One of the most sobering truths in Scripture is that how we treat Israel directly affects how God deals with us. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is unambiguous: those who bless Israel are blessed, and those who curse Israel come under God’s judgment. This principle is not a relic of the Old Testament but a timeless spiritual law that continues today. I for one do not ever want to be cursed by God, yet some would invoke such a curse on their lives.

God’s Covenant Promise

When God called Abraham, He declared:

“I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
— Genesis 12:2–3

This was not merely a promise to an individual but a covenant binding God’s people Israel to His eternal purposes. To curse Abraham’s descendants is to oppose God’s chosen instrument for blessing the families of the earth (and nations) – including the very Messiah, Jesus Christ, who came through Israel.

Balaam’s Warning

The prophet Balaam learned this truth the hard way. King Balak of Moab hired him to curse Israel, but every attempt failed. Why? Because God Himself had blessed Israel:

Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times, to seek to use sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
— Numbers 24:1

Balaam finally declared:

“Like a lion they crouch and lie down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse them? May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!”
— Numbers 24:9

Balaam recognised that to curse Israel was to invite disaster upon oneself. The same principle holds today: nations, leaders, and individuals who speak curses or spread hatred against the Jewish people bring spiritual consequences upon themselves.

The Danger of Modern Anti-Semitism

We are witnessing in our own day a disturbing resurgence of anti-Semitic rhetoric—even among influential media figures. Commentators like Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson have platformed dangerous stereotypes and conspiratorial attacks on the Jewish people. Such rhetoric is not merely political speech—it is aligning with the spirit of those who have historically sought Israel’s destruction.

Christians must be clear: anti-Semitism in any form is a direct affront to God’s covenant and invites His judgement. As Paul warns in Romans 11:18, Gentile believers must “not boast against the branches,” for it is God who sustains Israel in His redemptive plan.

Standing with Israel: A Biblical and Moral Imperative

On the other hand, there are courageous voices like Charlie Kirk who boldly affirmed Israel’s right to exist and defend itself as the only democracy in the Middle East. Such a stance reflects the heart of Genesis 12:3—those who bless Israel will be blessed.

Supporting Israel does not mean ignoring its imperfections, but it does mean recognising God’s eternal covenant, defending the Jewish people against hatred, and praying for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).

The Choice Before Us

Every believer and every nation stands at a crossroads: bless Israel and align with God’s promise, or curse Israel and invite judgement. Scripture leaves no middle ground.

Jesus Himself affirmed that “salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). To despise Israel is to despise the very root of our faith. To bless Israel is to walk in step with God’s eternal plan of redemption for all nations.

Please take note that the last supper was shared with Jewish men, Jesus disciples. The new covenant was promised in Jeremiah and was FIRST to the Jews (Romans 1:16). The birth of the Ekklesia (Church) was on the day of Pentecost where120 Jewish believers, waiting in the upper room, received the Holy Spirit; and then Peter preached boldly and 3,000 were added that day.

The days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and the people of Judah
— Jeremiah 31:31

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
— Romans 1:16

As Christians, let us reject the poisonous curse of anti-Semitism, stand boldly with God’s people, and be among those who receive the blessing promised to Abraham.

I choose blessing over cursing, life over death, truth over lies, and the Kingdom of God over the kingdom of darkness.  Please pray for repentance in the heart of those who are cursing Israel.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure.
— Psalm 122:6

Background

As a bit of background, we will quickly look at Malachi 4:2. Once we understand this passage, we will be able to see the basis of the woman’s faith that caused her reach out and touch the hem of His garment.

Malachi 4:2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings;

First, the translation of ‘sun’ can also be translated ‘servant’ as it is the same word (shin mem shin) with different vowel pointings (which were added around 600AD).  This then renders as the servant of righteousness which is clearly Yeshua or Lord.

Secondly, the word wings in Hebrew is kanaph and can be translated corner or skirt, as well as the wings of a bird. The knots of the tassels at the corners (wings) of the prayer shawl, were called tsiytsiyt, or fringes.

Refer to Ancient Hebrew Research Center – The Tsiytsiyt and the Sun of Righteousness this for a detailed look at Malachi 4:2.

This prophecy of the Messiah from Malachi was fulfilled when the woman who had the issue of blood touched the ‘hem of his garment’ which can also be translated from the Greek as fringe or corner.

So when the woman reached out to touch Yeshua’s tsiytsiyt, she was acting on the word of God. It was not just a random idea, but a purposeful, faith based action based on scripture.

Daughter

I have been looking at these passages of scripture over the last few weeks, and came to an amazing revelation!  All sermons I have ever heard on this story focus of the woman’s faith, yet miss a key word. The faith message is true and powerful but misses something much more important.

They key word of this passage is the word Daughter!!  Let me explain…

Mark 5:34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

Due to her condition, this woman was continually ceremonially unclean.  This meant she was disconnected from her family and community. She was ostracized, rejected, shunned, treated as unclean, and unable to attend temple or synagogue to worship for 12 long years.

Further, if she touched a man such a Pharisee, especially if that happened in Jerusalem, she, under the Pharisaical interpretation of law could have been whipped and possibly stoned. So when she touched Yeshua’s tsiytsiyt she was taking a huge risk as she technically made Yeshua unclean until sunset. The Pharisees could have had her whipped, yet she knew she would be healed if she acted on His word.

Yeshua’s first word to her was Daughter (Hebrew: בַּת (Bat) ) !!  In that one word every rejection, every hurt, all loneliness, all pain, and all disconnection was made whole.  Yeshua did not call her woman, but the intimate family word Daughter.  Such freedom, such deliverance, such life came from using that one word.  Her relationship with God changed in an instant. This was and is an eternal miracle that completely transcended the physical healing she received.  Yeshua was 100% representing Abba (Father) when He called her Daughter and recognised her as part of the family of God.

