen major floods with devastating destruction in Natal and Johannesburg areas of South Africa. Historical floods in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico and other cities of America caused by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma fires across 17 states in California leaving behind death and destruction! Together with other natural disasters had the “climate change” caused the “climate change” promoters to claim they have the answers but fail to see the warning in staring at them in God’s Word – the Bible! Are the earth’s waters breaking and “groaning in birth pains…?” Were the Blood Moon Tetrad’s of 2014/5 …and the Total Eclipse across America on the 21^st August just 5 days before Hurricane Harvey, heavenly signs of things to come …and yet to come? If the “birth pangs” or “beginning of sorrows” have started, we would expect to see events like these floods, along with many other kinds of trouble, including false prophets, wars, rumours of wars, famines, and earthquakes. We believe these floods are not a coincidence …but another sign of the times and a confirmation to those who are awake and alert believing God’s Word true, letting them know it won’t be long now before the Lord returns to rescue His people, just as Gabriel promised.

Yeshua (Jesus) Himself foretold of His Second Coming. The problem…? Christ also proclaimed in Matthew 24:36, “…no one knows” the day or the hour of His return! While the Bible proclaims that humanity cannot know the “when,” however, the Lord did reveal to the disciples some of signs of His Second Coming in Matthew 24:6-8, “You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed … Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.” Surely war has always been with us throughout the centuries and even the 20th and 21st century until now have seen broader and more sweeping world wars that involve many nations and with the current battle against radical Islamic terror crossing over into western nations and international borders. But, prophecy was fulfilled when the modern-day happened in 1948 with the re-emergence of Israel after a Jewish State was noticeably absent from the map for nearly 1,900 years (Ezekiel 36:24)! Nothing so significant happened before as the Jews were not back in their nation and then the “prophetic time clock” began to tick!

Our world is in turmoil, literally “groaning” as it is descending into a state of moral decline, violence and chaos before our eyes. Liberalism is antichrist and in rebellion against God and His Word and will certainly give rise to a “superman” called the “Antichrist or Man of Sin,” that will come onto the scene and deliver “false peace” to a troubled world. God will allow this to happen because of sin and man’s free will. When the church is raptured the world is further plunged into chaos and lawlessness. The Tribulation will begin and great persecution will set in with wars that will annihilate during the second half of this “so-called peace” with Israel. Only the return of Yeshua (Jesus Christ) can possibly set matters straight. Are you ready to stand in front of Him today…?

Have you ever been in a situation where your own inner spirit is so sad and could hear or sense a deep "groaning" - crying out in pain to God like the Psalmist did in Psalm 130:1-2 - seeking an answer and longing for liberation…? Have you ever heard the silent cries of an animal or some other parts of creation…? Has the sight of a devastation and sin torn at your heart…? The earth and the various domains - mourn, groan and cry aloud because of the devastation wrought upon them. The Old Testament offers extended portrayals of the suffering and lamentation of all domains of life …the ground, the sea, the grain, the cattle etc. Even the wild animals cry out to God because their water supply has dried up (Joel 1.17-20). A land that was once like a Garden of Eden has become a desolate wilderness (Joel 2.15). The domains of creation are not insensitive units of the natural world; Trees weep, Earth mourns, Animals cry, the Wilderness groans and the Sea and Waves roar!

Isaiah 65:23-25 indicates the reversal of all that went wrong way back in Genesis 3, and "woman in labour pains" are shown to be an integral part of it all. The "pains" of Eve ultimately culminate in the "pain" of the Nation of Israel in the Great Tribulation and the Time of Jacob’s Trouble as indicated by the woman in Revelation 12 and supporting verses. Said another way, the very prophecy given in the Bible about increased "pain and anguish during childbirth" is fully fulfilled by the woman in Revelation 12 during the Tribulation. These two verses indicate the starting point of the pain in the world at the "Fall of Man" which is ultimately removed during the Millennium.

In Romans 8:22-23 the expression, "all creation" is not referring to Angels, fallen or unfallen, for Paul will go on to say that this same creation "was made subject to vanity," and awaits deliverance from it. This doesn’t describe God’s angels. Neither does this expression refer to mankind, saved or unsaved …for further on Paul says, "not only they, but we also who have the first fruits of the spirit," - thus distinguishing we believers as also being in waiting. Furthermore, we know unsaved mankind do not "eagerly wait" for the day of revelation. "The creature," or literally ‘the creation,’ and is everything - rocks, hills, trees, animals, oceans …in short, all but man and angels, are anticipating, and in fact ‘groaning" for a certain day of release.

