That’s the question on the minds of many Israelis, even as they adjust to life in wartime. Around 200,000 Israelis have fled their homes at both the northern and southern borders.

Eric Mock with Slavic Gospel Association says, “Most reports show about 80% of the Israeli military up on the northern border. They don’t know what Hezbollah will do. So they’re in constant fear that now, all of a sudden, it’s the eye of the storm before rockets come from the North.

(Photo courtesy of Oleg with Slavic Gospel Association)

“So even as they attempt to go back to normal, there’s this recognition that at any second, at any moment, much like what happened to them earlier on October 7, everything could change.”

SGA supports Russian-speaking churches in Israel, which include Jews who fled the war in Ukraine.

However, instead of being immobilized by a new war front, these believers understand the fear their neighbors are going through, and they’re responding with compassion.

“We’re talking about all these people that have been displaced,” says Mock. “Much like a hurricane coming into New Orleans, much like we see other destructions, these people now have nowhere to go.”

With SGA’s help, Russian-speaking churches are delivering groceries to the displaced and gathering for meals.

Mock says, “Central to distribution of food is relationship building, and then the questions follow the relationship building. The [relationships] then provide bridges for the Gospel.”

Pray for spiritual fruit in Israel. Ask the Lord to encourage churches representing Christ and comfort those living in grief and fear.

Header photo courtesy of Oleg with Slavic Gospel Association.

An Israeli defense spokesperson emphasized Al Shifa Hospital is not under siege and reminded the world that Hamas still has 239 Israeli hostages.

Meanwhile, missile sirens continue to sound every day in Israel. Over 9,500 rockets have been fired on Israel from both Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north since the war began.

Victor Kalisher of the Bible Society in Israel says Israelis are grappling with collective, generational trauma. “When someone has been through a trauma, everything that reminds you of that brings you back to the situation that you remember.

The Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington D.C., USA. (Photo courtesy of Tatiana Rodriguez/Unsplash)

“In our collective historic memory, we have the Holocaust. We have a lot of disasters. You know we celebrate Purim. It’s the story of Haman. And [then] Pharaoh. It is part of our identity. It’s not something foreign. It’s not a story about someone far. It is our story. We teach it to our children, we celebrate it every year, and we feel that it is the same thing. It happened to us again, and we are shocked.

“It’s the same demons that can chop heads off children, burn them, rape women and girls, and things that you cannot imagine…just unbelievable.”

Churches are asking the Bible Society in Israel specifically for biblical resources for traumatized kids and teens.

“We share resources for children and youth because they go through very difficult times. For children to go in this time, they have a lot of questions, they are afraid, the rockets are falling everywhere, the sirens are every day, and many of them are very scared obviously,” says Kalisher.

Messianic Hebrew resources for youth are limited. Over the last few years, the Bible Society in Israel has produced children’s books and resources in Hebrew that tell Bible stories, communicate Christian values, and engage kids at different stages.

(Image courtesy of the Bible Society in Israel)

You can support the Bible Society in Israel here as they develop more biblical resources in Hebrew for kids.

“We want to help them, to encourage them so that this time will not just be a time where they sit in front of the TV watching and scared and so on, but that they use it in a positive way and grow spiritually.”

Kalisher asks, “Pray that the Church will seek the truth biblically of what is happening and what should be the response of the Church…. We need to really seek the face of God. What is our role in this plan of salvation of yours, God? Because it affects every one of us.”

Header photo of Western Wall, Jerusalem, Israel. (Photo courtesy of Bruno Aguirre/Unsplash)

Beyond the military movements, Pastor Israel Pochtar of Beit Hallel Congregation in Ashdod says this is a spiritual war.

Photo taken after the Hamas attack on Israel, October 7, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Kobi Gideon, GPO/Wikimedia Commons)

“People who attack Israel, they’ve been proclaiming the name of their god. They’ve been screaming and shouting, ‘Our god is greater than the God of Israel. So we let’s do violence and let’s kill and destroy in the name of our god.’ That shows you right away that it is spiritual warfare.”

Pochtar says from the attacks on October 7th, “I’ve seen all sorts of footage. It’s been posted by Hamas [and] by just civilian people…. It’s heavily spiritual. I really feel like lots of demonic powers were released…because normal people, sober [people] cannot do that. We heard about some of the evil events in Ukraine, but those people had been drugged and drunk and they did crazy stuff. Not on the same scale, but they did.”

As more information is verified from the Hamas terror attacks one month ago, the world has learned horrifying accounts of Israeli babies beheaded, parents and children burned together, women raped, and bodies showing signs of torture.