Understanding

The change of perspective of this amazing account is quite revolutionary. It leads us to see again that the basis of faith is relationship – i.e. not something we work or strain for but something we live in due to who our Abba is.

Often we hear ‘just have faith’, or ‘only believe’  etc. yet this, for some, leads to some sort of works in terms of something we seem to need to do.  Once we know we are sons and daughters we believe without struggle as we know and trust our Lord.

At anytime we can just touch His tsiytsiyt and be made whole.  Healing is the children’s bread, and again children trust their mums and dads.  We trust Abba as children for all of our needs.

What was her name?

The scriptures do not explicitly tell us the lady’s name. However, let me share a story from a trip to Israel. We were hiring a car from El Dan car rentals in Jerusalem and the young  lady serving us had a name tag that said בַּתאֵל, and in English ‘Batel’ , that was her name. It stuck with me as it literally means Daughter (בַּת Bat) of the Lord Almighty (אֵל El) . I thought that was a wonderful and awesome name, we even chatted about it briefly.

My name for the woman in the scriptural account is Batel, Daughter of the Lord Almighty!  It is easy to infer this name, at least as a new name for her.   I’m sure this is a good extrapolation from scripture that is part of her story of healing and restoration. No longer the unclean woman, but instead Daughter of the Lord Almighty. In an instant, with one word from the Lord she is transformed.

Prayer

Papa God I come to you as your son/daughter and receive your love afresh at this time.

I reach out and touch your tsiytsiyt and receive Your healing for all my needs.

I thank you for the power released to me, and see that I am made whole.

You are awesome, and I love being in Your presence. Let me go out and bless others with your healing word, your love, and your power.  Amen!

As requested, here is a copy of the blessing plus some explanation of the Awesome Power of Blessing (a book by Richard Brunton https://www.richardbruntonministries.org/  , bulk order here https://ruach-hakodesh.com/book-order/ ).

Richard writes in his book about the French words for cursing and blessing; ‘malediction’ (bad speaking) for curses and ‘benediction’ (good speaking). He says if ‘bad speaking’ was powerful, then ‘good speaking’ should be at least as powerful and, with God, much more powerful!

We know this is true from the bible which tells us to watch what we speak. It is best understood from Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Also Matthew 12:37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.

As Dads what we say matters, our words impact our family especially our children.  Controlling our words helps us control all aspects of our lives.

In Genesis chapter 25 Jacob gets Esau to sell his birthright, and in Genesis chapter 27 Isaac blesses Jacob.  I will not go into the details, but Jacob valued his father’s blessing and Esau traded it for a pot of red lentil stew. Blessing matters and has power! Jacob later becomes Israel.

I asked the group at the Men’s Leadership Summit if they had ever been blessed by their own fathers.  Only a few put their hands up, which was to me quite sad.

I asked a couple of Fathers with their sons to stand with the fathers’ hands on their sons’ shoulders as an example (thanks Warwick & Nathaniel, Rodney & Luke). We then declared a Father’s blessing over everyone and recommended they then bless their children individually when they got home.  This was an impactful moment for many.

Here is the blessing we declared over everyone; please take it, adjust/adapt it personally for each of your children, and use it to bless each child separately.  As you speak this blessing over each child in faith expect the Lord to answer this prayer and see what God will do. You can also pray a blessing over your wife!

I pray that our Father in heaven blesses each one of you who blesses others.

The Father’s Blessing

My child, I love you! You are special. You are a gift from God.
I thank God for allowing me to be a father to you.
I am proud of you, and I rejoice over you.

And now I bless you….
I bless you with overflowing peace, the peace that only the Prince of Peace can give.
I bless your life with fruitfulness: good fruit, abundant fruit and fruit that remains.
I bless you with success. You are the head and not the tail; you are above and not beneath.

I bless the gifts that God has given you.
I bless you with wisdom to make good decisions and to develop your full potential in Christ.
I bless you with overflowing prosperity, enabling you to be a blessing to others.

I bless you with spiritual influence, for you are the light of the world and the salt of the earth.
I bless you with a depth of spiritual understanding and a close walk with your Lord.

You will not stumble or falter, for the Word of God will be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path.

I bless you with good friends. You have favour with God and man.
I bless you with vision, direction, protection, health, healing, compassion, care, love, fulfilment, prosperity and all that God has for your life.
I bless you with an abounding and overflowing love, from which you will minister God’s grace and Gospel of salvation to others. Many will hear of the Lord from your mouth.

You will minister God’s comforting grace to others.

May you have intimacy with the Father in heaven and that this will lead to knowing His heart in all matters.

You are blessed, my child!

You are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.

I bless you with all of these good things in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen!

Yesterday I had a very interesting discussion with Papa Gideon Chiu regarding Ephesians 3, especially Ephesians 3:9-11.  These are my thoughts on this passage and contextual verses.

