A pastor in Gaza and his team are regularly providing hot meals to hundreds of people sheltering and trying to survive the current conflict. “We have been able to distribute meals to the people in Rafah and the middle of the Gaza Strip,” the pastor said. “The situation is very dire, and people are desperate for food.”
Read MoreFront-line workers shared how God is moving in Israel, including Gaza and the West Bank, amid the conflict raging throughout the region. One Christian leader said, “Please pray for believers inside of Gaza. As the conflict intensifies, and the possibilities of death increase, there is a growing intentionality to share the gospel with friends and families. We have heard testimonies of those living in shelters because their homes have been damaged and are sharing boldly – and there seems to be an openness.”
Read MoreChristians in Israel (including the West Bank and Gaza) have requested prayer amid ongoing conflict that began on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters launched attacks along the Israeli-Gaza border. A church in one of the communities infiltrated in the initial coordinated attack asks for prayer as they seek to share the love of Christ and meet the needs of their community. Another church located in a major city struggles to meet the needs of their community as an unofficial blockade has restricted daily goods such as food and fuel.
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William Cameron Townsend said, "The greatest missionary is the Bible in the mother tongue. It needs no furlough and is never considered a foreigner." But what if the “mother tongue” is no longer easily understood? That can often be the case with the Bible in Israel. Listen as Brother Victor, the director of Israel Bible Society shares what God has done through their organization’s effort to spread God’s Word. It can still be difficult to find complete Hebrew Bibles in Israel. And the majority of the population in Israel cannot easily understand the original Hebrew text, which is now 2700 years old. That’s why the Israel Bible Society has created resources to help Hebrew speakers understand the original text with explanations in today’s Hebrew language. Sharing about Jesus or the Christian faith is often received negatively by Jews in Israel. Many think becoming a Christian means losing or even betraying their Jewish identity. But as more people in Israel choose to follow Christ, more Jews are acquainted with their own people who have believed in Christ as Messiah while keeping their Jewish roots. Bible work in Israel is not without opposition, and Victor will share stories of challenges he and the Bible Society have faced. He will also encourage us to pray for God’s Word to go forth in Israel and for God to open hearts to the gospel and increase a hunger for His Word across the Holy Land. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the Podcast.
Read MoreBorn and raised in Israel, Dr. Erez Soref knew well many of the places mentioned in the Bible and prominent in the story of the life of Christ. But he didn’t know about Jesus! Traveling outside his country, he met a group of Christians. Through their witness and by reading the New Testament for the first time, Soref was convinced in his heart that Jesus Christ was the Messiah for all–Jews and Gentiles. Returning to Israel, he was anxious to tell his family and others about his newfound faith. But when he did, he found that they weren’t nearly as excited about it as he was. Listen as he explains the situation today for Christians in Israel—a democracy where religious freedom is protected by law, but also a place where many don’t want to see the gospel spread. What does it mean to follow Christ? What sacrifices must new believers make? What does persecution look like? Why is it easier to find a Quran printed in Hebrew than a New Testament? And how can Christians in other nations pray for and support Israeli believers? Today, Dr. Soref is the president of One For Israel Bible College, which provides quality Biblical training to pastors and Christians leaders, as well as other Christians who want to deepen their Biblical understanding. He will share specific ways to pray for our brothers and sisters in Israel, including that they will continue to have open doors, legally, to share their faith. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the Podcast.
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While Christian converts from Islam in the West Bank and Gaza are threatened by government authorities and extremist groups, Christian converts in Israel are more often threatened by family members. Amal, a Palestinian Arab from Jerusalem, was 13 the first time she heard about Jesus, and it took two more years of study and consideration before she accepted Christ. “I started to get real lost, and I reached a point where I was at a junction,” Amal said. One night she prayed, “Okay, God, I want to ask you if you are the God of Islam. Just tell me that you are and I will wear the hijab [head covering], and I will do all the prayers that you want. But if you are the God of Christians, even if this will lead me to be killed, I will still believe in you.” She knew the stakes were high; her school teacher had told her that according to the Quran, Muslims who convert to another religion should be killed. That night, Amal had a dream. “In my dream, I woke up and there was a lot of light and I couldn’t look at it,” she said. “The light told me
Read MoreMessianic believers in Arad, South Israel, have recently become a target for harassment because of their faith in Christ. Their homes have been covered with graffiti, and attackers have spit on them and insulted the name of Jesus when the believers are out in public.
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The West Bank city of Bethlehem adjoins Jerusalem, but the cities are separated by a huge wall designed to protect against terrorist attacks. Bethlehem and the rest of the West Bank are partially governed by the Palestinian Authority (PA), while Israel controls the roads and Israeli settlements. Persecution of Christian converts in the West Bank comes both from family members and, sometimes, from the PA. Saif, a Christian convert from Islam who lives in the Bethlehem area, was imprisoned by the PA because of his faith. He came to know Jesus through a group of Messianic Jews in 2004, after studying the Bible for four years and comparing it with the Quran. He was 34 and married with five children. Saif’s wife was resistant to the gospel and thought of leaving him after his conversion. But Saif made his priorities clear to her. “You choose,” he told her. “I am willing to leave the house for you, but I can’t come back to Islam.” Saif’s new faith was further tested two days after he was baptized. “Jesus appeared to me and told me he wanted me to evangelize in His name,” he said. Without hesitation, Saif quit his work as
Read MoreA VOM worker recently sent prayer requests from a Bible school in Israel. The students are part of an online biblical studies program and live in various countries throughout the Middle East.
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