Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh from beautiful Florida, USA! That was the sound of me finally getting a little vacation. And what is making this time off even sweeter is the only thing that could possibly make it sweeter – my family is with me! After weeks being apart, not only do I get to be with my beautiful wife, but I have my children here, too. This is a true blessing from God! Not only do I have my youngest two, but I also have my oldest and his lovely wife. And, in a move that could have only come from the Lord, my daughter was able to get leave from her service with the Israeli Defense Forces and is here in Florida, too. My heart is so full!
What a weekend it was leading up to this time off. On Saturday, Calvary Chapel Lone Mountain in Las Vegas hosted an Awaiting His Return conference. I was able to speak alongside great men like Pastor Jimmy Morales of CCLM, Pastor Barry Stagner, and Pastor Mike Golay. At the end, we all sat up front for a panel to answer questions, which is always my favorite part of an AHR conference. Great thanks also go out to Pastor Gregg Seymour of Calvary Red Rock Church for working hard to make the event such a special time.
The next morning, Pastor Mike and I split the opportunities with me speaking once again at Lone Mountain and Mike preaching at Red Rock. It was the first time that we’ve done that kind of dual duty and judging by the response it won’t be the last.
This Sunday, I will be at Calvary Chapel Gulf Coast in Estero, Florida, which is just south of Fort Myers. I’m excited to get one more speaking opportunity in before I go off the grid, and I’m thankful for Pastor Bill Mobley providing it. Then, starting on Monday, I will not have another event for almost four weeks, when I will resurface at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills for the Behold He Comes conference with Pastor Jack Hibbs, Jan Markell, Pastor Barry Stagner, and myself.
While I am so excited to be spending time loving my family, I am also looking forward to the last couple weeks of my upcoming break when I will be in intense study and preparation for the second part of my U.S. tour. And even when I’m off the grid, I won’t be totally off the grid. I will continue updating my Telegram with events from around the Middle East, providing Middle East Updates, and, if the circumstances warrant, I will not shy away from going live with Breaking News.
While I’m on vacation, the ministry of Behold Israel continues to move forward. In fact, this is a very special week for BI. Right now in Texas the Young Adult Discipleship (YAD) ministry is in the middle of a retreat for many of the young people who participate in the YAD online studies. There are 59 young adults attending from 16 states, plus Canada, the United Kingdom, and Mexico. What’s especially wonderful is that 21 of those attending were able to do so because of full or partial scholarships provided by the gifts that many of you give to the ministry! What a beautiful picture of God taking what we sacrifice and using it to change the lives of others! The young adults attending are not only having a wonderful time of fellowship, they are getting great teaching centered on how to address many of the issues that they are faced with in this ever-evolving morality of our contemporary culture. The reports that we’re getting from the retreat have been great! Please pray that God continues to use this time to change hearts and prepare minds.
Galatians 5:19-23 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
The Middle East
Nineteen rockets were fired from Lebanon at towns in the Golan Heights and Upper Galilee on Friday. Ten of the rockets were intercepted, six landed in open areas in Israel, and three never made it across the border dropping in Lebanon. One of those responsible was later identified by name and is well known as a Hezbollah militant.
The responses to this attack were interesting. The response of the Druze population in southern Lebanon, whose faith developed out of Islam but who do not identify themselves as Muslims, was to immediately capture the rocket launcher and the ones launching the rockets. Angry at Hezbollah for the potential retaliation coming from Israel, the Druze drove the terrorist militants out of the area, calling them “dogs” as they chased them away. The response of the Lebanese military was to come and confiscate both the launching equipment and the militants. The response of Hezbollah, which has its fingers in every level of government in Lebanon, was to have the military release from custody both the launcher of the rockets and the rocket-launching truck. The response of Israel has essentially been non-existent. An Arab member of the Israeli Knesset tweeted that thanks to the Arab support of the “government of change”, Israel would have no military response to the rocket attack. Israel’s enemies are watching its new-found weakness and are rubbing their hands together in glee.
That was all in northern Israel. In the south, Hamas continues to release incendiary balloons across the Gaza border causing numerous dangerous fires. On Friday, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) took action, striking a launching pad for the weapons and another Hamas structure.
Iraq continues in a state of crisis. ISIS has destroyed 27 high voltage towers in the past week as temperatures hit record highs. Iran is limiting the flow of electricity into Iraq, claiming the failing country owes billions of dollars. On Tuesday, the mayor of the central Iraq city of Karbala was assassinated by a gunman who fired three bullets into his chest. Meanwhile, the government of Iraq denies that anything is wrong. Iraq is falling apart.
Afghanistan can also go into the “falling apart” category as the Taliban continues their northeast blitz. The international airport was attacked by the insurgents on Sunday and all flights were canceled. They then took over the military airport near Kunduz. Like the civilians who are offering no resistance to the militant forces, the military defending the airport abandoned their weapons and ran away leaving all the aircraft on the runway. There is still a small Afghan army left who are standing up against the onslaught. In airstrikes on Saturday, they confirmed killing more than 200 Taliban in Sheberghan before the city fell to the insurgents later that day.
