Amid continuing strife in their areas, Baptists in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip requested prayers from their brothers and sisters around the world Feb. 13.

Nabil Costa, director of the Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development, sent an e-mail alert titled "Pray for Lebanon!" to colleagues and supporters.

"This is a critical time for Lebanon!" he wrote, referring to two bus explosions that killed at least 11 Lebanese early Feb. 13. The explosions took place in a majority-Christian area near Beirut.

By Robert Marus, Associated Baptist Press, Feb 13, 2007

Born in the Holy Land and raised in the Middle East -Nazareth (Nazareth Rizkallah) is the only Middle Eastern Christian comedian in the USA.

The following is an interview that Liz David did with Nazareth, where he tells his story and how he got involved in the ministry of the Gaza Baptist Church

Liz David, Special For "Come and See", Feb 10, 2007

A new Christian publication that intends to write theology on current and relevant issues was recently launched in Nazareth under the title "Al-Kalima" meaning "the Word" in Arabic.

The publication is aimed at the level of church members as the intention is to produce a theology for the people. It is published by the Nazareth Center for Christian Studies (NCCS), the newly launched center of learning in Nazareth. NCCS is an initiative of the Association of Baptist Churches in Israel (ABC). The ABC is the single largest evangelical group in Israel.

Special for "Come and See", Feb 8, 2007

Mysterious photographs from the 1970s are to be brought as evidence to prove that the so-called ossuary of James, the brother of Jesus, is authentic. They are to be presented by attorneys for Oded Golan, the antiquities dealer charged with forging the item, which when it was made public, was dubbed "the most important archaeological discovery from the beginnings of Christianity."

The photographs, copies of which have reached Haaretz, have already been examined by an American expert and are to be submitted as evidence in court. But they do not remove doubts about the item, which touched off a storm in the archaeological world.

Amiram Barakat, Haaretz, Feb 8, 2007

Ethiopian rabbis and spiritual leaders (keisim) called on the government Monday to halt the Ethiopian Falashmura aliyah to Israel, citing concerns that many of the Falashmura are engaged in Christian missionary activity.

The leaders made the call during a Rehovot conference titled "Defeating the [Christian] mission manifestation in the community," in which hundreds of Ethiopian Jews took part.

Ayanawo Farada Sanbatu, Haaretz, Feb 6, 2007

Palestinian Authority (PA) police of the Fatah party have seized the six-story Gaza Baptist Church building as a watch point against militants supporting the governing Hamas movement. The building houses the church?s sanctuary, Gaza?s only Christian library, a guest hostel, and a mammogram clinic. Hanna Massad, pastor of Gaza Baptist Church, described the crisis as ?the worst situation we ever went through in Gaza,? more serious even than Israeli invasions. Frightened Gazans remain in their homes. Massad told Open Doors Sunday morning that early worship services had been cancelled.

Open Doors Press Release, Feb 5, 2007

A major Christian TV network offered on Israeli cable and satellite television is broadcasting missionary advertisements directed at Jews.

The Dallas-based Daystar TV network, which is part of the basic cable program on both YES and HOT, broadcasts a medley of teachings from the New Testament, and includes 15-minute infomercials from the Jewish Voice Ministries International that targets a Jewish audience with the message of Jesus.

By ETGAR LEFKOVITS, Jan 22, 2007, The Jerusalem Post

After six months, the family of Rev. Hanna Masaad is back together in Gaza. Finally, Hanna, Suhad, Joyce and Jolene are home, preparing for the Christmas service at Gaza Baptist Church, the only Evangelical church in the Gaza Strip.

On the other hand, November 12 was a memorable day for Gaza Baptist Church as it proudly opened a new building for the only Christian public library in Gaza.

Come and See, Open Doors Web site, Dec 7, 2006

The plan of the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) to renovate and upgrade nine private schools in the West Bank was recently approved for funding by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This initiative follows the redirection of aid for IOCC's prior rehabilitation of public schools after elections brought new leadership to the Palestinian Authority. It is the first time that U.S. government funding will go towards faith-based schools in the Holy Land. Nora Kort, IOCC's Head of Office in Jerusalem, talks about how this new program will bring hope and opportunity to all children in the embattled West Bank

International Orthodox Christian Charities Website, Dec 5, 2006