STANDING IN THE GAP ON BEHALF OF ISRAEL

Oct 8

4 min read

It has been three years since October 7th, 2023.

Three years since we awoke that morning to the sound of sirens and missile interceptions in the sky above us. Our house shook as the explosions grew louder. Disoriented, we tried to make sense of what was happening. There was no bomb shelter we could reach in time.

Then the news began streaming in of unthinkable horrors. Women, children, men, and elderly were kidnapped. Families were marked by devastation and violence. Young people attending a music festival were hunted down and violated. For days after the attack, the entire nation was caught in a tsunami of grief and fear. Windows were shuttered, doors locked, and not a soul was on the street.

A Second Battle

As we tried to understand how to move forward in this new reality, we faced another challenge: pro-Hamas protests and rallies around the world. We were not only fighting the battle against Islamic terrorism, we were facing fierce antisemitism worldwide, gripped by the same spiritual darkness that has existed for thousands of years.

People often ask me to summarize “Why is there war in Israel?” My short answer is simple: we want to live, and they want to destroy us. God has chosen us to be His people, and they hate us and the God we serve. He has given us the Land of Israel, and they chant, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

So What Do We Do?

We felt God call us to stand in the gap on behalf of His people. We travelled to Canada and spoke at Churches and youth groups, sharing truth.

We recently took part in the annual March for Israel event, carrying Israeli flags down the streets of a city here in Alberta.

One Baptist church marched with us, and we are deeply thankful for them. But just imagine if every Pastor and every church in the city chose to march in solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people. The impact would be unimaginable. Their absence reveals a serious disconnect within the Christian church today when it comes to God’s heart for Israel and the Jewish people.

Photo above: Christian holding sign at March for Israel event

A Disconnect We’ve Seen Firsthand

We experienced this when we travelled to Canada a few weeks after October 7th. We saw some faithful pastors and Christians pray for us and stand with us. But we also saw the majority of the church remain detached, and some even highlight the “suffering in Gaza” and call Israel the “aggressor.”

To our shock and dismay, we had to walk out of one church service while these statements were being made. Afterward, we sat down with the pastor and explained why a public apology was needed, and pushed back on the church’s refusal to speak up for Israel. The pastor admitted they felt uneducated, and worried that the narrative pushed by biased media might be true.

I have not met a single Israeli who wishes for innocent Arab children to suffer. Our single goal is to survive as a Nation and to defend ourselves against Hamas, and every other terror group who openly declare their intent is to annihilate us. In contrast, the people of Gaza, young children and women included, have been so brainwashed and radicalized that they support Hamas and even assisted in the atrocities of October 7th.

These Gazan civilians beat our hostages in the street, held them captive in their homes and they voted Hamas into power which created this terror machine in the first place. This is the truth that most people are unwilling to hear. Somehow the young men and women in the IDF who courageously risk their life to minimize civilian casualties while protecting the people of Israel, they are the ones who are demonized. Young men like my friend's brother, Amitai, who lost both his legs when serving in Gaza from an explosive device Hamas planted in a nearby building. Four others from his unit were killed and many wounded.

Photo on right: IDF soldier Amitai Argaman

These are the truths that need to be told. We are bombarded with news, social media and many people are being led astray when it comes to what is truly going on in Israel and what God's Word says about it.

This Is the Battle

This is the battle we face: a battle for truth, a battle to stand on God’s Word, and a battle to encourage young people and Christian leaders to stand firm in conviction even if the entire world opposes them.

This is why Light to the Nations Ministries exists.

We are committed to:

* Engaging young adults and Christian leaders, helping them connect to God's heart for Israel and the Jewish people

* Providing quality educational resources on Israel and the Jewish roots of our faith in Yeshua to help bridge the gap between Israel and the Church today

* Advocate for Israel through our online media outreach and in person speaking engagements, sharing our testimony, preaching the Word of God and unapologetically sharing Scripture paired with facts that combat the myths surrounding Israel that has fuelled antisemitism.