Today I wept. I had just read these words in the Jerusalem Post: “The sleeping giant of Christian Zionism has awakened. There are 50 million Christians standing up and applauding the State of Israel.” This was written by Pastor John Hagee, founder of Christians United for Israel.

Does Pastor Hagee count me in that number? Through my tears I realized that American Christians have made the state of Israel an idol. I shuddered at the reference to Israel as “the only democracy in the Middle East.”

Steve Steiner, Special For "Come and See", October 10, 2007

Rami Ayyad, a Palestinian Christian worker in the Bible Society bookstore in Gaza and one of the leaders of the Gaza Baptist Church was brutally killed this morning, as announced by the Palestinian Bible Society in Jerusalem.

The press release sent by E-mail from the Bible Society said that “We do not know the exact identity of the group who did so but we know that he was martyred for his faith in Christ. Rami was the most gentle member on the team, the ever smiling one, he was the face of our Bible shop, always receiving visitors and serving them as Jesus would. He left behind him a wife, Pauline and two little children. He also left behind him a committed team of servants of the Lord. Please pray for Rami’s family, for the team and all Christ followers in Gaza. Please pray for those who think that by killing us they offer a service to God; may they come to know His love. The hour of the ultimate cost of following Christ has come!”

Special For "Come and See", October 7, 2007

A major Christian TV network that runs missionary advertisements targeting Jews has filed a petition with the Israeli Supreme Court after the country’s cable television company decided to pull the plug on the station.

The petition calls the decision by the HOT Cable System “a severe violation” of freedom of expression and freedom of religion, according to the Jerusalem Post.

“You cannot close down this station just because it is a Christian station,” argued Israeli attorney Amir Vitkon in July when HOT made the decision to drop Daystar TV Network. According to the petition, the decision came one month after HOT renewed their contract.

By Joshua Kimball, Christian Post Reporter, Sep. 19 2007

Excitement was certainly high on Sunday evening, September 23 2007 as members of the Association of Baptist Churches in Israel flocked from such places as Cana, Rama, Haifa, Acco, Eilabenn, Toraan, Ramle and other regions to Nazareth Evangelical Baptist Church to witness the arrival of David Coffey, the current leader of the Baptist World Alliance. Space was limited, as the beautiful sanctuary was full to capacity with the faithful who assembled from across Galilee for a time of worship and praise before Rev. Coffey’s scheduled appearance. Worship leaders led the congregation in several moving songs that had everyone singing full voiced and lifting hands in praise.

Special For "Come and See", Sep 24, 2007

Appearances to the contrary, however, the cross project so far consists mainly of a glitzy Web site, considerable hype and a taint of corruption. To date no architect has been hired, no other investors have been recruited and no ground has been broken in the hollow below Nazareth's YMCA.

Another shadow hanging over the project is the hint of questionable business practices, despite a phalanx of reputable attorneys and accounting firms that Boulos says are involved in ensuring the endeavor's integrity.

The Boulos family's many business endeavors include a brief foray into a casino ship and Chapter 11 filings. Then there is Riah. The former Anglican bishop of Jerusalem is under investigation by a diocesan committee on charges of corruption and nepotism

By CRAIG NELSON, Cox News Service, Monday, September 03, 2007

This summer, Pastor Alex Awad from East Jerusalem’s Baptist Church lost a lamb from his flock. Linda Finamore, a volunteering teacher at the ‘Jerusalem School’ in Bethlehem for the past eight years, was denied access to re-enter Israel after her summer vacation in the US. But why does Israel turn its back on good-doers?

By Maria Hjort, Special For "Come and See", Oct 2, 2007

On Monday, 27th of August, “Fondazione Milan” introduced the project in favor of The Holy Family Hospital in Nazareth, in a ceremony held in Nazareth and attended by the former Brazilian national team player Leonardo. The hospital, founded in 1882 by the Fatebenefratelli monks, serves as a housing facility for people diseased or in need.

AC Milan Web site, Aug 27, 2007

In this book, you will find that Arabs are described as donkeys. This description is embedded in an amazing dialogue in the middle of the nineteenth century between a Greek Orthodox Bishop and his Russian conversant. The discussion is so relevant for today’s tensions between the Greeks and the Arabs. Also, Kildani fails to be objective in evaluating the Catholic Church (Where the author served as Bishop), and describes Evangelicals as usurpers.

Hanna Said Kildani. Al Massihitu Al Mu’asra fi Al Urdn wa Falastine (Modern Christianity in Jordan and Palestine). Amman: Kildani, 1993 (466 pages)

Rev. Yohanna Katanacho, PHD, Special for Come and See, Sep 4, 2007

Volunteers assembling a campaign to try to prevent the scheduled deportation of an Egyptian Christian couple say the need is urgent, because the couple sought religious asylum in the United States and that automatically makes them enemies of the state in Egypt.

The campaign is on behalf of Onsy Zachary and his wife Fadia, who have been living in the United States since 1998. Their supporters say they could be deported as early as the middle of September.

WorldNetDaily, Aug 30, 2007