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By Arlene Bridges Samuels

The recently released book, Every Generation’s Story: 75 Years of American Christian Engagement with Israel, is a banquet of first-person insights and inspiration gleaned from 18 multigenerational Christians. Eighteen stories in 18 different voices reflect the symbolism of the number 18 in Jewish practice: It represents life or luck with regard to donations or gift giving.

Every Generation’s Story is indeed a gift of life (chai). It recognizes modern Israel’s 75th anniversary through the eyes of those who have invested their hearts and activism in their spiritual homeland. God’s words, engraved into their lives through the Old and New Testaments, also serve to assure the Jewish communities in Israel and elsewhere that they are not alone.

Without divulging too much of each uplifting account, I can say that the generational view covering 75 years is intriguing. Many of the 18 stories mention historic moments about and in the land that built their commitments into permanence.

From what is called the “Silent Generation” (born 1925–1945), JoAnn Magnuson recalls her grandmother’s repeated certainty that the Jews would return to their homeland. She vividly remembers the day she came home from school and saw the May 14, 1948, newspaper headline: “State of Israel Declared.” In JoAnn’s pro-Israel career she has led 69 tours to Israel and served on the staffs of five organizations, including Christian Friends of Yad Vashem, and has helped to expand each organization’s influence.

Evangelical biblical scholar Dr. Marvin R. Wilson, professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Gordon College, experienced a shocking arrival in Israel on his first trip in 1972. Landing in Tel Aviv’s Lod Airport—now Ben Gurion International Airport—he learned that three Japanese terrorists working for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine had murdered 26 passengers and wounded 80 others just hours before he landed. Walking into the terminal, smelling the disinfectant used to clean up the blood, and seeing the bullet holes in the walls implanted a lifelong motivation in Dr. Wilson. “My entry into the Holy Land remains a powerful reminder of the ubiquitous nature of anti-Semitism and the fact that Jews are not safe in their own country.”

From the Baby Boomer generation, Tim King, now vice president of the University of the Holy Land, was part of the small founding group of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) in 1980. They prayerfully presented a proposal to establish a Christian embassy in Jerusalem and approached Mayor Teddy Kollek, Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and Rabbi Maurice Jaffe at Jerusalem’s Great Synagogue. Forty-three years later, ICEJ oversees a substantial outreach with branches in 90 nations representing many millions of Christians. Through its supporters, ICEJ has paid for and helped 170,000 Jews make Aliyah (immigrate) to their ancestral homeland and has placed portable bomb shelters in vulnerable Israeli towns.   

Born as a member of Generation X, Pastor Dumisani Washington is founder and CEO of Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel (IBSI). He traveled to Israel in 2012 on a trip for pastors. Leaning against the Western Wall for the first time, he felt compelled during his prayers to create IBSI to help his community understand the importance of Zionism and set the record straight that Israel is not an apartheid nation. He makes his case in his latest book, Zionism and the Black Church.

The 10 stories from Millennials and Generation Z highlight the imperative need for their generations’ advocacy for Israel. Already, their contributions to the pro-Israel movement grow ever more important. Allison Ngo Griffin describes herself as “a thirty-year-old Chinese Vietnamese millennial girl.” Growing up in a Buddhist family, then graduating from college, Allison became a legislative director in the Texas House of Representatives. Beset with a deepening depression, one day in the State Capitol (and alone) she experienced a radical conversion to the Lord. As a new Christian, Allison initially encountered the erroneous teaching of Replacement Theology—that the church has replaced Israel and the Jews. However, on her first trip to Israel in 2019, the Lord “replaced” those wrong concepts with the truth that God’s promises to the Jews and Israel are unbreakable. Allison is now on the staff of the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast and ICEJ USA.

Hannah Delamarter is a Generation Z nursing student at Northwest Nazarene University. Her initial understanding of modern Israel developed in college through Save a Child’s Heart (SACH), an Israeli humanitarian organization. Then in 2021 she joined a trip to Israel sponsored by Christians United For Israel (CUFI). At 20, she was markedly impacted by Israel’s religious freedom and “feeling safe and welcome as a woman.” She is now the president of CUFI’s college student group. She expresses her outlook “not as a temporary love but I will always support and invest in Israel.” She hopes to join the staff of SACH.

