One of the primary purposes of the MIA is to connect Kingdom focused Israelites. Those who have a heart for the Messiah, People, and Land of Israel are special in His sight... and ours! On recent trips to the Land we have met Bruce Balfour who is such a man. Bruce is a man of vision and passion who is walking out a calling to replant Mt. Hermon with Cedars of Lebanon. He is putting His faith in action in ways that few ever will. He is a friend of the MIA and understands and agrees with our mission.
Bruce is coming to North America in May and June. He is a regular attendee of Ephraim Frank's Ephraimite meeting in Jerusalem. If you would like to have him speak to your assembly, home group, or organization please call the MIA Home Office to arrange a visit. Bruce will bring updates from the Land as well as exciting stories of his experience as a prisoner in Lebanon (see his site for details), his planting project, and other aspects of living in Israel today. Here is a brief piece from his web site:
In those challenging days of old, when the slopes of Mount Hermon were heavily forested with the biblical Cedars of Lebanon and other trees of importance, "Yahshua" made His way up the slopes with Peter, James and John to a divine meeting on the summit with Elijah and Moses. As you recall a voice was heard out of a cloud: "This is my beloved Son, hear him" (Mark 9:7).
On these same slopes of the Mount of Transfiguration a planting/redemption is being birthed to restore the biblical cedars and other appropriate species back in the soil. This planting will be the first time in history that such a biblical reforestation project will be undertaken on Mount Hermon.
The Cedar of Lebanon is described by the Creator, in Ezekiel 31, as the most beautiful tree planted in the Garden of Eden. Yahweh chose it to build His temple here in Jerusalem (ref 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles), which has such deep meaning to the lover and student of "the Word." Solomon's house took twice as long to build, and was called "The house of the forest of Lebanon". It was probably the most awesome wood house ever constructed in the history of the world.
The Cedar is spoken of 72 times in the bible and rich meaning is attached to it, including comparing the Almighty to "The Great Cedar" under whose shadow all great nations dwell. In Psalm 92 it says: "The righteous one grows like a cedar in Lebanon for those who are planted in the house of Yahweh". In Isaiah 61 Yahweh says that it is "His planting."
Now the time has come to begin to redeem the land which the creator chose to be His forever alongside of our brother Yehuda. If the Almighty is drawing you in your spirit to be a part of this redemption please email me at:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
The first planting is planned for Tu Bishvat (the "new year of the tree") 2006, in late January, in cooperation with the "Jewish National Fund.”
Canadian Bruce Balfour, was charged and convicted of “spying for Israel” in abstensia in a Lebanese military court in Beirut, Lebanon in the early spring of 2003. After going through four military trials and teaching the Bible through most of it, he was charged and convicted of a new crime, “teaching the Bible boldly.” He was visited by some of the top cabinet ministers of the Canadian government at the Roumieh Prison and the “spying for Israel” conviction was dropped. Through intensive world media coverage and millions praying for him, his deliverance came and he left Lebanon a free man on September 3, 2003. He has since written a book about his experiences called “Rivers of Blessings: The Heart and Path of a Simple Servant.”