What is meant by this "groaning?" A groan is a deep, unclear expression, an inner sigh, which expresses internal pain, sorrow, grief, frustration and even incompletion. It also involves inexpressible yearning and groanings of pain, groanings of longing for the Lord’s return, groanings of hope of the last generation church to be fully manifested. Why…? Because, the whole creation awaits in inward groanings for the Last Day believers, sons of God, to be revealed and when the church is fully restored. Then the saints will receive their final redemption, the immortalization of their mortal bodies and when this happens the natural creation of plants and animals will also be delivered from their bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God!  So, we can see who is Groaning and why…? Creation itself is groaning; we are groaning; the Holy Spirit groans; Israel groans and even our Lord Yeshua (Jesus) groaned. What are the signs of labour…? Water breaking and "groans" with very painful, regular contractions begin and intensifying until unbearable! Are the earth’s groanings intensifying through their waters breaking in floods, tornadoes, hurricanes of historical record…? Are we seeing historical celestial signs…? Let’s go deeper into studying this interesting mystery together!

Isaiah 66:7-9 describes a birth before labour for Israel. So, what on earth could this mean…? The tiny nation of Israel, with a population of about only seven million people, nevertheless receives enormous attention in the world’s media, far beyond what its size would warrant. So much blood has been shed over centuries in and for this small piece of real estate by Gentile Nations - "trampling" or conquering Israel. Instead its escalating and our day has seen the rise of Islamic nations, especially those surrounding Israel threatening her very existence. Consider that Israel is a land without much valuable resources and only until very recent has oil discovered off the coast of Haifa. Why is Israel so coveted by the world…? The only explanation for that extraordinary fact is that is "spiritual" and indicates the central place in the program of God! And, Abba Father will not let the world forget Israel!

In the Old Testament, Israel is always centre stage. Everything centres around this nation! God has recorded the history of the world only as it relates to Israel. Israel is the only nation that was birthed by God Himself through the loins of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Even in the Gospels in the New Testament, Israel is still the focus of attention. Yeshua (Jesus) insisted that – “salvation is of the Jews,” (John 4:22). He corrected people when they misunderstood that principle and sent his twelve disciples out and told them… “Go not to the Gentiles, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” Matthew 10:6, 15:24. Even in the Epistles of the New Testament, primarily written to the church, nevertheless in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, he devotes three chapters to Israel. Paul points out in Chapter 9 - how God has dealt with them in the past; Chapter 10 - Paul states the present condition of Israel, existing in unbelief among the nations of the world, and in Chapter 11 - Paul clearly foretells the time when God will restore Israel again to prominence among the nations of earth. God has a great future yet for Israel! God is NOT done with Israel and that is why the nations are raging!

One of the most fascinating symbols of Israel found in the entire Bible is contained in the vision of the Apostle John recorded in Revelation 12:1-6; “A great and wonderous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron sceptre. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

This vision seen by John the Apostle in Revelation 12 takes us back to Genesis 37 and Joseph's dream… Israel is the woman clothed with the sun and with the moon under her feet. Joseph lived about 4000 years ago, his time was as many years before the First Coming of Yeshua (Jesus) as our day is afterward. John's vision skips over Israel’s long and turbulent history recorded in the Old Testament and mentions the birth of Yeshua (Jesus). The dragon (Satan) attempted to kill the new-born child at that time, but did not succeed! The life, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua follows in New Testament, but next recorded by John is the Ascension of Yeshua 40 days after His resurrection from the dead. Lastly, the vision jumps forward nearly 2000 years of history to the End of the Age in which we now live. No event in the past history of Israel fits the phrase… “The woman fled into the desert (Petra) to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.” 1260 days is, however, 3.5 years, exactly half of the 7-year Tribulation period described in Revelation, and foretold by the prophet Daniel. In Isaiah 26:16-21, the “woman in labour” is linked to the Rapture and Resurrection of the dead …and the beginning of the “Day of the Lord” – “Time of Jacob’s Trouble.”

