This is That

A few nights ago we heard an amazing story from a Jewish man living in Russia who made aliyah with his family and came to live in Israel.  Long story short, it was very difficult for them to settle here and his wife and kids left him, so he resorted to drugs. He quickly became addicted to drugs and was living on the street. He lost everything. Nowhere to go, nowhere to turn.

Around the same time, another Russian Jew was planning to leave Russia with her family. Her husband and mother-in-law were in flight to make aliyah and there plane was shot down…a plane full of Jews shot down intensionally by an enemy missile. She and their kids still moved to the land of Israel. Life was hard and their hearts were full of sorrow.

None of them knew Yeshua (Jesus), therefore, no hope remained in them. The pastors here found them, and the drug-addict was taken from the streets and brought to Victory House. A place (founded by the pastor) for addicts to be restored back to life and health. This Russian-Jewish man was set free from drugs instantly by the power of Jesus! And now he longed to have a family again.
And the woman who lost her husband had much sorrow, but the Lord healed her heart and made it whole. She later met the man who was set free from drugs and they fell in love and got married. Her fatherless kids now have a father who loves them very much. Their family has a great testimony of the restoration that Jesus brought to their lives. Not only did the Lord heal the broken hearted and set free those who were bound by addiction, but He brought them back to their homeland, Israel, and restored them back to their own people, the Jews.

You may be wondering why I am sharing this story, especially since I’m here to learn about Israel. Well, it’s because this is something the tour companies won’t tell you. Maybe they don’t even know that this is happening here, but I wanted to share this story because it is quite significant for several reasons.

1. It shows the reality, power and great love God has for His people.

2. This is only one of many stories like this. The Russian Jews are returning and their lives are being restored here.

3. This is that….this is that of which was actually foretold and written thousands of years ago. I am here seeing the beginning of a prophesy being fulfilled.  Many times in the Bible it is said, when talking about the restoration of Israel, that the Lord will gather His people (the Jews) from the far north. If you go far north on a map, you see that it’s Russia.

Isaiah 49 “…He said to Me, “You are My Servant, Israel, In Whom I will show My glory”…so that Israel might be gathered to Him…Because of the LORD who is faithful…Thus says the LORD,

        “In a favorable time I have answered You,
And in a day of salvation I have helped You;
And I will keep You and give You for a covenant of the people,
To restore the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages;
9Saying to those who are bound, ‘Go forth,’
To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves ‘
Along the roads they will feed,
And their pasture will be on all bare heights.
10“They will not hunger or thirst,
Nor will the scorching heat or sun strike them down;
For He who has compassion on them will lead them
And will guide them to springs of water.
11“I will make all My mountains a road,
And My highways will be raised up.
12“Behold, these will come from afar;
And lo, these will come from the north and from the west,
And these from the land of Sinim.” …

Something has happened within the last 20 years that has never been seen ever on the face of the earth. The people of Israel are being regathered to the land. Especially those from the north, the Russian Jews, are coming back by the hundreds of thousands! (I will try to post the exact number soon.)

Also, I have just toured the land and can say that the desolate places, the swamps and desserts are being cultivated for the first time and crops are growing where there was never crops!

What does this mean? This means that this is the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophesies from the days of old. Which ultimately points to the reality that Jesus is coming back and He will establish His kingdom here on this earth! Are you ready?