Ephesians 3:8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, [Paul establishes his credentials, recognising his past, the saving grace of God, and his call to proclaim the good news]

9 and to make all [yes that is you and me] see [perceive, understand, comprehend, have revelation of] what is the fellowship [this is the family of God] of the mystery [what is the mystery? We are one family! see ^#1 below], which from the beginning of the ages [since creation, it has always been God’s plan] has been hidden in God [in God, we are in Christ and Christ is in us; this the mystery is revealed] who created all things through Jesus Christ [this mystery is revealed 100% through the work of Jesus on the cross];

10 to the intent that now the manifold [complete and multi dimensional] wisdom of God might be made known [revealed and understood] by the church [Ekklesia, family of God, body of Christ] to the principalities [rulers] and powers in the heavenly places [Ref: Ephesians 6:10-20, this is the basis of our authority, that we the family of God (Ekklesia and body of Christ) that are in Christ have all authority to deal with principalities and powers, so that Gospel will be proclaimed and the family will increase, people set free and healed],

11 according to the eternal [beyond this age, the 5 fold ministries has a time limit, but the family of God is eternal] purpose [this purpose is not ministry or our works which end when He returns, but is the creation and building of the family of God] which He accomplished [already done through the cross] in Christ Jesus our Lord [we are in Christ, this is a crucial understanding of who we the family of God are],

12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him [Not because of what we have done, but who we are as family, sons and daughters of the most High].

13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. [Ref John 17:22 The glory of God manifest that we would be one]

When we understand the mystery and it’s purpose from the perspective of the eternal family of God everything makes complete sense.

It is as family we have authority and the call to proclaim the full gospel of the Kingdom, that people can be saved, delivered, and healed; and as a result the family of God increases.

The family of God, i.e. who were are as sons and daughters, is the basis of our existence, and the power and authority we have to do the will of the Father.

^#1 Mystery

Ephesians 3:4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ,
5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:
6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body [family, also Ekklesia], and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel [we are one family]

1. Agenda – are we in the Lord’s plans or our own?

Joshua is confronted by the Lord and comes to see that he needs be on the Lord’s side, i.e. it is not whether God is on our side but that we are on God’s side of things.
It is His agenda not ours that matters.
Joshua then worshiped on holy ground which is where we come to hear the Lord’s agenda on issues.
The Lord is calling us into deeper relationship, worship, and holiness.; from this place we have divine alignment for divine assignment.
We cannot hold on to our own agenda and goals, we must hear the Lord in all things and go with His plan, calling, and His purposes.

Joshua 5:13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?”
14 So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”
15 Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.

2. The battle is the Lords, and He gives us the victory.

Good news: we are not David !!! {I have shared this point previously}
Ref: 1 Samuel 17
We are taught to identify with David and his overcoming of Goliath.
But in reality often we don’t beat the Goliaths in our lives, whether they be sickness, poverty, depression, opposition etc.
This leads to disappointment, sometimes on a grand scale.
When we realise that David is a type of Jesus and that He fights for us we have victory.
We can identify with the Children of Israel and see that David fought on their behalf and that Goliath is truly dead.
In the new testament it is Christ in us the hope of glory that enables us to overcome.
Bottom line it is only Jesus that brings victory.
We have hope as He has overcome the world.
It is time to come to the Lord and let him rule our hearts and minds so He can fight for us.

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

3. Perseverance in faith and trust.

2 Kings 13 relates the story of Elisha and King Joash and how Elisha asked Joash to strike the ground with the arrows, which he only did three times.
If he had persisted Joash would have had a complete rather than partial victory.
Too many times we only see partial victory when the Lord wants us to win completely.
Sometimes we go through difficult times, trials, and tribulations.
The Lord is always with us and even carries us in the most difficult times.
His love for us is endless.
Nothing we can do will make Him love us more than He does already.
We just need to persist is loving and trusting Him; again allowing Him to reign in our lives so He can fight for us.
Putting our trust in Him is an act of faith, we choose to trust Him in all things.
Abba Father is there for us at all times – He is completely trustworthy.
He is love and loves us.

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

The question of why we sacrifice is one that confronts Christians as we go forward with the Lord.  It is often difficult to see why sacrifice is needed, or even the benefit of the sacrifices we make.

We see the example Jesus set in Hebrews 12:2 which explains why He suffered and died for us.  This is the most awesome example of pure sacrifice of a innocent, pure, and holy person.

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The photo at the top of the article is of the Be’er Sheva war graves memorial in Israel representing the sacrifices made in WWI for what would become Israel.

When imperfect people sacrifice

We see what Jesus did, but what happens and why do we need to sacrifice? Although we are not perfect of ourselves , we do willingly sacrifice. There are many expressions of sacrifice in the Christian walk, some much more consequential than others. Some examples:

• Giving of time and finances (e.g. volunteering and serving our local community)
• Serving in difficult situations (Doctors and Nurses come to mind, especially those on the missions field)
• Putting your life a risk for others, even unto death (I know persecuted Christians in several countries who follow the Lord faithfully)
• Speaking the truth when people hate and revile you (Cancel culture etc.)
• Prayer and Fasting

Why do we do these things?

We sacrifice because of the Love of God, 1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us. Also John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. It is clear the the Love of God drives us to love without measure, and love sometimes requires sacrifice.

Harry Bell – Sacrificed and we see the Fruit

Here is the account of a 16 year old Christian – Harold Wickham (Bell) who gave his life for his mates and for Israel. He was a young farmer who attended a Presbyterian Church.

Refer to https://www.lighthorse.org.au/harold-thomas-wickham/ for more information about Harry.

He could see little orange flashes and could hear whistling overhead. “I wonder what that is?” Harry thought. His answer came all too soon, as a machine gun round smashed into his leg. He never thought such pain existed – the force of the round threw him from the horse. He bounced along the ground and came to a halt in the dirty, broken soil. The sound of thundering hooves warned him to cover his head as another wave of horsemen galloped over him.

He glanced down at his leg, it lay at a grotesque angle, the result of the bullet shattering his femur. Then things started to blur as he succumbed to the pain, which lapsed him into unconsciousness.

As he struggled to regain consciousness, he felt the warmth of morphine, interrupted intermittently by the sharpness of excruciating pain.

