Every Tuesday, I drive my daughter to her cello lessons in a town about 30 kilometers from our home. In our Haifa Music school, "Keshet Tslilim," we teach almost every instrument—except the cello. So, I take her there myself. 

The music school sits on the edge of a small town, and I wait for my daughter on a covered balcony overlooking the forest. It is spring now; the rains have been frequent, and all of Israel is lush, green, and in bloom. Behind me, music drifts from the classrooms, while before me lies the forest and the birds. The two harmonize beautifully. For me, this hour is a rare chance to be alone with a cup of coffee!

Only the occasional roar of fighter jets pierces the air. We are still at war, and truthfully, no one wants to perish from shrapnel…

For some reason, this thought has taken root in my mind.

The Apostle Paul once said that he "desired to depart and be with the Lord." Perhaps, having visited the "third heaven" and seeing how wonderful it is, he wrote those words. People who have had clinical death experiences say similar things. But perhaps our understanding of Heaven and life —or rather “failure to understand” and “lack of revelation” of Heaven works differently today. Nowadays, it seems only the terminally ill or those crushed by depression truly "long to be with the Lord." Probably… That’s how I see it. 

The Word of God speaks of Paradise and mercy—it is all "Yes and Amen"—but modern life has changed our perception, teaching us not to hurry. I am so weary of this war.

Yet, not fighting was not an option. If Iran were to develop a nuclear bomb, life for Israel—and all neighboring nations—would become a nightmare. A radical Shiite Muslim approach to life and a “love for death” would be a horror for everyone, near and far.

One would think that in the 20^th and 21^st centuries humanity would have outgrown the capacity to march to death en mass for the sake of insane religious ideas, but no. The rhetoric from Tehran is exactly that: "We will not count the cost." I was born in the USSR, where we heard those words constantly. Sacrificing countless soldiers for minimal illusory success is a true ideology of hell—the exaltation of death.

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“Because you have said, 'We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement; when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter...” (Isaiah 28:15)

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I am not speaking here of the pshat (literal context), but of the REMEZ—the hint this verse might convey. Some religious movements believe they have a “covenant with death” — they think they are either bulletproof or that death is their desire. They anticipate the rewards, like the “72 virgins” and other things.

As a believer in the God of Israel and the values of the Torah and the New Testament, I can say: that’s ridiculous. Yet we see this mindset nearly everywhere. Manipulators push people toward evil, from the outbursts of Greta Thunberg to wars where “the cost doesn't matter” and a great many falls. And because 1,200 Jews were murdered on October 7th, they say Gaza should lie in ruins. But the fanatics ask: "Is not that a fair price?!”

We are at war with such a regime. Is there fear of the rockets? Yes and no—it’s hard to say. There is a sense of habit. But truly, one doesn't want to be killed by a missile or its shrapnel. Yesterday, there was a barrage from Lebanon—20 rockets. Today, mostly from Iran. Sometimes we hear the hum of drones and have to head to the bomb shelter as well. But all this will end. After all, everything is drowned in greenery outside the window. It’s time to go and see nature.

May the Lord help us in this season.

Prayer Requests:

• For our congregation and the psychological well-being of the people

• For families carrying trauma and loss

• For protection over the soldiers of Israel

• For the youth and children, many of whom are studying through Zoom and longing for fellowship and normal life together

• For peace, strength, and the ending of this war

We are also preparing a Passover program and a three-day sleepover for the children in our congregation, provided the situation remains quiet enough. Our desire is to encourage the people, strengthen the children, and create moments of faith, joy, and stability in the midst of so much uncertainty.

Thank you for standing with us in prayer.

Peace and health to you all from our Heavenly Father. Blessings in Yeshua the Messiah.

With respect,

Leon Mazin