Each year, Derech Avraham holds the “At the Crossroads” conference for believers throughout the Middle East, many of whom are partnering with us practically and prayerfully. Every other year it is held in Jerusalem, and the alternate years in another country on the Isaiah 19 Highway.
This year we were due to meet in Jerusalem, and we wrangled over the wisdom of gathering in Israel. But wow, we’re glad we did.
Smaller, yet larger than usual
With visa restrictions being tighter and the security situation being so volatile, planning with any certainty was very difficult. However, in the end we decided to go ahead and trust God. As it happened, we gathered just after the hostages returned to Israel and a ceasefire was declared, to everyone’s great joy and relief. It was a perfect time to meet: a “kairos” moment of Middle East peace.
Several countries were not able to attend in person due to the war and could only join by video, including Egypt, Iraq, and Iran. However in one way or another Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Turkey, Armenia, Israel, and even Saudi Arabia were represented. We were able to share stories of what God is doing in the region to inform and encourage one another, and look for meaningful ways to partner together.
We looked at the call in Isaiah 6, when God asks “Who can I send?” And the response, “hineini,” meaning, “Here I am, send me!” as we offer ourselves to become God’s messengers.
One of the Lebanese participants spoke of a time she had been arrested by Hezbollah for prayerfully planting a stone with the word “LOVE” written on it in Hebrew near the Lebanese border with Israel. She was held for three months in prison for this prophetic act, but felt strongly that God’s desire for the two countries to be at peace, and that it was important to pray into that vision. She had no regrets.
Open wide ye heavenly gates!
Since this vision was shared with other Lebanese believers, we spent time together praying for that peace, and the opening of borders between Lebanon and Israel that have been closed for decades.
Of course much of what is shared cannot go on the internet, but the story of the Lebanese intercessor and how she buried the stone saying “LOVE” can be seen in this podcast below.
Open Nights
While most of our time together was the smaller, core group of leaders from around the region, we opened up the doors for two evenings, inviting others from the body of Messiah in Israel to come and see what it’s all about. We were amazed how many came to catch the vision, and join us worshiping in Hebrew, Arabic and English.
Here are some of the highlights:
Can Nuroglu shared about his experiences serving in Turkey – how they had the joy of bringing an Israeli innovator who had designed easy-build “tiny houses” that could be constructed in a matter of hours, and were able to build almost 1000 homes for those left homeless after the earthquake. So many came to faith that 2 new churches were planted as a result.
Charmaine Hedding shared about her call from God as a little girl to help rescue persecuted Christians, and how that led her to Syria and Afghanistan, where she helped airlift thousands out of danger when the Taliban took over.
A couple, one from Jordan and the other from Syria, shared how God had brought them back to their home countries in his service and against all their expectations, and Dana from Jerusalem shared how walking through the war together in regular prayer with a dear Palestinian friend had been both significant and deeply healing. She referred to Isaiah 62:10 where it talks about building up the highway and clearing out the stones from our hearts:
Go through, go through the gates;
prepare the way for the people;
build up, build up the highway;
clear it of stones;
lift up a signal over the peoples.
(Isaiah 62:10)
On the last evening, Michael Kerem shared the prophetic call of Isaiah 19. He talked about the context and meaning of the word “Mesilah” in the book of Isaiah, representing a road to return to the ancient land, a highway for the king, a road to reconciliation, a road to blessing, connecting back to the promise in Genesis 12 that God would bless those who bless him. Abraham’s own journey from Assyria through the Holy Land and over to Egypt then back again also reminds us of the reconciliation needed in the family of Abraham. Unity commands a blessing, and God’s plan and purpose is to open up the way for all peoples to gain access to the commonwealth of Israel, along with all the prophetic promises.
A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
(Isaiah 40:3-5)
After the gathering times in Jerusalem, the group went on a tour around Israel led by Reverend David Pileggi, rector of Christ church, for a time of bonding together and learning about the Land. The teambuilding tour was off the beaten track, visiting both ancient sites and places of modern Israeli innovation that have changed the world.
With all the rapid changes happening in the region, who knows what might happen by the next time we meet!