As the padre sat next to him, Harry asked how the regiment had fared. “We took the town Harry, and the blokes and horses are enjoying a good drink.”

Harry lapsed in and out of consciousness throughout the night. In the morning he was still alive but only just. The padre again called on him. “Make sure they get the headstone right,” Harry screamed, and with that the young trooper went limp.

Harry (Harold Bell) wanted his real name on his tombstone and so it is.

Exactly 100 years later, to the day 31/Oct/2017, we see the fruit of Harry’s and others sacrifice in the following photograph at the Be’er Sheva street parade held after the 100 year memorial service.  This is an amazing demonstration of the fruit of sacrifice as Harry and others sacrifices eventually led to the restoration of Israel in 1948.

For reference here is some information about the Australian Light Horse Charge  https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/the-charge-of-the-4th-light-horse-brigade-at-beersheba

Summary

We are called to sacrifice.  It is part of our normal Christian life. Sacrifice is not always a popular sermon topic, but is very important to the Lord.

During this month of May we are praying and fasting for the federal elections, and the GO Movement (please sign up https://www.gomovement.world/en) to support the proclamation of Jesus in this region and the nations.

Prayer

Dear Lord, Let my life be a living sacrifice to You. Take me, make me, mold me and use me for You Kingdome purposes. Let me be salt and light to a sick and dying world. Amen.

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Let this Keith Green song help you pray

His Journey on that day was an incredible prophetic statement about everything that was about to transpire.  Let’s look at the journey Jesus took on that day.

We sang Hosanna to the Lord this morning in church and it was a wonderful time of worship.  The Lord reminded me of His complete journey and to reflect on what it meant.

Bethany

Jesus was staying in Bethany, which means house of figs, and it was the town where Lazarus was raised from the dead. They key understanding is that Jesus started in a place of fruitfulness and new life which is where He normally lives.

This is a good place to be; but is also only the start of bigger things.  We should always start from a place of peace, rest, and blessing.

Bethphage

He asked the disciples to get a young colt from the next town, Bethphage meaning house of unripe figs.  We see that this represents Jesus’ humility as He is lowering Himself as a man on earth to be our Saviour.

The photo above shows a donkey in Israel. The photo was taken on the Jericho road.  Jesus was humble and this is how He entered the Holy City. He did not ride a great white steed or wear Kingly robes, but came in humility to show us God’s love.

Mount of Olives

Mount of Olives is, of course, where Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords will soon return.  This is where the people cried out “Hosanna in the Highest”. This symbolically speaks of Jesus’ ultimate triumph and His eternal reign.  This is also a place where we worship Him as our Lord.

The people of the day were expecting someone to rid them of the Romans and allow Israel to stand as a free people; they missed the greater eternal issue of Jesus dealing with out sin once and for all.

This is the place and time we look forward to. It is a place of celebration and declaring final victory.  But we also look at the journey to achieve this victory.

Down into Kidron Valley and through the Garden of Gethsemane

The next part of our Lord’s journey was to descend into the Kidron valley and  pass through the Garden of Gethsemane.  This speaks of passing through the valley of the shadow of death.  It is also where Jesus prayed in agony sweating blood on the night He was betrayed. Jesus knew what was coming, but still He pressed on.

We need to recognise that sometimes we do pass through the valley of the shadow of death. We all face major issues from time to time. But, as we read John 16:33,  we know we will come through in triumph. Our ability to overcome is based 100% in His grace.

This is a place of holy consecration where we pray ‘Not my will but thine‘. We must not fear the valley or the garden, but recognise we are transformed through these experiences to be more like the Lord.

East or Golden Gate a.k.a Mercy Gate

The Mercy Gate is critical on Jesus’ journey. We refer to Psalm 24:1-10 and ask the question ‘Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place?’ The answer is Jesus!

This gate represents both His mercy for us and His resurrection and His ascension.  We see that Jesus has left the travail of the Garden of Gethsemane and now goes forward to His full purpose and destiny.

The Temple

This is the place from which Jesus will rule and reign! It is a consecrated and holy place representing the manifest presence of God. It is easy to see that this is where we all end up.

This is symbolically both Jesus and our final destination, our final place of rest and also our eternal purposes of ruling and reigning with Him.

Understanding

It is good for us to reflect on Jesus’ journey on Palm Sunday. I have only briefly covered the elements of His triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

Please take some time to reflect on what the Lord has done for us and how this journey showed what was to come (and is still coming).

Scripture

The Triumphal Entry

Matthew 21:1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”

6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

“Hosanna to the Son of David!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Hosanna in the highest!”

10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”

11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

All photos © Kym Farnik.

During WWII many B17 bombers returned from missions with flak and machine gun damage.

The USAAF decided to analyse the damage patterns and increase armour/protection for the damaged areas.

Before the planes were modified, a Hungarian-Jewish statistician named Abraham Wald reviewed the data. Wald had fled Nazi-occupied Austria and worked in New York with other academics to help the war effort.

Wald’s review pointed out a critical flaw in the analysis. The researchers had only looked at bombers who’d returned to base.

Missing from the data? Every plane that had been shot down.

But the research wasn’t a wasted effort. These surviving bombers rarely had damage in the cockpit, engine, and parts of the tail. This wasn’t because of superior protection to those areas. In fact, these were the most vulnerable areas on the entire plane.

These areas were not obvious but had much greater damage which caused a loss of aircraft and crew.

The researchers’ bullet hole data had created a map of the exact places that the bomber could be shot and still survive.

With the new analysis in hand, crews reinforced the bombers’ cockpit, engines, and tail armor. The result was fewer fatalities and greater success of bombing missions. This analysis proved to be so useful that it continued to influence military plane design up through the Vietnam war.

