[Field Story] Palestine, Bearing Fruit Worthy of Repentance to Offer to the Lord

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Hello. We are Sakra and Abid from Palestine.

Since we were young, we have grown up as friends in the same neighborhood.

We, like most Palestinian Muslims, did not recognize the country of Israel.

Our dream was to kill as many Israeli soldiers as possible and die a heroic death, loving our people with all our lives, and driving out the Israelis who had unjustly taken our land from this land and reclaim the land of Palestine.

Then one day, our friend Nur whom we grew up with, started going to church and invited us to go together.

We went to a Christian worship service for the first time in our lives, and we were so shocked when we were there.

For the first time in our lives, we encountered the presence of the living God during the worship.

From then on, we followed Nur to this worship meeting every Sunday, and every time we came, we were filled with great peace.

And the brothers and sisters in the church community treated us like family and loved us.

Not only did we attend worship services on Sundays, but also during the week, when we had time, we met with brothers in the church community, read the Bible, and had time to fellowship together.

A few days ago, we met with the brothers, and while reading the Word and praying together, we heard the voice of Jesus calling us.

Through God's guidance, we accepted Jesus as our Savior.

After hearing the gospel and coming to know God's love, we confessed that we could even forgive and love Israel, whom we considered our enemies, and for the first time, we developed a heart of compassion toward Israel.

The people of Israel and Palestine are sinners who need God's love and grace, but when they repent and come to Jesus, we believe that God will do great and beautiful things among these two peoples.

Please pray together so that both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples can repent of their hatred towards each other and become one through the love of Jesus' cross!

People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. (Matthew 3:5-8)

Hallelujah, we praise the Lord who gives us the heart and ability to forgive and love even our enemies.

Thank you that you have met Sakra and Abid who hated the Israelis and made them realize God’s love through worship and the Word.

Lord, the people of Israel and Palestine truly need your love and grace.

Although they, as sinners, hate each other, may you grant them the hearts that can love even their enemies that they may also produce fruit in keeping with repentance, just like Sakra and Abid.

May they come to the Lord with a repentant heart, ask for Your forgiveness and love, find the truth, and look forward to Your great plan for them, which you will soon carry out.

May the most needed love of the cross of Jesus Christ quickly be delivered to these two peoples, and may Sakra and Abid be the ones to share that love to the souls of Israel and Palestine.