Shalom from the beautiful Jezreel Valley of Israel!
What a joy it is to be back home with my family in my beloved country! For a while there, it was looking a bit iffy as to whether I could be able to make it. But through the many prayers of you in the extended Behold Israel family, the Lord smoothed the path and I landed Tuesday at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv. After being gone for so many weeks, it was a blessed reunion.
My last week-and-a-half of the tour was jam packed. It began in Reno on April 25 with The Israel Decree Conference at Calvary Chapel Reno-Sparks. Pastor Barry Stagner and I taught three messages on the truths contained in that short, wonderful book that focuses on God’s plan and promises for the people of Israel as contained in His word. It was a very special time, and my gratitude goes out to Pastor Phil McKay and his entire team of staff and volunteers.
The following Wednesday, I was at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills filling in for my friend, Pastor Jack Hibbs. I shared a message entitled “The Unchanging God”, which focused on how our immutable God is our firm foundation who will always do what He has promised to do. My thanks go to Pastor Jack for allowing me the time with my dear friends at CCCH.
Then, this past Saturday, May 2, I had the joy of joining Pastor Barry for his church’s annual Proximity Conference. Once again, we centered on The Israel Decree and the truth that modern Israel is the same as biblical Israel. It was a memorable time of truth, fellowship, and worship. Thank you to everyone who came out, to those who worked so hard to pull the conference off, and to Calvary Chapel East Anaheim for hosting the conference. Finally, before I left to come home, I spent Sunday morning at Barry’s church, Calvary Central OC, sharing the new message “Coming Soon”. It was the perfect way to wrap up this long tour that began way back on March 26 and took me through Japan, California, and Nevada.
While I was in the air flying home, my next thriller, The Next War, finally released! I had been anticipating that moment for months. I am so grateful to all of you who preordered your copies prior to the release. It was definitely noticed by the booksellers. In this fast-paced, action-filled book, Steve Yohn and I have laid out a plausible, bible-based scenario of the soon-coming Ezekiel War, placing you, the reader, in the middle of the events. While I was in California, Steve and I spent a week in Santa Monica plotting out the next installment of this adrenaline-inducing Nir Tavor Tribulation Thriller series. At the end of our time, when we examined all the giant Post-it notes that now covered the walls of my hotel room, we couldn’t wait to continue the journey through God’s end times plans. Pick up your copy of The Next War today, and while you’re at it grab a second copy for an unbelieving friend or family member who needs to see what the world may possibly look like after the rapture has taken place and America has tragically collapsed.
Ezekiel 38:21-23
“I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord God. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother. And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.”
KEEPING UP WITH THE NEWS
It’s been two weeks, and once again I am writing that the US says it may be close to a deal with Iran. And, also once again, I am saying that this is very unlikely. Am I being overly pessimistic? Possibly. But I am also trying to see through the bluster of both sides in order to understand what is really going on. On the one hand, President Trump has said that the two sides are close. As part of the agreement, he told PBS of Iran agreeing to send its enriched uranium to America and affirming that they will not use their underground nuclear facilities. On the other hand, Ebrahim Rezaei, the spokesperson for the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian parliament, accused the US of being a defeated foe that is speaking like it is a victor. If America doesn’t release their defeat and surrender as they should, he said, “We will respond harshly in a way that will make them regret it.” It would be hard to believe that either Trump or Rezaei truly believe the words they are speaking, which begs the question, “What is really going on in each country behind the scenes?”
To me, it appears that there is a major disconnect between the military faction and the political faction in Iran. The military realizes its weakened state and would readily cut a deal that would keep it alive with a potential for rebuilding and rearming. The political faction, however, is controlled by religious idealogues who see a victory for Islam even if this conflict leads to a massive bloodletting. Said Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, “We do not rule out the possibility of a military attack. I am surprised that our enemies still have not understood that we are ready to die rather than give up.”
What will happen? There are those who will claim that the conflict is truly over. They say, “Senator Marco Rubio declared Operation Epic Fury to be complete, so that’s that.” However, it is likely that this phase of the war was only declared over so that, if a new phase must begin, President Trump will have sixty days before he will need congressional approval for it. The President says that he is demanding an answer from Iran to his deal before he travels to China for a summit with President Xi Jinping in a week. I’ll keep you up to date on my Telegram channel with how this develops.