 In Jeremiah 30 the phrase “like a woman in labour” is used to describe the Time of Jacob’s Trouble –  Israel’s destress. In Isaiah 13 and 21 the same metaphor is used for the Day of the Lord!” Additionally, in Micah 4 we see again Israel’s pain described in the same way. Lastly, Isaiah 42 is unique in that it’s God Himself using the phrase and describes His terrifying shift towards wrath during the “Day of the Lord! We read in Micah 5:3, “Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labour has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.” The New Testament also describes - “The Day of the Lord” as a woman in labour pains; 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4; Matthew 24:7-8; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:23; and in Romans 8:19-22 – the revealing of the sons of God and “groaning” to be set free from corruption and bondage and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. The whole creation groaning together in pains of childbirth until now!

Do we know such a thing that the creation is groaning?  And, do we hear the groaning of which our Bible speaks of …the creation groaning and travailing in pain as it waits for the manifestation of the sons of God?  The Word of God makes sure that we do not only notice what is happening in the creation - but also that we understand it.  And, we must understand especially that the things that are happening in the creation are a reason for us to hope for the Coming of Christ and for our own glory with Him.  Even the creation speaks of the Coming of Christ and of the End-Times - and to those who will listen it does so loudly and clearly, and more and more loudly as the End of Age approaches!

The “groaning of creation” announced in the Earth in Romans 8 is also found in the Old Testament… Several prophets of Israel were not only sensitive to injustice against the poor and the weak …but also to the suffering of the Earth due to human sin and greed. Jeremiah, for example, cries aloud in one of his confessions; “How long is the land to mourn and the vegetation of the countryside to wither? For the wickedness of those who dwell in it, animals and birds have been snatched away, because men have said, ‘He will not see our latter ending,’” Jeremiah 12:4. How long will the land mourn…? And, why…? Because of the wickedness of the people. Jeremiah claims that God too hears the groaning of the land; “They made it a desolation; desolate it mourns to me. The whole land is made desolate And no one lays it to heart,” Jeremiah 12.11.

Creation itself is groaning under the weight of the curse laid upon it… We learn from Genesis 1 - that the moon and sun were created to govern night and day.  They govern day and night so that during the day man might serve his Creator and during the night take his rest.  But, now the night is time in which men work their deeds of darkness, and the sun shines upon men, giving light and heat and life to those who will not glorify God or be thankful.  It is not difficult, then to think of the sun and moon “groaning” as they rise and set in their appointed courses in the service of godless mankind. Nor is it difficult to imagine that the earth, which was created for the glory and honour of God, and given to man to use in God’s service now “groans” as wicked man spends his evil days on it - fills the whole earth with his wickedness and wicked works, and uses the creation for his own sinful purposes.  Meant to bring forth its fruits in the service of man that man might serve his God and it is now exploited by man and forced to bring forth its fruits to be used by man in the service of sin and Satan.  No wonder it is described as “groaning!” We are currently marked by death through; corruption, sin, evils of radical Islam, violence and alienation from God! God’s design of marriage is increasingly being ignored or even worse redefined by perversion through same-sex marriage and where abortion has been redefined from the murder of babies to planned parenthood! Deep down inside we know we don’t belong here and so we “groan” deeply! But, we aren’t the only ones who are currently “groaning” - Creation itself is groaning and so too is the Holy Spirit of God!

“And to Adam he said, ‘Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, you shall not eat of it, cursed is the ground because of you,’” Genesis 3:17. Creation has a sense that something is wrong with it - as it perceives its own sad condition …and would shake it off, if it could, or would purge itself if it could! Of course, the purging and renewal of creation is going to be something God does to it and it will be a deliverance. There is a sense in which the “groaning” of Creation and the believer are like the groaning of a woman on the verge of labour. She has small contractions that increase with intensity as she comes closer to the birth of the baby. The creation groans because it has been subjected to bondage… a bondage of corruption and vanity. God did this when man fell, He tied up the fate of creation with the fate of man, that when man is finally delivered, …so too shall creation be liberated! The creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the “glorious liberty” of the children of God!

Did you know that we the church have a responsibility and ministry to the rest of God’s creation? The whole creation is groaning and anxiously waiting for the church to reach full maturity and sonship! Why? Because, when the church reaches that final stage and its last stage of redemption it will cause a “redemptive chain” of reaction throughout the heavenlies and all over the earth! The church must take its place and no longer a time to be silent.

