An astonishing work on the remarkable transformation of attitudes of Arab believers towards Israel by their love for Christ.
A future for Israel? Christian Arabs share their stories.
Julia Fisher, 2006, Authentic Media, Milton Keynes, UK.
I hope the author will forgive some verbatim quotes from these astonishing testimonies. I urge you to purchase the book and read them in full.
Joseph Haddad p.38-9
"I told you how I was devouring the Scriptures and when I read Joel 3:2, I reached a turning point in my life regarding my attitude towards Jews because I read how God will judge the nations that scattered his people Israel: 'I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. there I will judge them for harming my people, for scattering my inheritance among the nations, and for dividing my land.' (Joel. 3:2, NLT) Because they divided my land... as I read those words I realised that god says this is his land - not Jewish land or Arabic land, it's God's land and he has given it to the Jews. So when I read this verse it dawned on me - if it's god's land and he gave it to the jews, who am I to resist or oppose him? The word of God is so powerful, when you read it with faith it brings change into your life. God said to me, 'If I gave the Jews the landd can you oppose or resist me?' I said, 'No...if you gave them this land, I surrender and I agree.' And from that point on
the Lord gave me such a love for the Jews. It may be hard for your to believe, but I pray for their salvation more than the Arabs -God has given me such a heart and I intercede for them because the Bible says, 'To the Jews first'".
George Kazoura p.53
I found my way to our old house and stood outside and forgave the Jews who lived there for what they had done to my family. I extended my hand towards the house and asked God to bless the family who lived there. It was very hard for me to do this, but it was so good for me because immediately I felt a load lift off my back and a joy rising up inside me that I had never experienced before. All the hatred, bitterness and anger that I had felt towards the Jewish people disappeared and from that moment until today, the Jews are no longer my enemies, they are my beloved people. this was a great lesson in my life ...to forgive, to forget and to be reconciled.
Today a Messianic fellowship meets in that house! Some time later I met an old Jewish man in that congregation. When he heard my story he asked my forgiveness. This simple act touched my heart and immediately I was able to love the Jewish people even more!
Yousef Dakwar p.71-2
As time went on, the Lord showed me that there was something in my heart that I needed to deal with. He showed me that I had a deep hatred towards Israel and the Jewish nation. Gradually, I started to understand a verse from Ephesians chapter 2 where the phrases,'He put to death their hostility' and 'one new man' spoke to my heart.As I prayed about this the Lord asked me, 'Do you know why the Bible says, "put to death their hostility"?'I prayed and prayed and the Lord said to me, 'Can you put to death a chair?' I said,'No, there is no life in it.' 'Can you put to death a computer or a table?' I said, 'No.' He said, 'Enmity and hostility are growing inside you and you need to do something about it.'I came to understand that when Jesus put enmity to death, he put to death something that was living. And so, over a period of time I prayed and asked the Lord to put to death the enmity that was living in me. After that, everything changed in my life and I started to pray for the
salvation of the Jewish people and I forgave everything they had done to me and along, with my wife, eventually became part of a Messianic Jewish congregation! It was quite a journey!
Emil Boutros Boktor p.85
Again, my heart was scarred with anger and I felt great hatred towards Israel grow within me. This hatred really took hold of my heart. For many years I decided not to read the Old Testament in my Bible and not to preach or quote verses from the Old Testament in my work as a Christian pastor. So for nine years I only preached from the New Testament - until 1982. Then one Saturday night I was preparing my sermon notes for the following Sunday morning. I was planning to talk about love as it is described in 1 Corinthians 13. Suddenly, I felt the Holy Spirit whispering in my ear: 'Are you going to preach about love?' I said, 'Yes, Lord' and he answered me, 'How can you preach about love and yet have great hatred in your heart for Israel?'I immediately came under conviction and there and then confessed to the lord about the hatred in my life and how it had consumed my heart and become such a terrible battle within me. I knew I couldn't overcome this hatred in my own strength. I cried to the Lord, 'Lord if you can heal me - I am here.' I knelt down and began to pray, asking the Lord to heal me. Suddenly, a wave like cold water swept from the top of my head and washed down into the centre of my being. It flowed into my heart and took away my hatred. I felt such a great joy! I was healed!
A few months later, I received an invitation from an Arab pastor in Israel to preach at a convocation, an annual event, organised by the Arabic-speaking churches there. As I landed in Tel Aviv airport I began to cry. I was not only stepping into the land I had always wanted to tread but I was also coming face to face with the fears and ill feelings I had carried in my heart about Israel. I was met at the airport by an Israeli Messianic pastor! He came towards me and we introduced ourselves and then he hugged me and I hugged him. Words were not needed. I cried uncontrollably because now I knew that finally, all trace of hatred was gone from my heart. I know Jesus had reconciled me to the Jewish people. I was full of praise to the Lord, who when he died on the cross, made it possible for the wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles to be broken down and replaced by forgiveness, reconciliation and peace just as Paul explained to the Ephesians when he wrote to them all those years ago.
