This is our first great-granddaughter, Honey.   Aptly named, she’s a sweetie with a great disposition and is always smiling.  We had lunch recently and shared french fries – not bad for a 7-month-old!

This month, please keep us in your prayers as we travel on a ministry/anniversary trip to several countries.  Please pray for our safety and our health.  The Lord has made provision for this trip by accumulating many air miles, staying with friends, and an extra financial gift.  Please pray for His divine appointments for us as we travel.

ISRAEL UPDATE

WHO WANTS A TWO-STATE SOLUTION?    NOT THE ISRAELIS OR THE PALESTINIANS.

On that day, the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants, I give this land, from the River of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— (Genesis 15:18 NIV)

(excerpted from Israel 365 News, March 24, 2024) U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D, NY)  believes the Palestinian people “want what any other people want: peace, security, and prosperity.” Clearly, however, the Palestinians do not want peace.  They themselves acknowledge that they do not “want what any other people want.” Instead, they want terrorism and the annihilation of the Jewish state.  Multiple polls have shown that the majority of Palestinian civilians support Hamas’s October 7 massacre and the idea of a Palestinian state in the 1948 borders, meaning the destruction of Israel.  A new survey by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR), released on Wednesday, shows that a vast majority of Palestinians in Gaza (71%) support Hamas’s decision to carry out the October 7 massacre, compared to 57% in December.  A full 33% of Palestinians believe the most vital goal today is the “right of return” of refugees and their descendants to their 1948 towns and villages.  This means that, according to the PSR poll, at least one-third of Palestinians want to replace Israel—not make peace with it.  Many Palestinians share Hamas’s desire to eliminate Israel, as expressed in the terror group’s 1988 charter, and a majority of Palestinians support the formation of armed groups to murder Israelis.  Given this long-standing Palestinian support for terrorism,  terrorist leaders, and the eradication of Israel, a vast majority of Israelis agree that establishing a Palestinian state, especially as a response to the October 7 massacre, would constitute a clear reward for terrorism.  Yet this is exactly what the international community is trying to do—against Israelis’ will.  In Schumer’s view, Israelis are lost because they are led by a right-wing government and are not buying the Democratic Party’s fantasy world.  But Israelis today are horrified at the idea of Palestinians getting their own state, from which they would inevitably launch massive terror attacks.  Many question why the Biden administration is pushing for a two-state solution when the majority of Palestinians openly express support for terrorism.  If the international community insists that stateless people must have a state now, then what about the Kurds, the Rohingya, or the hill tribes in Thailand? “Americans pushing for a two-state solution in the short-term are tone deaf, failing to listen to our Israeli allies in terms of how October 7 impacted them and failing to listen to what Hamas says about its goals regarding Jews and the state of Israel,” said Bradley Bowman, senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “In times of crisis, real friends listen carefully,” he added. “Under current conditions, a Palestinian state would simply be a better foundation for Hamas and its terror partners to attack Israel.” Obsessed with the two-state solution, the Biden administration insists it is the only path to peace—even as the majority of Palestinians support terrorism and even though the Palestinians have rejected every peace deal since Oslo.  According to Eytan Gilboa, an expert on U.S.-Israel relations at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan and a senior fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, Israeli sentiment on this subject is so strong that Washington’s efforts are not likely to yield results. “At this time, it doesn’t make any sense to raise the issue of a Palestinian state.  I don’t think they’re going to be able to push it because of the consensus against it in Israel,” he said.  While the Israeli public was largely supportive of a Palestinian state in the ’90s, years of terrorism and Palestinian rejectionism have convinced most Israelis that a peace deal with the Palestinians is not currently feasible. “Since the October 7 Hamas terror attack, the United States has provided Israel with an enormous number and variety of weapons,” he noted. “Yet some in the United States have called for curtailing or stopping the flow of weapons to Israel.  That leaves many Israelis understandably concerned.” Gilboa pointed out that the seemingly hostile American attitude toward Israel is not new. “The United States thinks that as long as Israel depends on it for weapons and diplomatic support, it can criticize Israeli policies and politics,” he said.  However, he continued, in the comments by Schumer, as well as by Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden himself, we are seeing “an escalation.” “They have concentrated on [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu because he is not popular with Democrats and the Democratic Party,” he said.  The main problem, according to Gilboa, is the upcoming U.S. presidential election.  Afraid of losing their voting base, the Democrats and the Biden administration are taking a tougher stance against Israel.  The Israeli public is aware that the U.S. government and the international community did not react similarly when, for example, Syria massacred 600,000 of its own citizens, said Gilboa.  This heavy pressure on Israel is viewed by Israelis as a cheap way for the Biden Administration to gain political points on the American street. “This causes damage to the two goals the sides share, defeating Hamas and releasing the hostages,” said Gilboa.

Very interesting video from Israeli tour guide Oren Cahanovitc – please take a few minutes and watch it.

watch this engaging and informative video, and let us know what you think

Many of us have been observing Passover all our lives; to some, it is a new experience.  I’d like to take a bit of time and space and explain some of the traditional elements and activities of a Seder, and invite you to join us in Mississippi if you can.  This year’s flyer is below, and the Seder promises to be an evening of education, fun, fellowship, and great food.   If you’re not able to join us, please consider finding a local ‘public’ Seder to attend or have one in your home.  Its not challenging, and we’re happy to provide materials and directions if needed – just let us know.

What is Passover?

Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is known as the “holiday of freedom.” It is an 8-day holiday (in Israel, seven days) and is celebrated from the 15th through the 22nd of the month of Nisan (this year, sundown of April 22 – nightfall of April 30, 2024).

Passover commemorates the Jewish Exodus from Egypt following 430 years of slavery.  It is regarded as the “birth” of the Jewish nation, and its lessons of struggle and identity continue to form the basis of Jewish consciousness 3,300 years after the event.  The name ‘Passover’ is derived from the fact that during the final plague – the slaying of the first born of the Egyptians – God “passed over” the Jewish homes, recognizing them by the blood of a lamb, sacrificed, and applied to their doorposts.

How to celebrate Passover?
Below are the main Passover practices and traditions that are carried out as part of celebrating Passover.

The Seder
“Seder” is the Hebrew word meaning ‘order.’ The celebration is traditionally very structured (orderly) to ensure that the message of Passover is taught to our children.  The holiday is marked by the celebration of an elaborate Seder on the first two nights (in Israel, on the first night only).  The Seder is designed to give each Jew and any non-Jewish guests the experience of “going from slavery unto freedom.” As recorded in the Haggaddah, we tell the Exodus story and recount the ten plagues.  We eat symbols of slavery and freedom, and the festive meal includes many delicious foods that people look forward to all year.  We recite the Hallel Psalms of praise and end the Seder with the hope of “Next Year in Jerusalem.”

The Seder is a special time of family bonding, and children are a particular focus of the night.  They enjoy a variety of traditional Passover songs like the “Four Questions (Ma Nishtanah),  sing the “Daiyenu” (It Would Have Been Enough) song, finding the Aphikomen, and open the door for Elijah the Prophet.

Matzah
At the Seder,  matzah is the Seder’s main symbol.  The most common reason for eating matzah is that on the morning of the Exodus, the Jews were so rushed in getting out of Egypt that their bread didn’t have time to rise.  For Believers in Messiah, the matzoh is a perfect ‘picture’ of Yeshua  – without leaven (a Biblical ‘type’ of sin), striped, pierced, and broken and ‘hidden away’ to be ‘resurrected’ in the Aphikomen ceremony and shared by all present.

Four Cups
At the Seder, we drink four cups of wine (or grape juice) – corresponding to the four expressions of freedom mentioned in the Torah, Exodus 6: 6 & 7).

Karpas
Toward the beginning of the Seder, we eat karpas – a vegetable (e.g., celery, parsley, potato) dipped in saltwater to commemorate the tears of hard labor.

Bitter Herbs
Later in the Seder, we eat Maror, the bitter herbs.  Though many have the custom of using horseradish, sometimes Romaine lettuce is also used.  The Marror is dipped into Charoset, a bricks-and-mortar mixture of dates, wine, nuts, and apples.

So, most of the above is ‘tradition,’ which is good.   There are basic Biblical elements prescribed by the Word, but there are also many ‘traditions’ added.

What to do?

There are several options:  Join us in Mississippi on April 27 for our community Seder.  Find a local Seder in your community.  Conduct your own Seder at home – its not hard.  Let us know if we can help in any way and blessings for the Holiday.  CLICK HERE to order your tickets to the Seder.

 

TEACHING IN RAYMOND, MISSISSIPPI

On the 14th of March, we had an opportunity to meet with a wonderful group in Raymond, Mississippi.  Patricia & I enjoyed fellowship lunch, and we had a time of teaching followed by questions and answers.  Our hosts, Rusty and Peggy, were great, and we’re grateful to them for arranging this opportunity.  Definitely a ‘Divine appointment.’  Topics visited included the roles of Jews and Gentiles, dealing with Hamas atrocities of 7 October, the history of Gaza and Judea and Samaria, the Hamas Charter, and the many Arab rejections of a “Palestinian State.”

CONNECT WITH US IN PRAYER

• release of all hostages & cessation of war in Gaza
• a realistic plan for governing Gaza and Judea & Samaria (West Bank) that ensures Israel’s security
• Divine appointments for us on our April ministry trip “to the Nations.”
• November elections in the US – righteousness to prevail
• resolution to the war in Ukraine
• continued exposure of the failings of the UN and International Red Cross

 

CONNECT WITH US IN FINANCES

There are a few NEW options if you are prompted to partner financially in ministry with us:

If you don’t need a tax deduction, you can send funds to us via the INTERNET directly through PayPal.  Use [email protected], which is Michael’s account.  Send as a friend, and there is no cost to you or us.

If you don’t need a tax deduction, you can send funds to us by check, payable to Michael Bryan, and mail to Michael Bryan, PO Box 255, Magnolia, MS 39652.

Tax-deductible donations by CHECK  can be made payable to Isaiah 61 Ministries and mailed to:

Isaiah 61 Ministries
PO Box 255
Magnolia, MS. 39652

You will receive a printed receipt and our eternal gratitude.

Tax-deductible donations via the INTERNET can be made through the KKCJ website, www.kkcj.org.  Engage the “Give” tab at the top of the page, select “Staff Support,” and select “Michael Bryan.”

We are grateful to receive a partial salary from the King of Kings Community to help with the ministry’s work.  As God opens new doors for us, we know He will supply the needed resources to enable us to minister from America to Israel and the Nations.  May God continue to bless you as you continue blessing us and Israel.

As Passover approaches, we want to wish you all a joyful holiday and thank you for your prayers, love, and support.

Michael & Patricia