The impact and influence of Christian Zionists for the last 75 years is immeasurable, both individually and organizationally. Christian innovations have grown alongside the innovation nation, blessing Israel in magnificent ways. I recommend Every Generation’s Story as a prompt for any believer, from any place and any background, to read this remarkable set of stories. Edited by Dr. Susan Michael, director of ICEJ USA, it is a product of Embassy Publishers, yet another among numerous ICEJ startups. It may be purchased though Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Embassy Publishers.

Every Generation’s Story: 75 Years of American Christian Engagement with Israel is the perfect theme for two upcoming gala dinner events in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 7 followed by a gala in Washington, D.C., on May 17. International Christian Embassy Jerusalem’s U.S. branch (ICEJ USA) initiated a celebration in 2018 with a gala dinner hosted at the Museum of the Bible to recognized Israel’s 70th. Four hundred leaders joyfully celebrated the U.S. Embassy’s move back to Israel’s capital in Jerusalem with more than 40 organizations cosponsoring the beautiful event. Fifty organizations are sponsoring the May 2023 galas—among them, CBN Israel. For tickets, click here: https://icejusa.org/israel75. 

May we give thanks today as Romans 11:17 reminds us that Christians are “grafted in … and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root” (NIV).

Please join with CBN Israel this week in prayer for the Jewish nation and people:

• Pray giving thanks for this important book and the leaders highlighted.
• Pray for many to read the book and inspire them to become advocates for Israel in both large and small ways. 
• Pray that the Jewish community worldwide will accept our sincere friendship.
• Pray for the numerous fine Christian organizations, their leaders, and staff in their efforts to combat rising Jew hatred worldwide. 

Arlene Bridges Samuels pioneered Christian outreach for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). After nine years on AIPAC’s staff, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her part-time as Outreach Director for their project, American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, guest columnist at All Israel News, and has frequently traveled to Israel since 1990. She co-edited The Auschwitz Album Revisited and is a board member for Violins of Hope South Carolina. Arlene attends Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summit and hosts her devotionals, The Eclectic Evangelical, on Facebook.

The Russian invasion had begun—and Lyuba was terrified. Living in Ukraine with her husband Michael, she recalled, “When we heard the bombs in the morning, we knew the war had come. We saw how brave our men were as they defended our city.”

At 70 years old, Lyuba felt trapped in her own home. She and Michael hid in their dark, frigid basement to stay alive, and wore as much clothing as possible to keep warm. Ten days later, the couple decided to flee to Israel. Escaping under gunfire, they could only take one suitcase. Crossing into Moldova, they had to stay in a camp, with a dozen people in each room.

Eventually, they were able to land in Israel by way of a rescue flight and settled near Nazareth. Lyuba was relieved to be in a safer place. But how would they survive?

Thankfully, friends like you were there. Through CBN Israel, caring donors gave them food vouchers, appliances, and other essentials. “We were so happy to be received warmly in Israel. Everything we have was donated to us,” Lyuba exclaimed. “We are so thankful for the washing machine, refrigerator, and vouchers to buy groceries. We are grateful for so much support and kindness!”

Your gifts to CBN Israel can provide support and kindness in so many ways to those who are struggling in the Holy Land. You can offer them food, shelter, financial aid, job training, and more. You can be a friend to those with nowhere to turn.

More and more people across Israel desperately need our help. Your support can bring compassionate relief and encouragement to elderly Holocaust survivors, terror victims, single mothers, new immigrants, and others.

Please join us in blessing those in need today!

GIVE TODAY

By Marc Turnage

Situated in the western Jezreel Valley at the foot of the lowlands of Mount Carmel stands the ancient mound of Megiddo. It overlooks where Nahal Iron crosses through the Carmel lowlands, which provided passage for one of the branches of the most important highway in the Ancient Near East, a highway that connected Egypt via Israel’s coastline, through the Jezreel Valley, onto Damascus and Mesopotamia. Megiddo’s importance stemmed from its location guarding this most import roadway. 

Archaeological excavations have revealed twenty layers of civilization beginning in the Neolithic period until the fourth century B.C. Its strategic significance made it the stage for battles through much of its history, with Pharoah Thutmoses III in 1468 B.C., Pharoah Merneptah in 1220 B.C., Pharoah Shishak in 924 B.C., and the battle in which Josiah, king of Judah, died at the hands of the forces of Pharoah Neco in 609 B.C. (2 Kings 23:29-30). 