How we deal with battle scars and wounds

It is not the obvious battle scars we carry, but the hidden ones that need attention.

The Lord is bringing deep healing to the deepest wounds. He is healing the most broken parts of us.

We need to see the depth of some wounds and welcome Holy Spirit healing.
Trust the Lord with your most vulnerable issues, a bruised reed He will not break nor a smoking wick will he extinguish.  Isaiah 42:3

His deep love makes whole again, rest in Him, allow His healing balm to come and flood you with His Power and Love.

One of the most insidious effects of the coronavirus pandemic that has held our world in a vice like grip for nearly 2 years has been an incredible spirit of fear.

Fear of the virus, fear of global agendas, fear of vaccines, fear of not being vaccinated, fear of Government overreach, fear of others with a different view, fear of authority, etc.

The fruit of fear is division and a complete lack of trust in the Lord. The level of fear, vitriol, and distrust between fellow Christians astounds me! So many spend more time chasing conspiracies (see below) than seeking and worshipping the Lord. We must not live in fear, but live in the love and fear of the Lord !! The fear of the Lord brings His peace.

We are exhorted on how to live in Romans 12 and the essence of this is God’s family love to Him and one another. Coronavirus fear has taken so many away from this core message. It’s time to repent from fear and start loving !!

Fear – Here is the cure

I understand the phrase, “Fear not” appears 365 times in the Bible – one for every day of the year.
It appears numerous times in the Psalms and was the anthem of Jesus’ ministry.
That phrase implies we have some control over the level of our personal fears.
Maybe we can ease the torment by guarding the information we ingest.

We can minimise and eliminate our fears by changing our focus and dwelling on the Lord and His word !!
We do this by praise and worship, reading the word, and spending time in His presence.
The victory over fear and situations is well illustrated by the account in 2 Chronicles 20:20-24 where the worshippers went out in front of the army and brought a massive victory without Israel having to fight.

A child may awaken in the night terrified by a nightmare or a scary noise outside the window.
They cry out to their father, who would come sit on the edge of their bed and reassure then that everything was all right.
Knowing he was there beside them, they feel secure enough to fall back asleep and rest in peace.

The answer to our fears is the presence of our heavenly Father.  He is with us even before we pray.

Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Jonah 2:2 In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. 

Romans 8:35, 37 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?…No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

John 13:34  A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Romans 8:39 Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Conspiracies

While conspiracy theories often have some elements of truth, upon which supposition and lies are built, there is a bigger question…

How do we as Christians respond?

1. Don’t re-post them !!!
2. Point people to the truth of the word of God and especially the Gospel
3. Minister Truth, Love, Hope, Faith, Healing, Provision and above all the message of Salvation
4. We have the answer and His name is Jesus !!!
5. Our focus is the Kingdom of God
6. Our security is completely in Jesus Christ, crucified, raised, and ascended
7. We carry the word of God to a sick dying world !!!

Matthew 24:6 And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. *See that you are not troubled*; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “*All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth*. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Isaiah 8:12  Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus,

You are the Prince of Peace. You came to give us your peace. It’s nothing like the world gives. It is peace born in the freedom we have in you, a gift to all God’s children—to guard our hearts and minds.

I can’t escape the troubles of this world. I may face financial difficulties, relationship breakdowns, a health crisis—so many scary challenges. But you tell me to “take heart,” to be encouraged, because you have overcome the world. You have overcome all the things that would discourage and defeat us. I am grateful for your peace that is beyond all my circumstances.

It is God’s presence that made the Israelites distinct from those nations around them. Without God, they were lonely, lost wanderers. With Him, they were following their Mighty Leader in a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night.

It is God’s presence that makes the journey of life not just bearable but victorious! Our God knows us personally! He knows our names, cares for our every need, and enables us to do exploits for His Glory. Why would we want to go anywhere without Him?

During Moses’ conversation with God, Moses asks to see God’s glory. I love God’s response:

Exodus 33:19 (a) Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you.”

Exodus 33:20 But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”

Can you imagine this scene? It’s amazing! Moses asked and God granted.  It gets better for us. Because of the work of the Cross we can behold His face 2 Corinthians 3:18 .

We carry the very presence of God as the Holy Spirit indwells us.  Colossians 1:27 tells us that Christ is in us, the hope of glory.

As carriers of His presence, we worship, pray, declare His name, preach the Gospel, and perform miracles.  2 Corinthians 4:6

Without the Lord we can do nothing, in Him we can do all things. My challenge and prayer is that we should be so full of Him that we shine His light to a dying and corrupt world.

The deep longing and desire for us to have a significant and meaningful relationship with God and each other is a major driver for our lives.  This is a God given call in our lives.  When we have genuine connections with God and each other there is real joy.

We then (sometimes) play at church; we sit in a pew looking at the back of someone’s head, sing a few songs, shake hands and say God bless you. But! How often do we walk with people through their troubles, how often do we get to heart issues and really carry each other? 

Derek Prince stated that the central purpose of the local church (local ekklesia) is fellowship supported by these 4 points:

1. 1 Corinthians 1:9 — We are called to the sharing together of Christ.
2. 1 John 1:3 — The New Testament was written to bring us into the fellowship of the apostles, sharing with them the fellowship of the Father and the Son.
3. 1 John 1:4 — This fellowship brings full joy (compare 2 John 12).
4. John 3:6 — Out of this fellowship the Holy Spirit brings to birth the purposes of God (compare Acts 2:1; 13:1–4). Without fellowship there can be no spiritual birth.

