Oct. 29, 2005
Shalom Friends!
Good news: The letters and emails are helping! The chief of police of Israel had a meeting with the head rabbi of the Hassidei Gur and they came to an agreement. The police chief agreed not to arrest any of the Gur if the Rabbi would instruct his people not to harass the believers in Arad any more. They made a verbal agreement. So for almost two weeks over the holidays, there has been quiet in Arad. We have enjoyed it so much that we have had two picnics outside by the King’s Men. We didn’t know if it has been quiet because of the Holy Days and the yeshiva is empty during this time OR if it is because of the Rabbi’s instructions to his people. Either way, it was like a vacation and we praise the Lord for it! “Every good gift comes down from the Father of Light…”
This week, however, one of our believers was sitting alone on a bench in the town center near the public Sukkah (temporary structure built for the Holy Days of the Feast of Tabernacles). A group of the Hassidei Gur came out of the Sukkot carrying their lulavs (palm branches – some in long plastic cases) and saw Alex sitting. They surrounded him and began beating him with the lulavs. He was rescued by two Russians who helped him get away from his attackers. He was disoriented so they put him in a taxi and took him to his house. For two days afterward, he was stuttering and could not speak properly then he lost his voice altogether. After prayer and recuperation, he is back to normal, praise the Lord!
Then last evening about 60 of them demonstrated noisily outside Yakim’s house, but this time there was a police car sitting outside also keeping the Haredim away from the house itself.
This morning, I was in the town center with Rebeka and another believer and three of the Haredim surrounded us and began videotaping and harassing us.
So – these incidents show us that the hatred is still there and nothing has been resolved. Only a change of heart and a willingness to allow the Lord Y’shua to change lives by the power of His blood will turn this hatred into love. We are praying for it! We will know when they are serious about stopping the persecution when they publicly rescind the false charges against the believers and put an agreement in writing. So far that has not happened. We thank you for your prayers and letters for us and for them! Not every believer can accept what is happening here – read on:
Questions we have been asked (by people who are not here.):
1. “Surely there is a solution; you just haven’t looked hard enough for it yet.”(Feel free to come and look…)
Solutions we have been given:
1. “Perhaps if you close the King’s Men Chess and Bible shop…” (Persecution began a year before we opened the Shop.)
The Lord is doing a work in Arad and the Negev and this persecution is a key factor in getting His Word out. We are not victims. This is very uncomfortable to go through, but it is a privilege and a blessing for us! We are seeing the Lord work in people’s lives every day and not just here, but in places elsewhere as His people pray for us, they are strengthened. This is not some strange foreign thing that is happening to us. It was promised in the Word of God that all who live godly in Messiah Y’shua will suffer persecution. Our Master was persecuted; should we expect anything else? People are being saved because of it, and believers are being strengthened in their faith. This is a good thing!!!!! Rejoice!!!!
Others are choosing to stand with us and against the devil’s wiles. We believe these people will eventually choose to stand with Y’shua and this is just the first step.
The Lord is setting the captives free! As those around us see us standing strong against the orthodox Jews, they are encouraged to break free from the traditions of the past and think for themselves. The kingdom of God is taken by violence – it takes a violent act of the will to break free from the bondage of the Pharisees. This is happening in Arad today!
Finally, we must obey God rather than man. We are the light of the world – He said so! We are the means of spreading His message! We are the Body of Messiah on earth and we must be what we are – He made us, He bought us with His precious blood. He is our Shepherd and we are His sheep. We cannot be something else in order to make the devil comfortable. We are not interested in making the devil happy. He is out to destroy us! We are not interested in encouraging terrorists and criminals to indulge in their evil activities. This SMALL group of orthodox Jews/Haredim/Hassidei Gur is the same people with the same spirit that persecuted our Lord Y’shua as He ministered in this Land. Y’shua did not compromise with them. He called them vipers and hypocrites and said they were making converts twice as fit for hell as they were. He had NO KIND WORDS for the religious set. He came to rescue the sick and dying and hopeless and that’s what we are doing!
There is a lot of talk about being the New Testament Church – well, the church in the book of Acts set the world upside-down! That makes it right-side up in God’s sight.
To those of you who sent encouraging notes and prayers – we say thank you from the depths of our hearts. We also thank you for the contributions toward the repair of the King’s Men Shop. It will be better than ever when it is finished. We are progressing slowly as the Lord provides. There is no electricity in the shop yet, but, we are using candles to light the way to the bathroom when we have an evening picnic outside by the lights in the street. We thank the Lord for all the volunteers who have come and helped Eddie. Little by little, things are getting fixed. The chess and domino players are filling up the tables and chairs and playing outside. We do not have enough chairs, but have ordered some more. We are happy that the men are faithful and still come to the King’s Men – they are braver than some of the believers here in Arad!
We want to praise the Lord for sending volunteers (mostly tourists) to help us! We thank Him and praise Him for the entire situation and request that you pray along with us that He use it for His Glory!!!! The name of Y’shua must be lifted high! How shall the unsaved hear and be saved unless someone tells them?! We praise the Lord for you; for your interest, your support, your commitment to His Work in His Land! Come visit us! We bless you in His Love!
Lura and Eddie Beckford, Arad, Israel
2. “Maybe if you just talk to them…?” (When we open our mouth to talk, they cover their ears and make loud noises – I don’t think they want to talk. When people have asked to speak to the Rabbi, he refuses to see them – I don’t think they are interested in talking.)
3. “What are you doing to cause this?” (Breathing??? Satan hates believers and wants to destroy them – he is using people to do his bidding and telling them they are doing God’s will. This question is like asking someone who has been mugged, what did you do to cause the attackers to mug you? --not nice…..)
4. “There has to be a compromise; have you asked them what they want?” (They keep telling us they want us out of town/ dead/ in a coffin/ out of Israel/ etc. etc. etc. We don’t know how to compromise with being dead.)
5. “Are you praying enough?” (Does anyone pray enough?)
6. “Are you observing the Sabbath correctly?” (according to whose interpretation?)
7. “Don’t you think you are causing anti-semitism by publicizing the persecution?” (Bigotry causes anti-semitism – truth does not.)
And this is my personal favorite….
8. “Are you being humble enough?” (What’s the humble answer to this question?)
2. “Perhaps if you tell them you won’t proselytize / or pass out Bibles / …” (see number 2 under “questions” above.)
3. “Perhaps if you move out of town…” (There are several hundred believers living and working here – should we all pick up and move away from the very place that God called us to be His witnesses? Not an option.)
E-mail: lura_eddie@hotmail.com