Near 3 million tourists will arrive in Israel this summer.
Evangelical Christians will never boycott Jewish products, and will visit Israel as often as they can.
Despite the continuing global economic slowdown, Israel continues to welcome record numbers of tourists.
Israel Airports Authority expects traffic through Ben Gurion International Airport to top 600,000 in the month of August, bringing the total to nearly 3 million through the summer.
Israel’s hotels are reportedly operating at capacity through most of the year, leading to a small boom in construction of new hotel rooms, especially in Jerusalem and Nazareth.
“The ongoing increase in incoming tourism to Israel obligates us to prepare by increasing the supply of hotel rooms throughout the country, particularly in areas of high demand,” said Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov.
I just attended an Evangelical Christian Friends of Israel conference in Norway. My soul rejoiced over the record number of visitors.
Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.
All nations will eventually betray Israel, and make her their final enemy. But not those who love Yeshua and obey the scriptures.
The evangelical support for Israel do manifest it self if high numbers of tourists. Everyone who stand with the Jewish people in their time of trouble, will also buy more products from Israel. They reject the call to boycott Israel.
Iran has arrested about 70 Christians since Christmas in a crackdown that demonstrates the limits of religious tolerance by Islamic leaders who often boast they provide room for other faiths.
The Iranian police have a well deserved reputation for brutal repression, which is now being unleashed against the Believers.
Christian activists claim their Iranian brethren are being persecuted simply for worshiping outside officially sanctioned mainstream churches, the small community of Iranian Christians who get together for prayer and Bible readings in private residences and out of sight of authorities. They are part of a wider “house church” movement that has taken root in other places with tight controls on Christian activities such as China and Indonesia.
Iran has claimed as a point of pride that it makes space for other religions. It reserves parliament seats for Jewish and Christian lawmakers and permits churches — Roman Catholic, Armenian Orthodox and others — as well as synagogues and Zoroastrian temples that are under sporadic watch by authorities. In past years, authorities have staged arrests on Christians and other religious minorities, but the latest sweeps appears to be among the biggest and most coordinated.
Tehran Governor Morteza Tamadon described the Christians as “hard-line” missionaries who have “inserted themselves into Islam like a parasite,” according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency.
It’s still unclear what charges could be brought against the jailed Christians. But allegations of trying to convert Muslims could bring a death sentence.
“The use of the word missionaries instead of evangelicals is an intentional move by the government,” she said. “As evangelicals, they are a group entitled to their faith. As missionaries, they are enemies of the state seeking to corrupt its people.”
Source; Associated Press (The entire article is well worth reading)
My comments;
In Matthew 5: 10-11, Jesus said;
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
1 Corinthians 12:26 says;
And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
And 1 Peter 4:13 says;
To the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.
The anti-Christ spirit which powers the Shi’ite Islamic religious authorities in Iran has no problem permitting traditional “Churches” who are at best dead and at worst anti-Christ themselves to operate so that they can pretend to be tolerant of minorities.
But when a tiny number of people start attending true, Bible Believing Evangelical churches, the anti-Christ forces in Iran know that they have a real problem. The Demonic spirit is terrified and outraged that the Spirit of Christ dares to invade its domain.
All true Christians need to lift up the house churches in Iran, and take inspiration from their example.
Their persecution is our persecution, their suffering our suffering and their triumph our triumph. They are a tiny number, but they have made a mighty kingdom of darkness tremble with fear.
ivarfjeld.com 