Megiddo’s strategic importance made it the object of Israelite conquest when the Israelites entered the land (Joshua 12:21). By the “waters of Megiddo,” the forces of Deborah and Barak defeated the Canaanite forces of the king of Hazor (Judges 5:19). Megiddo fell within the territorial allotment of Manasseh (Joshua 17:11), but the Manassites could not take possession of Megiddo. It remained under the control of the local Canaanites (Joshua 17:12; Judges 1:27). 

During the United Monarchy, Solomon is said to have fortified Megiddo, along with Gezer and Hazor (1 Kings 9:15)—all three cities provided overwatch of the international coastal highway running from Egypt to Damascus and Mesopotamia. The final mention of Megiddo within the Bible is the death of King Josiah (2 Kings 23:29-30; 2 Chronicles 35:20-24). Within the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians in 722 B.C., Megiddo became an administrative city of the Assyrians, but its settlement steadily declined until it was abandoned in the fourth century B.C., most likely due to Alexander the Great’s conquest of the land. 

Visitors to the site today can visit two multi-chambered gate complexes from the Bronze and Iron Ages. Two separate palace and administrative complexes have been excavated, as well as an area that contained several cultic places of worship from different time periods. The site contains the remains of horse stables, stone mangers, and an exercise corral for the horses. Kings of Israel stationed horse and chariot forces, which were the tank corps of the ancient world, at Megiddo due to its strategic location. 

Perhaps the most impressive feature of the site that has been excavated is the water system. Ancient sites, especially administrative centers like Megiddo, had to provide the water needs for the city in times of peace and war. Most ancient sites sat on hills to offer the protection of elevation from an attacking army. Springs, however, usually do not sit on hills; they are found at their base. At Megiddo, the spring sits at the bottom of the west side of the mound. To bring the water into the city, the engineers cut a square shaft through the earth within the city’s fortified walls that connected to a long horizontal tunnel (80 meters long) that had been dug to the source of the spring. This tunnel brought the water to the area where the shaft had been dug, and the shaft enabled the people in the city to descend and draw water. 

A final word should be made regarding the well-known idea that the ancient site of Megiddo had some connection with John’s mention of Armageddon in Revelation (16:13-14, 16). The usual explanation, Armageddon represents the Hebrew meaning the “mountain of Megiddo.” People will speak about the Valley of Armageddon, yet the Bible never mentions a Valley of Armageddon. This is a modern fiction, which appears for the first time in the nineteenth century. 

No ancient Church father or Christian source ever connected Armageddon with Megiddo. Moreover, as we noted, Megiddo ceased to be inhabited in the fourth century B.C. The location of the site was forgotten. The first century Jewish historian Josephus did not know of it. In fact, he relocated the death of Josiah to a town he knew on the border between Egypt and the land of Israel. The fourth century Church father, Eusebius, did not know its location, nor did he connect Megiddo with Armageddon. No one, then, knew in the first century, when John wrote Revelation, where Megiddo was. 

Finally, while Megiddo sits on a hill created by layers of civilization, it cannot be described as a mountain. Hebrew has a word for “hill,” a word that accounts for the names of places like Gibeah, Geva, and Gibeon. Megiddo is a hill, and not a mountain. Time does not permit a full explanation for what stands behind John’s Armageddon, but suffice to say, he expected the gathering point for the armies of wickedness to fight against God to be Jerusalem (Revelation 11:1-2; 14:20; and 20:9), the mountain of assembly.

Marc Turnage is President/CEO of Biblical Expeditions. He is an authority on ancient Judaism and Christian origins. He has published widely for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent book, Windows into the Bible, was named by Outreach Magazine as one of its top 100 Christian living resources. Marc is a widely sought-after speaker and a gifted teacher. He has been guiding groups to the lands of the Bible—Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy—for over twenty years.

Website: WITBUniversity.com
Facebook: @witbuniversity
Podcast: Windows into the Bible Podcast

“He sought God throughout the lifetime of Zechariah, the teacher of the fear of God. During the time that he sought the Lord, God gave him success” (2 Chronicles 26:5 HCSB).

These words describe the early days of the reign of King Uzziah of Judah. He started out his reign by seeking God and fearing Him, but unfortunately, he did not continue on that path.