Local church is great! And a good worship service and a good preach is great value; but if we do not have real relationships then it is a game.   If we don’t open our homes, wallets, and hearts then we are missing the true purpose and connection between Christians.  When we get it right then there is purpose, life and joy.
Ref Matthew 7.

Obviously the level of relationship with people will vary, it can’t be the same for everybody, but if we don’t have some deep connections we are in big trouble.
If all our Christian relationship is contained within formal meetings then we are missing God’s love.

If we do not really know some of our brothers and sisters journey, including the ugly bits, then we are not living as Jesus has called us to.
If we have no-one to share our journey with, including the ugly bits, then we are missing a fundamental foundation.

We need to have people to speak into our lives, people to share our lives with and people we are speaking into.  Over the last few years Nel and I had the privilege of spending time with some global leaders including some from the Chinese underground church.

What made all of these leaders different was the very genuine heart relationship that was obvious and opened up for us.  There were true fathers and mothers in the faith and lived a reality that we in the west desperately need.

Above all we need to have the foundation of our Father’s love underpinning all our relationships. We love because He first loved us.

So why don’t we have these sort of relationships? This is the pressing question of modern western local churches.

In a word, fear!

We fear rejection and emotional pain!  It would seem we are scared to be open, because it means from time to time we will be hurt.
We need to take a risk! And be open and even allow being hurt.
When we get hurt, we learn to forgive and heal. It is (in part) how we grow.

Not having pain means not growing.  This is the price of maturity.  When we take relational risks we find that there are people we can share life with and our calling and purpose become manifest.

When we are hurt, we have a healer – the Holy Spirit who carries us when needed; we also have good people that God has put into our lives to help in the healing process. But if we don’t have the right relationships we are alone – which is so wrong.  But in relationship we have the life of God and things really start happening.

John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has to do with punishment. He that fears is not made perfect in love.

Being alone is the worst situation we can be in; we have been designed to be in relationship.  We need to build our relationship with the Lord and each other.  This is not a chore but fun!

Fellowship is not just church meetings, it is about just hanging out and being together. We need to make time for each other beyond formal meetings.
It is the only way we can build meaningful relationships!  We have real relationships with several small groups and in turn connect with the wider Church in this city and nation.

Once relationships get real, Papa God will enable a whole bunch of fantastic things to happen!

On to fathers and mothers in the faith

Being fathers and mothers in the faith is where we all need to get real.  This is the natural outworking of relationships in the body of Christ.  Without this relational base to our walk with the Lord forget any aspirations to revival etc.

1 Corinthians 4:8 For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have you not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

I would have one real father than 10,000 teachers/instructors!  We are privileged to have some genuine fathers in the faith.  In our most difficult times and when we need these fathers are there for us.  Also they celebrate our good times and we theirs.

This blog is a call for fathers and mothers in the faith to rise and turn their hearts to their children.  This is the imperative of the last verse of the old testament.  Without the reconciliation of generations, reconciliation of intercessors and church leaders, reconciliation of first nations in the land and so forth we cannot really progress.

Malachi 4:6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.

When the Lord’s reconciliation comes, and we pray, He will move in our land and the nations!  Now is the time Malachi 4:6 is being fulfilled.  The age of the Church, the Bride without spot or wrinkle is here!

How do we make this happen?

It is very simple!  We can start by spending regular time with other Christians, have a meal, or a tea/coffee, talk with each other, and even pray together.  Just be real with each other.  As Danny Silk said “If you minister to someone they might feel loved. If you love someone they will be ministered to”  In other words don’t try to be ‘spiritual’ just be a friend first.  Everything else will flow from loving each other.

There is always a good number of people praying each night on Zoom, and some are there every night.  Warwick even had to purchase a larger package on Zoom to accommodate even more intercessors the time when our Prime Minister Scott Morrison came on the call to pray during the prayer intensive 29th March 2020.

Kym and I have walked with Jesus since the seventies and in more recent times the Lord has placed us with different prayer ministries and so our prayer journey has deepened.

The people who really rule the world are those who know how to pray.
~ Derek Prince

Why prayer?

Prayer is the cry of the human heart to Creator God.  It can come in many forms; verbal, silent, groaning or tears.  Jesus, Our Lord taught us to pray to Our Father and many of us know the words of this prayer off by heart.

He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not become discouraged.
~ Luke 18:1 HCSB

We pray because we want and need answers for the things that we cannot change on our own in this world.  Because God is a good Father, we know that He hears us and answers us.

And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.
~ 1 John 5:15 HCSB

I am sure that many of us have prayed and prayed until we have peace and then we know that the answer is on the way.  And when the answer comes, we rejoice and tell others about the goodness of Father God.

Effects of prayer

Prayer does not only change an individual, but it also changes nations.  When an individual believer is in the place of prayer with the Lord, he is transformed.

We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.
~ 2 Corinthians 3:18 HCSB

After walking with Jesus for several years and having had various encounters, the cry of my heart was “Lord, I don’t want another experience – I want a changed life.”  The Lord took me very seriously, and so my journey has been perhaps a bit different from the experience of others.  We can minister from a place of His grace and He will bless others, but there is a greater spiritual authority when one has experienced the Father’s power in a certain area of life.  This gives us keys to share with others to help them with their breakthroughs.

Rees Howells, in his book Intercessor, shared many examples of prayer that made a difference in WWII and ultimately gave the victory to the Allies. We also have seen the turnaround for national issues through corporate prayer. It is a season to come together and see Australia changed.

The power of corporate prayer by the Ekklesia in unity and oneness is unstoppable.