Breaking News: CNN has reported that Iran will likely submit its response to the American proposal today. They’ll never agree to Trump’s demands. However, according to the Wall Street Journal, those demands may have softened just a touch. Now, rather than a demand to permanently ban uranium enrichment, the US is offering only a twenty-year ban. This would be nothing short of an American capitulation, because it is once again just kicking the Iranian nuclear can down the road the same as Obama did with the JCPOA. Stay tuned to see what news is right and what is fake media news, and to discover how these next days will play out.
Meanwhile, in the worst ceasefire that ever existed, Israel continues its attacks in Lebanon as Hezbollah works to rearm and restore its fading power in the nation. Just yesterday, in a naval attack coordinated with the United States, an Israeli warship fired three precision missiles that eliminated in Beirut Ahmed Ali Balout, the commander of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, along with other senior terrorist commanders.
As I mentioned earlier, my Telegram channel is where you can go for a deeper dive into the state of the war right now. I am constantly updating it with the latest in Israel, Middle East, and global news. If you don’t want to use the Telegram app, you can see all of my posts on our Telegram landing page here. Also, if you want to understand how what is happening fits into Scripture, watch the “Special Q&A – War with Iran & Bible Prophecy” that Pastor Barry Stagner and I recorded live on May 2. Finally, you may also find updates, both news and ministry, on my Instagram channel. It’s well worth a follow.
KEEPING UP WITH THE MINISTRY
Spokane, Washington, we’re coming your way! On July 11, Pastor Barry Stagner and I will be presenting a full day “The Israel Decree Conference”. Registration for this special event opens TOMORROW, May 8, and 10:00am PDT. Space is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot right away. We look forward to seeing you there!
There is still time to register for our Alaska Cruise Prophecy Conference coming this July 3-10. There is beauty, and then there is Alaska beauty! The scenery on this cruise is spectacular, the teaching is engaging and applicable, the worship is powerful, and the fellowship can last a lifetime. And, seeing as we’ll be in the last of America’s frontier lands, I plan to share a very special America’s 250th birthday message regarding this remarkable nation’s unique role in the unfolding of God’s prophetic plan for Israel over the years.
Young adults today are facing spiritual warfare like never before. Between liberal universities, anything-goes social media, and swiftly changing cultural ethics, they are surrounded by deceptive voices trying to bring them down. In order to throw a lifeline to this battered generation, Behold Israel has established GenZion, our new young adults initiative. If you want information about this ministry and how you can support it, please visit our webpage.
KEEPING US IN PRAYER
Deceit is so rampant these days. There was another assassination attempt on President Trump, and it seems that the media simply said, “Oh yeah, that kind of thing happens to him,” and quickly moved onto other stories. When I typed “biggest news stories of last three weeks” into Google, it mentioned the president’s waning approval numbers amongst other stories, but nothing about some whacko trying to kill him. This is the age of deception that was promised in Scripture. Those things that really matter, the media is telling you they don’t matter. And the reverse is true. We must be very diligent about the sources from which we receive our news and the items upon which special emphasis is placed. If we don’t pay attention, it will be very easy to get swept up in the brainwashing without even knowing it.
For those of you who prayed me through these past six weeks of travel, I am so grateful to you. Physically and emotionally, it was very difficult. But spiritually, the Holy Spirit kept me strong the entire time. For those of you who have read Exploring Ezekiel, you know the emphasis that God puts on the phrase, “Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” These past weeks, he proved over and over this blessed promise.
Thank you again for your prayers and for your financial support of this ministry. You are true blessings to me and to the whole Behold Israel team!
Awaiting His Return,
Amir Tsafati
Amir, a Jewish Christian, is the founder and president of Behold Israel, a news site to correct the scarcity in trustworthy reportage on issues and events impacting Israel, and to resolve the uncertainty about who or what to believe.
The views expressed in opinion articles are solely those of the author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the CURE News and Clergy Blog.