Eventually, the Lord struck Uzziah with leprosy, which he had until the day he died. The end of his life was a tragic disappointment from its promising beginning. His initial path, however, is instructional for us in several ways.

First, the Chronicler makes clear that seeking God means fearing (or revering) Him. How does one fear the Lord? “You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name” (Deuteronomy 6:13 NKJV). One fears the Lord by serving Him, i.e., obeying Him. Within the Bible, then, one seeks the Lord by obeying Him. King Uzziah began his reign in this manner.

Second, “during the time that he sought the LORD, God gave him success.” If we make our principal priority seeking God, then He takes care of us and prospers us. Seeking Him, however, is not about pursuing a heightened emotional or charismatic experience. Seeking Him means obeying His words and doing what He has commanded.

Too often we identify “seeking God” as an emotional feeling. The Bible never identifies those actions as emotions; rather, we show them through our obedience to God.

Finally, King Uzziah serves as a warning to each of us. We can start out well—by seeking the Lord and experiencing the prosperity that He brings—but then we drift away from pursuing Him first. We begin to buy into ourselves too much, and we become disobedient. When that happens, we have ceased seeking God, no matter what we tell ourselves.

Do you seek the Lord each day and walk in a healthy fear of Him? Is seeking God your primary purpose? If so, you’ve set yourself on the right course.

PRAYER

Father, may we seek You daily with our whole hearts, striving to obey Your word in everything we do and say. Amen.

Replacement theology refers to the faulty belief that God replaced Israel as His chosen people with the Church. According to those who hold this view, God’s promises to Israel now belong to the Church, and His plans no longer extend to the Jewish people or Israel. The origins of this belief are ancient. They stem from social and theological forces.

Ancient Judaism attracted non-Jews. Most chose not to identify fully with Judaism, which required a man to undergo the rite of circumcision. So too, the Jewish commandments proved too hard for non-Jews and alienated them from their families and civic identities. Non-Jews attracted to Judaism were called God-fearers (or God-worshippers).

The Jewish followers of Jesus attracted non-Jews as well. The Jewish followers of Jesus decided non-Jews could remain non-Jews, but they had to avoid meat sacrificed to idols, prohibited sexual unions, and bloodshed. Jesus’ community required them to adopt a Jewish morality without fully converting to Judaism. They lived Jewishly without being fully part of the Jewish community. This was Paul’s position as well.

Non-Jews stood on the edge of the synagogue, not fully part of the community. This created an inferiority complex, a sense of being an outsider. Such feelings can produce resentment over time. They can be overcome by the outsiders concluding they represent the true faith. Jews failed, and God rejected them. Their laws were null and a hinderance to salvation. Scattered evidence of this logic appears among non-Jews prior to the rise of Christianity, but with the rise of Christianity, these ideas became more widespread as Christianity showed itself as the true religion and Israel’s replacement.

An apocryphal work known as Fifth Ezra reflects this belief. This work likely dates to the second century A.D. Preserved in Latin, it was originally written in Greek. The author proclaims, “What can I do about you Jacob? You would not listen to me, Judah. I will turn to another nation and give it my name in order that they may keep my decrees. Because you have forsaken me, I will forsake you…I am going to deliver your houses to a coming people who, though they have not heard me, believe; [those] to whom I showed no signs will do what I decreed. They did not see the prophets, yet they will keep in mind their time-honored [admonitions]” (1:24-25, 35-36).

Justin Martyr (about A.D. 100-165) also embraced this belief. In his Dialogue with Trypho a Jew, he interpreted Genesis 9:27 as, “Accordingly, as two peoples were blessed—those from Shem, and those from Japhet—and as the offspring of Shem were decreed first to possess the dwellings of Canaan, and the offspring of Japhet were predicted as in turn receiving the same possessions…so Christ has come calling men to…a living together of all the saints in the same land whose possession He promised, as has already been proven.

Whence men from all parts, whether slave or free, who believe in Christ and know the truth in His and the prophets’ words, know that they will be with Him in that land, there to inherit the things that are eternal and incorruptible” (139:4-5). Justin elsewhere described Gentile Christians as the “true Israel” (Dialogue 11:5; 120:5). The idea emerged quite early within Gentile Christianity that God had rejected the Jews, and their laws were not relevant.