The Iranian oil tanker “Wisdom” was rocked by an explosion while in dock at Latakia, Syria. The ship was empty and was undergoing maintenance at the time. Speculation is that the tanker, which is used to transport Iranian oil to Syria, was the latest in a series of maritime attacks between Iran and Israel. Meanwhile, the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Major General Hossein Salami, said that one mistake on the part of Israel will lead to the “war of their death.”
There is one area where Iran and Israel can find common ground – they are both the victims of Chinese hackers. China has hacked dozens of Israeli public and private sector groups, as well as groups in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and a variety of other countries. The massive cyber-attack appears to be part of a long-term spying strategy in the area of technology and business competition and advancement, rather than a desire to harm any of the target countries or businesses.
In good news, the Israeli and U.S. Air Forces just completed a one-of-a-kind military drill called “Desert Eagle”. Israel’s military stated, “The aircrews practiced various operational scenarios in the air, including joint exercises against ground, aerial, and combined threats while striking designated targets.” This is an encouraging sign that the long-standing military relationship between Israel and the United States will continue with the country’s respective new administrations.
The Ministry
The first part of my U.S. tour is now over. However, it will all ramp back up in September. As I detailed above, the second leg will begin at the Behold He Comes conferences held September 10 and 11 at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills. From there we will move to an Awaiting His Return conference on Friday and Saturday, September 17 and 18, at Birchman Baptist Church in Fort Worth Texas. Joining me there will be Pastor Jack Hibbs, Dr. Bob Pearle, and Pastor Barry Stagner. Then, on Sunday morning, I will have the privilege of speaking at two Sunday services. The next weekend, we will travel to Leesburg, Virginia, and Cornerstone Chapel. There we will hold an Awaiting His Return conference on Saturday, September 25, with Pastor Gary Hamrick, Pastor Barry Stagner, Pastor Mike Golay, and myself. Finally, the next morning, the tour will wrap up with me speaking at the three Sunday services at Cornerstone Chapel. As always, if you want more information about any of these events, you can check out the Behold Israel calendar.
Great news for my friends in Europe! This coming November, I will be traveling to speak in Norway, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. More information will be released as we are able. I look forward to seeing your there!
On Friday, Pastor Barry and I recorded a Middle East Update from Las Vegas entitled “Is the Middle East Getting Ready for a War?” Before getting to our main topic, we covered all the most important news from the region. Tomorrow I will be taking a break from my vacation for another Middle East Update entitled, “Is it Time for Russia to Make a Move?” Check it out to get all the latest information.
Something new and exciting has launched from Behold Israel. We have our first devotional series on bible.org (YouVersion). This seven-day series is entitled “The Miracle Called Israel”, and reminds us that God’s faithful love for Israel is one of the greatest testaments of His enduring love for us. You can find it here or by searching for “The Miracle Called Israel” on your YouVersion app.
Tonight, I will be joining Pastor Mike for the weekly Public Reading of Scripture! It’s not about flash, and it’s not about fancy teaching. It’s just people gathering from all over the globe to listen to and be blessed by the Word of God. Join us tonight and every Thursday night at 4:00am Israel Time.
Sensationalism, speculation, and a lack of biblical understanding – these are the factors that contribute to the confusion surrounding the coming Tribulation. In these times of pandemic and societal upheavals, we must remember that trouble does not equal tribulation, and tribulation does not equal the Tribulation. In my new teaching, “Has the Tribulation Begun?”, which premiered on Friday, I place the seven years of God’s wrath back onto the firm foundation of Scripture and reassure the church that when the Tribulation begins we will not be here to experience it.
Registration is now open for our 2022 Israel Tours! We invite you to experience the Bible not just as a book, but as the reality of God’s chosen people and their promised land with their beloved city! Come walk in the footsteps of the patriarchs, prophets, kings, and apostles from God’s Word. Click here for more information!
From the time of Abraham until now and into the future, God has had, does have, and will continue to have His eyes on Israel. In my new message, All Eyes on Israel, I show that if you want to understand God and His plans for this world, then there is only one country you should be watching – the nation of Israel.
Thank you so much for your continued prayers and your generous financial support of this ministry. Again, God has been so good to Behold Israel, and we rely on you to constantly keep us before Him in your time on your knees.
2 Timothy 2:11-13 This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him,
He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself.
Awaiting His Return,
Has the Tribulation Begun?
The Middle East is Getting Ready for a War
Weekly Prayer Meeting
Great team! Barry Stagner, Amir & Mike Golay
Thank you Lord, Awaiting His Return in Las Vegas was just amazing!
August 10, 2021
The two Air Forces completed a one-of-a-kind military drill this week consisting of many combat scenarios; Air Force: This historic cooperation between the IAF and AFCENT is another example of the long-standing alliance and strategic cooperation between Israel and the United States.
August 9, 2021
Following the attack last week that consisted of close to 20 rockets being launched towards northern Israel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has revealed the militant behind the attack.
August 6, 2021
Militants from the Gaza Strip fired incendiary balloons into Israel on Friday, resulting in airstrikes from the Israeli Air Force targeting multiple Hamas targets.