Calling the Church to prayer

Even before my conversion, my friends who were sharing Jesus with me took me to a Tuesday night prayer meeting, and I had not even attended a Sunday service.  Right from the beginning, Father has been immersing me in prayer.

I was born again in 1971, and Ps Reg Klimionok was the Pastor of the Mt Gravatt church in Brisbane.  I walked a journey with this man, and he modelled to me and the congregation what a life of prayer looked like.  There were regular fasting times, all days of prayer for him in the church building alone on Saturdays. Sunday mornings, even before the service commenced, he was on the front steps of the church by the altar about half an hour before the service, kneeling and praying, and we joined him on those steps.  This was an awesome example of faithful prayer, and without it all other gifts will be lacking.

Jesus Himself did not draw strength from the Synagogue or Temple, but He drew aside frequently to pray to His Father in Heaven.

Yet He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.
~ Luke 5:16 HCSB

How much more do we need to be in that place of prayer and remain like it says in Psalm 91:1?

The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.
~ Psalm 91:1 HCSB

The first verb here, yashav  יָשַׁב means to sit, sit down, remain and the second verb, dwell, Lun לוּן means to lodge, stop over, pass the night, abide.  So, one goes from sitting and staying, to lying down and staying for a while.  To stay in His presence and not leave that intimate place is the ideal place for a believer.

Individual, congregational, and unity prayer

Many of us understand the benefits of individual prayer and intimacy with Jesus.  Fewer understand the importance of congregational or corporate prayer.  Many pastors have a prayer life and in some places there are prayer meetings before the service, which is great; however, prayer has been declining in churches over decades to the point now where many churches do not have a weekly congregational prayer meeting at all.

This photo shows us more clearly the prayers of years gone by where groups prayed on their knees for hours and found not only sweet consolation but glorious results.

So where to from here?

On Monday 25th May, as I was waking up I had a vision and a message from the Lord, which I shared with Warwick Marsh on the phone, and he encouraged me to write this article as I feel that the Lord has a message for us in it.

These are some of the salient points that the Holy Spirit showed me.  I saw a picture of a cul-de-sac which looked like a U-shape on the right-hand side.  The Lord was sharing with me that the churches were enjoying the benefits of the combined prayer of the people during this Covid-19 season.  He went on to share with me that now in order to maintain this current move of the Holy Spirit, congregations need to have their own prayer meetings, or the results will not last.

The right-hand side represents God’s side.  The cul-de-sac is a dead-end street. Combined prayer is really powerful, and each one of us who has been interceding on these Zoom prayer meetings knows that things are changing now as we come out of the Covid-19 season and back into a “new normal” routine.

The “now” message which I believe the Holy Spirit is trying to communicate to us is that the prayer in the next season needs to move back into the congregations.  Perhaps you could invite other believers to your homes to pray, or you might like to share with your Pastor the blessings of what we have learned through the Zoom sessions and request a weekly prayer meeting in your congregation.

One of the biggest lessons I have learned from being with mainland Chinese believers is that continual repentance sustains revival.  Many of us have been in moves of God that dissipate and we need to seek God for another move.

It is all about the heart, dear one, it is all about the heart.  May we learn from our Chinese brothers and sisters, how to cleanse our hearts with repentance, keep a clear channel with the Lord and with each other, then together we will see Father God move in our lives, congregations and nations to bring wonderful transformation that only He can bring about, and He will receive all the glory.

Well family, we have been travelling on this prayer journey together and now the “take home” message I received from the Holy Spirit is that we need to take this new level of prayer back to our local congregations.

The word Moed (Hebrew: מועד, “Festivals” also “appointed time”) provides specific instructions for the rituals, observances and laws related to holidays and festivals. It also carries the idea of God’s dynamic powerful appointed time. Kairos is an Ancient Greek word meaning the right, critical, or opportune moment.

This Pentecost has been such a time and represents at launch pad for the Ekklesia (Church). We are in a Chronos time by calendar but also Moed / Kairos appointed dynamic God time!

Which raises the question of what is this specific Moed / Kairos time?

It is HARVEST TIME!

Pentecost (feasts of weeks) celebrates, among other things, the end of barley harvest and the start of wheat harvest. In Bible times, barley was much more widely cultivated than now and was the main food of the poor. It was always valued less than wheat (2 Kings 7:1 ; Revelation 6:6).

Biblically wheat is associated with rebirth and resurrection. It is also used to describe the harvest of souls into the Kingdom of God.

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (John 12:24)

Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into My barn (Matthew 13:30)

God greatly values this wheat, which is how he sees the lost right now, as valued people! So valuable He sent Jesus for us all. It is the appointed (Moed / Kairos) time for us to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, of The healer, The deliverer, The provider, and above The Saviour Jesus Christ, Yeshua Hamaschiach.

We prophecy that this wheat harvest is a rich harvest, a quality harvest, a bountiful harvest! In the parable of the sower our Lord speaks of grains of wheat which in good ground produce a HUNDRED-FOLD. So, we pray for both good soil and workers to be sent into the white harvest fields. There has been much preparation in prayer, equipping via initiatives like https://go2020.world , online outreach via the #hopestory hashtag with 60 second testimony and much more. It is time for the reaper to overtake the sower and see this end time harvest come into its fullness.

To bring in this harvest requires us all to be activated as ministers of the Gospel. It will be in the streets and shops the harvest will come in. Large meetings/rallies may happen, but the bulk of the harvest is up to us to reap in the form of every believer evangelism. Every believer is a witness.

We are already getting daily reports of new converts via hope stories and others just sharing Jesus with people in their daily lives. This is being multiplied over the planet, but is somewhat hidden as we don’t see mega meetings. Hundreds of millions of people have heard the Gospel in May this year alone.