It is critical that Christians understand the dangers of these distorted beliefs. For centuries, sermons and writings espousing replacement theology have planted the seeds of anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism. Not only did this lead to widespread discrimination and violence against the Jewish community in much of Western society; it left the door wide open for six million Jews to be murdered in the Holocaust. 

While not all Christian groups accept this theology, it has seen a resurgence in recent years within many Christian circles, and it is absolutely imperative that we oppose and root out this toxic thinking. 

Marc Turnage is President/CEO of Biblical Expeditions. He is an authority on ancient Judaism and Christian origins. He has published widely for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent book, Windows into the Bible, was named by Outreach Magazine as one of its top 100 Christian living resources. Marc is a widely sought-after speaker and a gifted teacher. He has been guiding groups to the lands of the Bible—Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy—for over twenty years.

Website: WITBUniversity.com
Facebook: @witbuniversity
Podcast: Windows into the Bible Podcast

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

Celebrations are taking place across Israel this week, as the world’s only Jewish nation remembers its dramatic beginnings 75 years ago. Based on the Hebrew calendar, Independence Day is the fifth day of Iyar and originally took place on May 14, 1948. 

That day, David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, stood up in a simple Tel Aviv art gallery and read the new nation’s Declaration of Independence. As Tel Aviv’s Independence Hall tour guide Isaac Dror recalled, “Ben-Gurion was standing here as the voice of 11 million Jews around the world who had no voice, who had no address and nowhere to go to.”

Ben-Gurion declared “Israel” to be the official name of the modern Jewish state—a national comeback according to Isaiah 66:8 (NIV): “Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.”

Not only has this nation been birthed; it has exhibited tremendous progress and growth. Such progress can be seen in the strength of Israel’s military—today one of the most powerful in the world—with tremendous advantage over its enemies in technology, training, and know-how. 

The Times of Israel reports that Israel’s population is near 10 million, a 12-fold increase since the nation’s founding, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics. And by 2048, Israel’s centenary year, the population is predicted to hit 15.2 million.” 

Israel has enjoyed solid economic growth, too. Reuters reported in February that Israel’s economy grew 6.5 percent in 2022—much stronger than most Western countries, according the Central Bureau of Statistics, which cited the nation’s growth in exports, investment, and consumer spending. In fact, this country—just the size of New Jersey—has the highest concentration of new businesses per capita in the world, earning it the nickname of “Startup Nation.”

Plenty of media are covering Israel’s current chaos: the ongoing demonstrations against the proposed reforms of Israel’s judiciary, the synchronization of proxy attacks by Iran’s Islamic regime on the Jewish homeland, and the reemergence of anti-Semitism—which has burgeoned from benign growths into dangerous melanomas worldwide. 

Nevertheless, today, I am sharing—and rejoicing—over how Israel remains one of “The Best” nations for innovations across sectors of scientific and medical discovery and implementation. You will find information that might help you, your family, or friends. 

First, join me in revisiting some of Israel’s past accomplishments and innovations, a tiny sample indeed! (Check out www.Israel21c.org—an excellent resource.) Motorola in Israel developed the cell phone technology leading to our smartphones. The global leader Watergen is the first to create a machine that makes drinking water from the air—a remarkable machine to witness in action. Our taste buds delight when we visit Israel, as personal proof that this tiny nation maintains the strictest food quality and nutrition standards in the world. 

Environmentalists will appreciate that Israel is the only country that has more trees today than 50 years ago. For such a small country, Israel has absorbed more immigrants than any other country, with Jews from over 100 countries. In 1984 and 1991, Israel airlifted 22,000 Ethiopian Jews to safety, making it the only country in the world to bring a black population into freedom.

Israel’s innovations are fueled by its high number of scientists and technicians. Ranking third highest in the world for entrepreneurial initiatives, Israel boasts the highest rate globally of women entrepreneurs and those over age 55. 

Several medical innovations include an emergency bandage that enables self-application to wounds and staunches blood flow so successfully that it’s used by armies in the U.S., Germany, Australia, and other countries. Good news for physical therapy comes in the form of an Israeli-created glove-like device that helps restore paralyzed hands and arms. Millions have benefitted from fingertip monitors for sleep disorders and cardiac issues. 