Last modified 25/10/2013
A future for Israel? Christian Arabs share their stories.
Julia Fisher, 2006, Authentic Media, Milton Keynes, UK.
I hope the author will forgive some verbatim quotes from these astonishing testimonies. I urge you to purchase the book and read them in full.
Joseph Haddad p.38-9
"I told you how I was devouring the Scriptures and when I read Joel 3:2, I reached a turning point in my life regarding my attitude towards Jews because I read how God will judge the nations that scattered his people Israel: 'I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. there I will judge them for harming my people, for scattering my inheritance among the nations, and for dividing my land.' (Joel. 3:2, NLT) Because they divided my land... as I read those words I realised that god says this is his land - not Jewish land or Arabic land, it's God's land and he has given it to the Jews. So when I read this verse it dawned on me - if it's god's land and he gave it to the jews, who am I to resist or oppose him? The word of God is so powerful, when you read it with faith it brings change into your life. God said to me, 'If I gave the Jews the landd can you oppose or resist me?' I said, 'No...if you gave them this land, I surrender and I agree.' And from that point on
the Lord gave me such a love for the Jews. It may be hard for your to believe, but I pray for their salvation more than the Arabs -God has given me such a heart and I intercede for them because the Bible says, 'To the Jews first'".
George Kazoura p.53
I found my way to our old house and stood outside and forgave the Jews who lived there for what they had done to my family. I extended my hand towards the house and asked God to bless the family who lived there. It was very hard for me to do this, but it was so good for me because immediately I felt a load lift off my back and a joy rising up inside me that I had never experienced before. All the hatred, bitterness and anger that I had felt towards the Jewish people disappeared and from that moment until today, the Jews are no longer my enemies, they are my beloved people. this was a great lesson in my life ...to forgive, to forget and to be reconciled.
Today a Messianic fellowship meets in that house! Some time later I met an old Jewish man in that congregation. When he heard my story he asked my forgiveness. This simple act touched my heart and immediately I was able to love the Jewish people even more!
Yousef Dakwar p.71-2
As time went on, the Lord showed me that there was something in my heart that I needed to deal with. He showed me that I had a deep hatred towards Israel and the Jewish nation. Gradually, I started to understand a verse from Ephesians chapter 2 where the phrases,'He put to death their hostility' and 'one new man' spoke to my heart.As I prayed about this the Lord asked me, 'Do you know why the Bible says, "put to death their hostility"?'I prayed and prayed and the Lord said to me, 'Can you put to death a chair?' I said,'No, there is no life in it.' 'Can you put to death a computer or a table?' I said, 'No.' He said, 'Enmity and hostility are growing inside you and you need to do something about it.'I came to understand that when Jesus put enmity to death, he put to death something that was living. And so, over a period of time I prayed and asked the Lord to put to death the enmity that was living in me. After that, everything changed in my life and I started to pray for the
salvation of the Jewish people and I forgave everything they had done to me and along, with my wife, eventually became part of a Messianic Jewish congregation! It was quite a journey!
Emil Boutros Boktor p.85
Again, my heart was scarred with anger and I felt great hatred towards Israel grow within me. This hatred really took hold of my heart. For many years I decided not to read the Old Testament in my Bible and not to preach or quote verses from the Old Testament in my work as a Christian pastor. So for nine years I only preached from the New Testament - until 1982. Then one Saturday night I was preparing my sermon notes for the following Sunday morning. I was planning to talk about love as it is described in 1 Corinthians 13. Suddenly, I felt the Holy Spirit whispering in my ear: 'Are you going to preach about love?' I said, 'Yes, Lord' and he answered me, 'How can you preach about love and yet have great hatred in your heart for Israel?'I immediately came under conviction and there and then confessed to the lord about the hatred in my life and how it had consumed my heart and become such a terrible battle within me. I knew I couldn't overcome this hatred in my own strength. I cried to the Lord, 'Lord if you can heal me - I am here.' I knelt down and began to pray, asking the Lord to heal me. Suddenly, a wave like cold water swept from the top of my head and washed down into the centre of my being. It flowed into my heart and took away my hatred. I felt such a great joy! I was healed!
A few months later, I received an invitation from an Arab pastor in Israel to preach at a convocation, an annual event, organised by the Arabic-speaking churches there. As I landed in Tel Aviv airport I began to cry. I was not only stepping into the land I had always wanted to tread but I was also coming face to face with the fears and ill feelings I had carried in my heart about Israel. I was met at the airport by an Israeli Messianic pastor! He came towards me and we introduced ourselves and then he hugged me and I hugged him. Words were not needed. I cried uncontrollably because now I knew that finally, all trace of hatred was gone from my heart. I know Jesus had reconciled me to the Jewish people. I was full of praise to the Lord, who when he died on the cross, made it possible for the wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles to be broken down and replaced by forgiveness, reconciliation and peace just as Paul explained to the Ephesians when he wrote to them all those years ago.
Last modified 25/10/2013
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