Israel in the south (Negev regioin) is undergoing daily rocket and missile attacks from Gaza for the fourth day now, with air-raid sirens going off during the day and the middle of the night.  We just had an attack about 1/2 hour ago as I have been writing this letter, plus one around 3:00 in the morning.  Schools are still closed, and other public places are opening and closing as they see fit.  One missile landed and damaged a school yesterday, but thank God that no one was there.  The Iron Dome missile defense system is doing a very good job of intercepting many of the rockets, but it is not capable of stopping them all, and the one that got through to the school yesterday happened because of a technical malfunction just at the time of the attack.  There have been reports of shock and property damage from some of the missiles which have landed.

After four ‘red alerts’ on Friday night into Saturday morning, large public gatherings were not allowed on the Shabbat.  We went ahead with our congregational service for whoever would come.  Mothers with young children (especially if the husband was away) were encouraged not to come.  Thanks to those who did come, plus a group from the UK, and another from the US, and some locals from other congregations whose service was cancelled, we had a full house for the guest speaker from Texas!  The Lord really blessed us with His peace and joy.  No sirens were heard until later in the afternoon, well after everyone had gotten back home in peace.  We will have to see how things develop through this week as to how it may affect our service this Shabbat (Sat.).  Please pray for the Israeli government and military to know what to do, and that the God of Israel would intervene to put everyone in fear of Him, that many would repent and be saved, and that the meek would be glad for His name’s sake.

Please also remember the Christian believers in the Gaza strip, and others of the general population who oppose what their leaders and terror groups are doing.  They are surely more nervous and afraid than the one million Israelis facing the on-going attacks.  In Gaza there are no bomb shelters for the general populace.  Their government and terrorist leaders do not take much official concern to protect them.  The Islamic jihadist spirit boasts of loving death as much as we love life, and they send out their people to blow up themselves and as many others with them as they can.  Their God is not a Father, and he has no son or other children.  Pray for many Muslims in Gaza and elsewhere to turn to the God of Israel, who is the holy and righteous Father, and “whose love is seen in that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into the world, that we might live through Him.  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the propitiation for our sins”. (1Jn 4:9-10)