Shabbat Shalom!
It’s so good to be home, especially on Shabbat. After living 20 years in the fast-paced Tel Aviv area, I am really starting to enjoy being in Ashkelon. We have a view of the Mediterranean from our apartment. And if the weather is nice tomorrow, I’ll actually get to go for a bike ride on the boardwalk.
On Wednesday, I ate at my favorite restaurant in Tel Aviv, North Broksas, with Elana and my daughter Danielle. It was such a nice time until it was time to leave, and it started pouring. This is the time of the year when the rain can come suddenly and come hard.
The big news this week is that the IHOPKC investigation is finally over. It revealed what we thought would be true. It is quite shocking that a ministry we were very much involved in, that has had 24/7 prayer for over 25 years now, had a very dark side. I want to be clear about something: I believe the vast majority of people who moved to Kansas City to be a part of the prayer movement are godly people.
This report investigated the leadership. It revealed that Mike Bickle had had some sort of sexual relations with 17 different women. It revealed a level of manipulation and grooming that is shocking. I’m going to give you two links.
This link goes to the actual report from the investigator: https://www.tikkunglobal.org/a-formal-investigation
It’s a little bit difficult to read. Many names have been reduced to codes to protect identities. However, Judy Thomas of the Kansas City Star, who has been reporting on this since the beginning, has produced a much easier to read version that I recommend. https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article299637979.html.
Israel and hostages
The best news has been the release of more hostages. I know I have readers who think that Israel is making a mistake by paying too large of a price. One of the things that has deeply moved me is that several different hostages said that they were able to watch on TV the mass demonstrations calling for their release. It gave them the strength to live. To know that tens of thousands of Israelis were coming out every Saturday night and demanding their release meant everything to them.
Tomorrow, three more Israelis will be released. Hostages Eli Sharabi, 52, Or Levy 34, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56, will be coming home to Israel.
If you’ve watched any of the releases on TV, then you know that they can be very scary. Hamas is doing everything they can to make a PR moment out of it. Ridiculously, they give each hostage a gift bag and a certificate of release. Then they make them get up on the stage and wave to everybody. What’s worse is that their convoy is typically surrounded by dozens of Gazan men, banging on the car. All this after spending almost 500 days in captivity.
But thankfully, each time they have been able to make it out alive and get back to Israel safely. The videos of the reunification reduce the entire country to tears. This evening, Hamas named the three men set to be released tomorrow. They have not said what time they will be released. There are often delays.
The family of Eli Sharabi released a statement in light of his soon return, “Today more than ever, we want to show him he was never alone. We want him to know he’s returning to a people who stood by him, in Israel and around the world, that did not forget him or give up, that fought for him and that will be there for him now in his journey back to life.”
Or Levy was kidnapped at the Supernova concert, but sadly his wife was killed by Hamas. The grandparents have been watching their child for the past 17 months. “My heart’s about to leap out of my chest. I’m so emotional, mainly for Or’s son Almog. Almog knows his dad’s being released tomorrow. He said ‘Dad’s coming back’ and jumped up and down on the bed with joy.”
Ben Ami was taken from his keyboard Be’eri. His wife was also kidnapped by the terrorist, but was released when the first hostages came back over a year ago. They have been waiting for him ever since. His daughter Ell published an emotional video on Twitter. As you watch it, imagine that you haven’t seen your father because he’s been a hostage in Gaza for 490 days.
“The Ben Ami family is informed that Ohad is on the list of those being released tomorrow,” was written in Hebrew over the video.