Seeing one product demonstration was an emotional time for thousands of us at an American Israel Public Affair Committee (AIPAC) policy conference. We gasped and kept applauding when a paraplegic walked out on the stage aided by ReWalk, a robotic exoskeleton. It is one of Israel’s most famous inventions. The kibbutz-owned company Netafim invented smart drip and micro-irrigation that is improving crops in 112 countries. 

Switching toward several more recent innovations, Believer Meats, a food technology company, addresses increased concerns about food shortages. As it says on its website, the firm creates cultured meats by growing “animal cells in fermentation tanks into actual meat without harm to animals, and at a fraction of the environmental cost, to transform our planet and secure nutrition for generations to come.”

Israelis also remain focused on water. In Mayu, for example, this startup aims to “fix” existing water by adding minerals—with a swirl. Their first product, Mayu Swirl, is on Amazon. Sports lovers should check out this Artificial Intelligence (AI) ability from an Israeli sports-tech company, WSC Sports. They won an Emmy at the 74th Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards, which curates real-time sports highlights. For children with dyslexia, Singit is an app that uses songs kids like and includes questions to learn vocabulary and meaning. It makes learning a foreign language easier. OrCam invented wearable devices equipped with high quality cameras for the visually impaired, helping them read text and recognize faces. 

This brief tour of Israel’s significant presence in this world is summarized from God’s words in Isaiah 49:6. “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” 

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob always included us non-Jews in His beautiful, redemptive plan first through Jewish scribes as vessels for His Word, and the most profound love the world has ever known through Jesus. However, the millions of lights exemplified among the Jewish people to bless the world are beyond measure. It is my hope that after you have read this small sample, you will look for ways to advocate for Israel amid the Jew hatred raising its evil head, especially everywhere it is ignored. Silence and inaction from Christians will only feed the evil. Together, let us advocate for Israel, our spiritual homeland. 

I am a Christian Zionist who is delighted to extend my appreciation and honor for all Israelis who have died defending Israel—which rebounds in a blessing for me and many millions worldwide fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3: “And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” 

Join our CBN Israel team with thanks to God for blessing our world with Israel:

• Pray with thanks to God for honoring His promises to bring Jewish people back to their homeland. 
• Pray for Israel military’s vigilance and safety amid intensifying threats. 
• Pray for the development of workable policies for Israel’s judiciary. 
• Pray that Christian advocacy for Israel will increase exponentially.

Arlene Bridges Samuels pioneered Christian outreach for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). After nine years on AIPAC’s staff, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her part-time as Outreach Director for their project, American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, guest columnist at All Israel News, and has frequently traveled to Israel since 1990. She co-edited The Auschwitz Album Revisited and is a board member for Violins of Hope South Carolina. Arlene attends Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summit and hosts her devotionals, The Eclectic Evangelical, on Facebook.

They lived on the frontlines. Galina and her elderly mother Tatiana resided in Mariupol, one of the first Ukraine cities bombed by Russia. Working at a supermarket, Galina heard the explosions and froze, saying, “The store was packed with people… there was panic and fear.” 

Galina’s apartment was damaged by rocket fire, so she and her mother took refuge in the basement. When their food ran out, she had to buy stale, moldy bread, so the two had something to eat. Galina admits, “I never prayed so much… I asked God to have mercy on us.” 

Eventually, a rescue bus took them to Moldova. Because they are Jewish, they were grateful to be able to fly to Israel as refugees, and new immigrants. Galina said, “We came with only the clothes on our back… We needed help.” They rented an apartment with money from a government grant—yet still needed appliances and food. And they were alone in a new country. 

But thankfully, friends like you were there. Through CBN Israel, caring donors offered them groceries, and a much-needed stove and washing machine. Galina exclaimed, “In our war-torn Ukraine, I could only dream of fresh bread. But now, I’m in a peaceful place, and you bring me food. I’m extremely grateful to you for helping us… May the Lord repay your generosity!” 

And your generous gift to CBN Israel can be a blessing to many who are fleeing dangerous situations and seeking a safe haven in Israel. You can provide food, housing, essentials, and financial assistance to them—as well as to others in desperate need. 

Your support can extend help and hope to lonely refugees, terror victims, Holocaust survivors, single mothers, and struggling families—giving them vital aid and encouragement. 

Please join us in reaching out with God’s love and compassion!

GIVE TODAY

By Julie Stahl

Yom HaAtzma’ut is Israel’s national Independence Day, and this year marks the 76th anniversary of the modern Jewish State!

“Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children” (Isaiah 66:8 NIV).

On May 14, 1948, just before the Sabbath, some 350 guests crammed into an un-air-conditioned, Tel Aviv art gallery for a 32-minute ceremony that would change the world forever.

“We, members of the people’s council, representatives of the Jewish community of Eretz-Israel and of the Zionist movement, are here assembled on the day of the termination of the British Mandate over Eretz-Israel and, by virtue of our natural and historic right and on the strength of the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, hereby declare the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz-Israel, to be known as the State of Israel,” declared David Ben-Gurion, Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization, Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, and soon to be the first prime minister of the fledgling state.

On that historic day, Ben-Gurion spoke for 11 million Jewish men, women, and children around the world who had no voice, no address, and nowhere to go. For the first time in nearly 2,000 years, they finally had their own nation in their ancestral homeland.

“It was promised to us by God. We are the only people in the history of the world that live on the same land, speaking the same language, and believing in the same God more than 3,000 years,” says Isaac Dror, who heads the education efforts for Independence Hall, the place where the declaration was made.

Among the crowd of witnesses was Yael Sharett, whose father Moshe Sharett was on stage with Ben-Gurion and was the country’s first foreign minister and second prime minister. At age 17, Yael wrote as her father dictated one of the drafts of the declaration. She shared a chair with her aunt at the ceremony.

“It’s really epic. It’s poetry actually. The only time I was really moved I must say was when the Rabbi Levine made the old age Jewish blessing: shehecheyanu, v’kiyimanu, v’higiyanu la’z’man ha’zeh,” Yael told CBN News.

That ancient Jewish prayer, which is recited on momentous occasions, offers thanks to God “who has given us life, sustained us, and allowed us to reach this day.”

Then they sang HaTikvah (“The Hope”), which is Israel’s national anthem.

The next day, which was the Sabbath, U.S. President Harry Truman became the first world leader to recognize Israel.

“He understood something that most of his top advisors and ministers failed to see. This is truly prophecy being realized,” Dror said.

On November 29, 1947, the United Nations had passed resolution 181 calling for the creation of a Jewish State and an Arab State in British-controlled Mandatory Palestine. The plan set aside land in the Galilee, along the Mediterranean and the Negev Desert for the Jewish people, while the Arabs were to receive all of biblical Judea and Samaria, later known as the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and other small portions. Perhaps the most controversial part of the plan was that an international body would control Jerusalem.

Still the Jewish people accepted the plan, but the Arabs rejected it. Less than six months later the Jewish people declared independence. The following day, the armies of five Arab nations attacked Israel.

Many countries have fought wars for their independence, but Israel’s war was not common. They had been granted independence by the sovereign, Britain; the decision was confirmed by the United Nations; and the Jewish people were returning to the historic land of their ancestors. But it was their neighbors who didn’t want them to exist.

A year later, the Jewish state was still standing and had increased its size by nearly 50 percent. Against overwhelming odds, this fledgling State of Israel not only survived but grew beyond expectation.

In honor of the 70^th anniversary of the United Nations Partition Plan, Israel’s mission to the U.N. celebrated by returning to the hall in Flushing Meadows, New York, where the U.N. vote took place.

Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said: “In this very hall 70 years ago when the United Nations declared to the modern world an ancient truth that the Jewish people have a natural, irrevocable right to an independent state in their ancestral and eternal homeland.”

Israelis celebrate Independence Day on the 5^th of the Hebrew month of Iyar. During a televised ceremony that includes Israeli leaders, Israelis make the transition from mourning on their memorial day to celebrating their independence. Later that night, in cities and towns around the country, young and old take to the streets to listen to live music and dance Israeli folk dances.

Orthodox Jews recite the Psalms (but ultra-Orthodox Jews don’t yet recognize the State).

On Independence Day, the Israeli Air Force flies over cities and along beaches to celebrate as their fellow citizens picnic and barbecue (what they call mahngal). At the close of the day, the country awards the Israel Prize to Israelis who have made a unique contribution to the country’s culture, science, arts, and humanities.