In Hebrews 11:39-40 we see that there is another “crowd of witnesses” cheering us on from the balcony of heaven, waiting for the church to PRESS towards the finish line and get the job done! These great heroes of faith had their ups and downs. Commended for their faith, at times this faith was not as strong as it could have been. Yet despite their weaknesses (Hebrews 11:33–38) these “heroes of faith” experienced a mixture of victory as well as suffering and through faith some “obtained promises” and in the sense that they saw the fulfilment of some of God’s promises to them. Yet, as we read further it is clear from Hebrews 11:39 that none of them experienced “the promise.” So, in a way they too are “groaning” in anticipation with deep longing that we as true believers – sons (and daughters) of God of these Last Days be revealed! 

From “groanings” to “glory” … Yeshua (Jesus) groaned in the Spirit, when he walked on this earth as a man (John 11:33,38). The Second Coming of the Lord is going to be as a woman labouring with child. There will be contractions, groanings, a transition, the desire not to go through with it, blood, water, tears and just when it seems as bad as it can get, a new day will dawn upon the earth. The Apostle Paul groaned… “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,” Galatians 4:19. Paul wrote; the whole creation (whether it knows it or not) is anxiously “awaiting the sons of God” to come upon the world stage.  For the “sons of God” will have something that all mortals walking the face of the earth must have.  They will have the key that will set the whole creation free from the chains of a certain physical death.  These children of the Most High are true believers -  God’s elect … and they are what this world needs.  They are the ones who will have cut through all of the deception and vice in this world system.  They alone will see the Spirit …and walk in the Spirit …and be filled with the Spirit of the living Yahweh

We are furthermore groaning because we long to see sinners saved and for those who have begun, that Christ be formed in them. Our deep groaning, is in accord with creation! It is in part a groaning of sorrow, frustration, and incompletion. We want to be delivered, we want our salvation to be completed. We know that there is something better for us, we can’t wait for the new Creation. It is also a groaning of labour pains, and of intercession. We “groan” in longing, and anticipation. And, the Holy Spirit of God, who is going to bring these aspirations to pass, in the meantime, “groans” with us as well bearing our burden with us and grieving the effect of sin, unbelief, corruption of this age. The Holy Spirit actually through “deep groanings,” helping us particularly in the infirmity of not being able to know exactly what to pray as we ought and gives utterance to those deep “groanings” and causing us to pray according to the perfect will of God.

Ezekiel 9 also helps explain why we as believer’s groan. This is a vision of the mission of Angels from heaven to bring judgment to Judah, starting at the house of God. But before the “slaying angels” are loosed, a “ministering angel” is assigned to mark those of the remnant of true God-fearing worshippers, whose characteristic, was that they were grieved over the dishonour of God’s Name and over the sin of the land. “And the LORD said unto him, go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof,” Ezekiel 9:4. The true believer “groans” because though he has been delivered from sin’s penalty - sin and corruption are still present within his body. All true Christians long to be finally done with all that is evil and corrupt. We “groan” because we are grieved by the increasing godlessness of this world, the daily blasphemy of our Lord Yeshua (Jesus Christ). We groan because of the depravity and immorality of our society and nation. Sin will cause the land to literally vomit! God had warned Ancient Israel about; “the people of the land, who were before you (Canaanites) did all of these abominations, so that the land became unclean,” Leviticus 18:27, otherwise “the land will vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation (Canaanites) that was before you” (Verse 28). Once a land becomes so polluted by sin, God says… “the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants” (Verse 25). It seems when the Canaanites had reached a point of “no return,” the land vomited them out it because of their sinful practices. God said that the judgment of the Canaanites was two-fold. First, the land would vomit up or spew out the inhabitants and secondly, they would be cast out of the land!  Israel would suffer the same judgment if they disobeyed the laws of God regarding sexual conduct (Leviticus 18:20-22, 23-28; Genesis 13:13).  Abortions in our day are called “planned parenthood” but to God murder is murder! God is Holy and a God of Grace -but surely there will come a time when He says “enough is enough.” Sometimes a nation is ruined by those who live there, because of their own actions, and often they reap the consequences. Israel is used as an example ...but what about our own countries…? Is the land sick and groaning? Truly we are living in the Days preceding our Lord’s soon coming just as He told us how it would be in Matthew 24:37-39; Matthew 10:15; Luke 17:28; Genesis 18:22-33.

