It saddens me to hear about what is happening in Israel. If you are not aware of what is happening, Israel is currently at war with Hamas after an attack. There have been thousands of casualties and a lot of destruction on both sides of the conflict. Israel is an important place for Christians because this is where Jesus performed His ministry. It is where He lived His life and taught the people about God. It is where He chose to die for our sins on the cross. Jesus chose to lay His life down for all of us because of His unfailing and unwavering love for us. This promised land is suffering right now and is in a great deal of pain. The people of Israel need our prayers right now. Let's remember Isaiah 41:10 which says:

 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

The God that we worship here today is still the God of Israel. Let's remember the sacrifice that was made there as we go into communion.