Julie Stahl is a correspondent for CBN News in the Middle East. A Hebrew speaker, she has been covering news in Israel full-time for more than 20 years. Julie’s life as a journalist has been intertwined with CBN—first as a graduate student in Journalism at Regent University; then as a journalist with Middle East Television (METV) when it was owned by CBN from 1989-91; and now with the Middle East Bureau of CBN News in Jerusalem since 2009. She is also an integral part of CBN News’ award-winning show, Jerusalem Dateline, a weekly news program providing a biblical and prophetic perspective to what is happening in Israel and the Middle East.

By Julie Stahl

“The LORD cares deeply when his loved ones die” (Psalm 116:15).

A week after Yom HaShoah (“Israel’s Holocaust Memorial Day”), Israelis mark Yom HaZikaron (“Israel’s Memorial Day”) to honor and remember those who died fighting for their country and those murdered in terror attacks.

A televised state ceremony is held at the Western Wall and neighborhoods throughout the country hold their own ceremonies in public places, with the participation of the youth. 

Israelis stand in the streets for an hour or more as the people who died from those neighborhoods are honored.

Since Israel is frequently under attack—whether by rockets or terror attacks or infiltrations—the day is very real and relevant for most Israelis. Many visit cemeteries and attend other ceremonies on the day. Schools are in session but have special programs to honor the fallen.

Twice, on the evening before Israel’s Memorial Day and the following morning itself, Israelis collectively stand in silence as a siren sounds calling to mind the sacrifices that were made by family and friends for Israel’s freedom and security. 

“I was thinking about all the soldiers from the beginning of the modern State of Israel up until today who had to fight on the frontlines and on the home front,” said Shai Yosipov, a former IDF combat medic.

“It’s so important that everyone understands the price and the responsibility we have for living in this country. We not only remember our fallen loved ones, but we also acknowledge that there has always been a sacrifice that needed to be made so that we could be here today,” says Yosipov.

“During the siren, I was praying for families who’ve lost so many, and I prayed that God would give them comfort from the pain,” says Sarah Rivka Yekutiel, who moved to Israel from Boston many years ago.

“It’s an emotional time for everyone, whether you’ve lost family or not. This day is very heavy and intense,” said Orital Saban, who recently moved to Israel from Canada.

More than 23,000 Israeli and Jewish soldiers and more than 3,100 terror victims have fallen since 1860. 

At sundown on Israel’s Memorial Day, Israelis make an incredible leap from mourning those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for freedom, to celebrating Yom HaAtzma’ut (“Israel’s Independence Day”).

Julie Stahl is a correspondent for CBN News in the Middle East. A Hebrew speaker, she has been covering news in Israel full-time for more than 20 years. Julie’s life as a journalist has been intertwined with CBN—first as a graduate student in Journalism at Regent University; then as a journalist with Middle East Television (METV) when it was owned by CBN from 1989-91; and now with the Middle East Bureau of CBN News in Jerusalem since 2009. She is also an integral part of CBN News’ award-winning show, Jerusalem Dateline, a weekly news program providing a biblical and prophetic perspective to what is happening in Israel and the Middle East.

“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you” (Philippians 1:27-28 NIV).

What does your life say about your relationship with the Lord? Do you live each day in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ?

Paul wrote to the Philippians one of his most joyous letters. After being run out of Philippi, unable to fully establish the community there, he heard that the Christians there were thriving. This news precipitated his joyous letter. He knew of the struggles that they faced from their opponents, but he encouraged them in the midst of hardships to live their lives worthy of the Gospel of Christ.

It’s interesting that while Paul enjoins them to live their lives in a manner worthy of Christ’s Gospel, he immediately transitions to his desire for the Christian community of Philippi: “I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel.”

We can easily focus on the individual injunction—live your life in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ—and because we are so individualistic in our society, that’s where we leave it. But Paul called upon each individual person to live in such a way that the community might stand firm in one spirit, striving side by side.

Our individualism often separates us from the worldview of the Bible, in which the “we” is always more important than the “me.” The “we” is composed of individuals called upon to do their duty, but that duty serves the “we,” the group.

Paul reflects this idea. He expected the individuals within the community of Philippi to live their lives in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ, so that the community could stand in one spirit and not be intimidated by their opponents.

Do I see my lifestyle of discipleship as significant to my Christian community? We should not separate Paul’s call upon the individual in how they live their life as separate from the testimony of the believing community. One makes up the other. So, how are you living?

PRAYER

Father, let us daily live our lives in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ. Through our lives and obedience, may Your community be unified in one spirit. Amen.