The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD has spoken this word. The earth mourns and fades away, the world languishes and fades away, the haughty people of the earth. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant (Isaiah 24:3-5). Under this curse of sin of Genesis 3, man could never quite be at home in God’s beautiful world …but instead in a state of estrangement from God, - since man would always come short! There would always be an element of insecurity and man would have to be a pilgrim on this earth! This world is not our home and we as Judeo-Christian, God-fearing believers realise that there is nothing in this world order that we can relate to, and we realise that almost every institution is being revealed as increasingly anti-Christ! We look for a better city, and country – the New Jerusalem – the City of God! We are like that very pregnant woman “groaning” as we get closer to our deliverance.

Revelation 1:1-3, tells us that the revelation was from Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon take place and that time is short! He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw - that is, the word of God and the testimony of the Lord. John was speaking to the 7 churches of Asia (today situated in Turkey). These churches are all the state of the Last Day! Many believers are blinded to the importance of Israel and the Jewish people in these Last Days …and also to prophecy -. Both are important! Prophecy is really not all about doom and gloom but rather good news for our time. Israel was and still is important to God since God has not changed His mind! Israel will be the anvil on which the nations will be judged. The church has its part to play! Israel is still blinded to recognizing Yeshua (Jesus) - was (and is) their soon coming Messiah that they have been waiting for (and is ours too)! Zechariah 13:8-9 says that 2/3 will be cut off and 1/3 refined. To be “cut-off” is like surgery - sometimes something must be “cut-off” to have life! Israel will have God’s surgery purification! Bondages for Israel will be until the “fullness of the Gentiles.” There is a growing Messianic Church of believers in Yeshua (15,000) in Israel today - the small minority but a “remnant” chosen by God’s grace and a miracle to His faithfulness. In Israel this tiny remnant of Messianic Jews is a foreshadow of all Israel being saved! (Zechariah 14:16-17)! Christians today come from 70 nations each year to Jerusalem to celebrate “The Feast of Tabernacles” during October and this also is a sign of God’s promise! Zechariah 2:10-11 “Sing for joy oh daughter of Zion!” The Body of Christ is made up of many peoples, tribes, tongues and nations …and these will ALL one day stand before the throne of God in heaven in worship.

We the church MUST stand with Israel and support our Lord’s brethren (the Jews) especially during these End-Times! Someday Jew and Gentile believers will spend eternity together in the New Jerusalem and (Revelation 19:5-9) at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb! God’s plan for Israel and His church are connected and this will NEVER change! Did you know that the word “Torah” in Hebrew means; “teaching” - not just the “Law” connected to the 10 Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai…? “Torah” literally means; teachings of God. In Exodus 19:10-19 on Mount Sinai we were called to consecrate ourselves and be cleansed. So, when the “rams horn” will finally sound on the glorious day of the “rapture” we will ascend to God’s Holy Mountain – our eternal future. No word of God is in vain… “It breaks the dryness and brings hope – it stands forever… “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever!” Isaiah 40:8.

We most sincerely believe that God WILL bless you for your faithfulness and love for His land and His chosen people. God’s Word is true! He IS watching to see how the nations are treating His people. God will have mercy on Israel through Gentile believers acting as mediators towards them. This is one of the most amazing revelations ever given to the church – an opportunity to do something that carries the highest priority in the heart of God. Yet, sadly, so few have seen the potential and the rewards of serving God in this manner - as agents of mercy to Israel and the Jewish people! Israel was and still is despised today and a despised nation continually turning away from God but nothing ever altered the purpose of God for that nation. The despised element is always a noticeable element in the purpose of God. When the Saviour of the world came, He came of that despised nation; like Israel… He Himself was “despised and rejected by men,” …and there is that despised element; “…things that are despised God has chosen,” 1 Corinthians 1:28. Now, more than at any time is the time to support Israel and the Jewish people - the Lord’s Brethren! We are witnessing the nations and people turning their backs on Israel. Thank you once again for your prayers and generous support!

We hope that you enjoy and become more informed by our work. We serve an awesome God and we are humbled by this opportunity to bring you this information. With Shalom to you and your family always,

Alf & Julie Saunders

01^st December, 2017

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