“With Hamas, we’re talking about sober people, religious people who will do that — for the sake of their god. It’s a war between Allah [and] the God of Israel who is also the God of Christians, our God.”

Steeple in Jerusalem, Israel. (Photo courtesy of Jonny Gios/Unsplash)

The Church across Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza is the spiritual frontline because the only thing that will change hearts and save souls in both the Muslim and Jewish worlds is Jesus Christ.

Pochtar says Christians are showing profound unity. “When this disaster happened on October 7, first of all, I received phone calls from Arab pastors. I have a number of Arab pastors who are my friends…. They called me and said, ‘Israel, we are crying with you. We are crying for your nation, for our nation. So we are with you. Let us know if we can help you in any possible way. We can host people.’ That was amazing.

“So to see the support of Arab Christians, they’re not blind. They don’t just think of ethnicity. They really understand the Bible. They know what happens in their hearts for their own people. Yet, they also support Israel and they value friendship with Jewish families because we are brothers. We are family in Christ, and this is very, very precious.

“Together, we really make a difference. Together, we are a powerful testimony of what Jesus can do when we both serve Him and focus on the Kingdom of God and His principles.”

Please continue to pray! Jehovah Sabaoth — the Lord of Heaven’s Armies — is at work, as people across Israel and Gaza are seeing angels and meeting Jesus.

“We hear stories of Israelis who’ve been encountering Jesus in that way; some Muslims have been encountering Jesus in that way,” says Pochtar. “So many spiritual things can happen.”

Click here to learn more about Beit Hallel Congregation’s ministry.

Header photo shows a column of smoke resulting from the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip, March 5, 2023. (Photo, caption courtesy of Mohammed Ibrahim/Unsplash)

Pastor Israel Pochtar of Beit Hallel Congregation in Ashdod says, “Israel has the biggest military mobilization of people ever in its entire history. So 350,000 Israelis — young fathers and mostly young ones — who were mobilized in the military. It’s affecting every part of our society.”

War relief action teams deliver much-needed essentials to soldiers at the Israeli army bases in the south of Israel. (Photo courtesy of Beit Hallel Congregation)

Pochtar’s own two sons are in Israel’s military – one is already serving and one was recently deployed. His youngest son’s best friend (also in the army) was killed by the Hamas attack on October 7th, as was his daughter’s best friend who was at the music festival.

At least 30 young men from Pochtar’s church have deployed since the start of the conflict. Civilians are feeling the impact of war.

“Church services, we have to limit them to 50 people,” Pochtar says. “We do have a bomb shelter in my church that helps, praise the Lord. We still can do services. But even just to drive to the church is dangerous because we can come under fire at any time. So when we have sirens, people need to run to the bomb shelter. That’s our reality now for the last 16 days.”

During this time, Christians in Israel are showing compassion in Yeshua’s name to their communities.

“It’s tragedy. It’s painful. It’s caught us by surprise, so it is a difficult situation. But as a church, we have no time to slow down. We are working hard because crisis and war and tragedy, that’s the best time for the Church to be light, and that’s our focus. We’re collecting ourselves and going through the pain of losses.”

(Photo courtesy of Beit Hallel Congregation)

With so many Israeli soldiers suddenly deployed, their troops need day-to-day essentials. Beit Hallel Congregation’s war relief action teams are getting food, water, hygiene products, and other aid items to Israeli army bases in the south.

Ashdod where the church is located has been hit by continued bombing from Gaza. It’s also very close to Ashkelon, another major target of rocket fire.

“I live on a high floor, so I can see from my windows Ashkelon and Gaza,” Pochtar says. “When rockets fly, I personally see it with my eyes. So we’re close.”

Beit Hallel Congregation is providing emergency food baskets and care hampers to Israeli families affected by war in the south.

Pochtar says, “For us in the beginning when it started, we said, ‘We need to go ahead and buy groceries, buy food to be ready because soon people will cry for help.’

“As time goes on, people stay home. With the rocket fire, they cannot go into the shop. There is no house delivery. You cannot order Uber or other ways people order food. Women, young moms with little kids…stay home. They cannot even go out and buy groceries. Disabled people, old people, they are stuck home… We know from experience as time goes by, the needs will grow.”

Please pray for a resolution to the conflict and for Gospel opportunities among devastated Israeli and Palestinian communities.

You can give to Beit Hallel Congregation’s war relief efforts here.

Header photo of war relief action teams delivering much-needed essentials to soldiers at the Israeli army bases in the south of Israel. (Photo courtesy of Beit Hallel Congregation)