We are launching into a great season of harvest. Those that recognise and understand the times and seasons are seeing this now and going forward this year and beyond.

The threshing floors will be full of wheat, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. (Joel 2:24)

Notes: Pentecost 5780/2020 (Shavuot – Feast of Weeks) was sunset, 28 May – nightfall, 30 May
Celebrates the end of barley harvest and the start of wheat harvest.
The word Shavuot means “weeks” and it marks the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer. Its date is directly linked to that of Passover; the Torah mandates the seven-week (49 days) Counting of the Omer, beginning on the second day of Passover, to be immediately followed by Shavuot.
The Counting of the Omer begins on the second day of Passover (the 16th of Nisan) for Orthodox Jews , and ends the day before the holiday of Shavuot, the ‘fiftieth day’ hence ‘Pentecost’
Ref: Leviticus 23:9–21 and Deuteronomy 16:9–12

Let’s consider what the true Passover is. First, it is the story of the final plague of Egypt (Angel of Death) passing over the Israelites who were captive in Egypt. (Exodus 12:12-13) All who had the blood of a sacrificial lamb painted on the door posts were saved from the death plague. It is in the Passover Lamb we are delivered.

Secondly, we need to also understand Yom Kippur ( יוֹם כִּיפּוּר ), the Day of Atonement. It is the most solemn religious fast of the Jewish year. Yom Kippur held on the last of the ten days of penitence that begin with Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year). It is the day when a lamb, and other blood sacrifices, were made by the High Priest to cover the sin of the Jewish people.

Our understanding starts in John 1:29 where John the Baptist announced Jesus as the Lamb of God.  John was the final Old Testament prophet, the son of a priest, and as the chosen forerunner of Christ. He declared Jesus as the Passover Lamb of God. This is an absolutely powerful, complete, and transforming truth. Think of the awesome sequence of events God had planned just on the day of Christ’s crucifixion. On the day Christ died on the cross for our sins, it was the fourteenth day of Nisan, A.D. 33 (best understanding).

At the third hour (9:00 AM), Israel’s High Priest placed the paschal lamb on the altar for sacrifice. At that exact moment outside the city walls of Jerusalem, Jesus, the Lamb of God, was nailed to the cross.

For six hours both the paschal lamb and Jesus the Lamb of God, awaited death. Finally, at the ninth hour (3:00 PM), the High Priest ascended the altar in the Temple and sacrificed the Passover lamb.

God the Father allowed the total sin of the world to descend upon His Son Jesus and it was at that exact moment, from the cross, Jesus Christ’s words cried out over Jerusalem and echoed to the whole planet, “It is finished!” (John 19:30).

Passover the most pivotal moment in all of history, as it is the work of the cross and Jesus’ sacrifice that frees us from sin and death.

Three days later, after burial, descent into Hades setting the captives free, and His resurrection; that we have healing, deliverance, provision, and above all salvation in Christ Jesus.

This is our prime focus, His suffering, death, burial, and resurrection. He is the Lamb of God. It is from this place we have been given eternal life and all the benefits of the Cross which include healing and healing of the nations.

Our response is simple: recognise our wretchedness, sin, and our need for God’s forgiveness; then we repent from our sin believing in Him, receiving His grace through faith.

We proclaim the incredible Good News of God’s forgiveness to all the world, lifting up the Name above all names, our Lord Jesus Christ.

With all this in mind and celebrating Passover (aka Easter) in a few weeks, we pray that the current plague will pass over.  We (the Ekklesia) stand in the gap and repent for the sins of our nation, and as grievous as those sins are, we ask for God’s mercy and grace at this difficult time.

We declare Passover for Australia.

We call Australia to repentance, faith, and salvation.

We call Australia to its Joseph anointing, a provider of things physical but more so a nation sending the Gospel of Jesus into the region (South Pacific) and to all nations.

This is the time for us, the Ekklesia (body of Christ), to shine, because we are salt and light, we have the answer to all the world’s issues, and that answer is complete in Jesus Christ, the crucified Lamb of God.

Matthew 24 tells of wars, rumours of wars, pestilences, earthquakes, lawlessness, and deception.
It is obvious that these things are happening, and time is short. The key to navigating all of these things is in Jesus’ words in verse Matthew 24:6 ‘See that you are not troubled’.

Also Luke 21 speaks of the end times. We need to especially focus on Luke 21:28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.

Jesus gives us a key to life in John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace (Shalom). In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
We must live in the truth of Jesus’ words.

All of the bad things that are happening in the world (and especially wild rumours i.e. conspiracy theories etc.) bring fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD). FUD is not the fruit of the spirit!
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Let’s apply this verse to overcome FUD.

We must not focus on the things happening as much as we should be lifting up the name of the Lord, worshipping Him, praying for one another in love, and preaching the gospel of His Kingdom.  Psalm 100 As we enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise we will see His salvation.

Let’s pray for our Chinese brothers and sisters, many of whom have been praying for Australia in regards the drought and fires, the following verses:
Psalm 91:1-2 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty… My God, in Him I will trust.
Psalm 91:9-10 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 10 No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.

We declare our love and the love of the Lord over our Chinese family and all affected by the virus. We pray that through these situations people will turn to the Lord and find Him and His salvation.  We humbly ask for healing of the people and the nations.

Update: Christian Family in Wuhan report that persecution has reduced and there is an increased ability to share the Gospel due to the virus.

Thank you God our Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for all your gracious blessings. We look to You the Author and Finisher of our faith for all strength, life, Shalom peace in the mighty and wonderful name of Jesus.

Amen!

Here is a video from our Chinese family in Wuhan: