During his time as a believer, Rabbi Kirt Schneider has learned to walk in the peace of God, regardless of his circumstances. Now that he’s in Israel—where there is mortal danger all around him—he says it’s a principle he needs to apply now more than ever.
Schneider and his wife, Cynthia, arrived in Israel three weeks ago. Like many others, they awoke to the sounds of sirens Saturday morning when the terrorist group, Hamas, unleashed an attack on Israel the likes of which hasn’t been seen in 50 years. More than 700 Israelis have died since Saturday, and the attacks from Hamas and other terrorist groups are still taking place as of Monday morning.
During an interview with Charisma News Monday, Rabbi Schneider and his wife were forced to seek cover at a nearby bomb shelter. Sirens once again went off only a couple of minutes into the interview. Minutes later after returning to speak with Charisma’s John Matarazzo, the sirens went off again. Only this time, it was a false alarm.
Schneider said the bomb shelter is only 200 feet across the parking lot from their apartment building. When looking into the taking the apartment, the Schneider’s asked the caretaker about a bomb shelter, and he confirmed that there was one close, but that it was never used.
The shelter, which holds about 50 people, has been used extensively since Saturday.
Schneider says the reaction to the attacks by Israelis have been mixed.
“Some are emotionally fine, while others are very shaken up,” Schneider says. “The people that are the most shaken up are the people living here. There were some people that were here for the holiday season and they aren’t experiencing much of a shakeup. We were just in the bomb shelter with some people from Chicago and they seemed pretty light-hearted about it. But a lot of people here feel this is deadly serious.”
Schneider says immediately the story of the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7 came to mind when the chaos in Israel began.
“I have not been shaken, but I continually pray for God to keep me in that place,” Schneider says. “I am wired—and I’m trying to be humble now—to be in faith, especially right now. From my perspective, I have to trust God in the big picture. Whether Israel will be able to bring about a peace that is sustainable for several years, who knows, but as God’s people, we need to have a peace beyond circumstances.
“Jesus said ‘My peace I give you a peace that is not of this world.’ When Stephen was being stoned to death, he obviously looked terrible but in the midst of being stone, all of a sudden, he looked up and praised Yeshua, Jesus, at the right hand of God. So, I am truly walking in peace regardless of circumstances. That’s the only way to have freedom and victory in life.”
In a recent blog, Schneider said he appreciates believers’ prayers for God’s glory, for His kingdom to come, and for His will to be done, praying:
“Here in the land, on Earth, even as it is in heaven, we lift up both Israel, the Israeli soldiers, the IDF and we lift up all people as well, Schneider says. “We lift up the Palestinians. And so, we say, ‘Baruch haba b’Shem Adonai.’ Come back, we pray, Lord Jesus, and establish peace on Earth. Yeshua, You say You are ‘coming quickly and soon.’ We say, come quickly, Lord Jesus.
At the closing of Monday morning’s interview, Schneider prayed:
“Father, first of all, we want to tell you that we love You. And Father, we’re so thankful for You, Father, for Your shelter over our life. And You said, Father, that we shouldn’t call it conspiracy, The world causes some conspiracy or fear. But we should fear You alone, and that You would become for us a sanctuary. So, Father, we just want to first of all glorify You by saying to You that we are not shaken, that we’re not afraid, because You are our rock, and You are our source. And You told us, Lord, not to fear a man that kills the body, but to fear Him who could destroy both soul and body and house.
“Father, I honor You. We honor You right now. We say to Yahweh, we fear You alone, we will not bow to any other fear any other demon out here. Father, we worship You. And Father, we thank You for Your mercy. And we thank You for Your grace. And we ask You to strengthen us now in the inner man by the power that raised You up from the day that we walk in divine strength. And that, Father, Your joy was raised more than conquerors in every situation, that greater receive that’s in us than he that’s in the world, and that nothing can separate us from Your love.” {eoa}
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Shawn A. Akers is the online editor at Charisma Media.
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