Join Pastor Israel Pochtar and Pastor Saleem Shalash at the Sea of Galilee as they share their hearts on what it is that unites them as Israeli Jews and Arabs. You will be blessed!
Pastor Israel…
When you think about Israel in today’s terms and the current social climate you’d be tempted to conclude that Israel is 100% Jewish. If you dive deeper you’ll find out there are over 2 million Israeli Arabs living among us in true peaceful coexistence, a fact that many in western society choose to ignore.
Among those Israeli Arabs, we find wonderful allies and brothers in faith, followers of Jesus who do remarkable work of the Lord in this Land, ministering alongside us in advancing the kingdom of God on earth.
I invited one of those amazing Arab brothers to minister to our youth at our recent Galilee discipleship retreat.
Pastor Saleem, who leads a growing and dynamic church in Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth is one of those precious brothers, friends, and allies we can always rely on because he is not only an amazing man of God who always has an important message to impart to our young people.
There are many amazing pastors in the Land, but pastor Saleem is also a very dear friend. To have an Arab pastor who is also a close friend come and share with our youth adds additional value to his message, especially in a time of war and conflict.
In the midst of this conflict, the mess of media bias and social media “scholars”, it’s important to bring forth the voices from within, who carry the truth of God’s word and stand for His Kingdom first and don’t care about political stance, ethnicity, race or nationality, people like pastor Saleem who aren’t swayed by the background noise.
Pastor Saleem stands out because of his staunch stand with Israel, and according to him standing with Israel isn’t about Israel, it’s about standing on the truth of the Bible that leaves no room for confusion.
To have such an amazing man of God come and speak to our young generation by the Sea of Galilee, and share with them his love and wisdom, it means so much to us.
Pastor Saleem…
“It’s always an honor to be with my brother pastor Israel, so when he invited me to come and impart to his youth, I had to take advantage of the opportunity for us to spend time together as Jew and Arab.
Being able to gather here with the young generation of Jewish disciples by the shores of the Sea of Galilee is truly special. I appreciate greatly what pastor Israel is doing among his young people, which is exactly what we are doing in our home church in Nazareth among our Arab youth — raising up a new generation of young disciples free from hatred and animosity, who can say they love both Jew or Arab.
It is crucial to show our young generation that especially in a time of war and conflict, Jews and Arabs can stand together, love and support one another authentically.
To be able to come and bless these young people is an amazing privilege for me, one for which I’ll gladly make time in my busy schedule because it is a priority.
We aim to encourage a nurturing and edifying exchange between Jewish and Arab young people because that is true unity according to the Bible — casting aside all animosity and becoming one in Christ.
How can you be a part of it?
By praying.
Pray for us as we are facing many challenges, and our togetherness you see is not easy with everything going on around us, but it’s a miracle and the work of the Lord, which indicates it is possible!
Pray for the salvation of all Arabs and Jews, for Arab Christians to be strengthened in their faith, for Arab Muslims to find Jesus, and for God to use people like us, Jew and Arab pastors, to bring a revival and an eye-opening revelation of what true shalom/salam (peace) and reconciliation looks like.
When praying for all of Israel, you are praying for both Jews as well as Arabs in this country. But it’s critical to pray for Arab Christians who are beacons of light and hope in Arab society, an example of what true peace looks like. Not the geopolitical peace, but the true biblical peace that comes from a reconciled heart with Jesus.
That is a true ministry of reconciliation: reconciled to God and each other.
If there are people in your life you’re struggling to forgive, do yourself a favor and do it for the Lord’s sake, because that forgiveness will open the way to miracles of reconciliation of the heart.
Let’s be radical for the Lord not only in word, but radical in love, in forgiveness, in blessing. If you’re busy judging people you have no time to love them, and only love can birth the king of miracles this world needs in these dark times.
