WEEKLY Arrows from Zion 11/30/2016

Priority Prayer Focus Nov 30, 2016

As we were in preparations for our Thanksgiving dinners in the USA, terror-arsonists set fires across an extremely dry land of Israel. I have read that it will take 30 years to repair the damage done in less than a week of purposely set fires that spawned other fires. There is an opportunity here for the international Church to step up to help Israel with all the displaced people, re-forestation and re-building. Please consider doing that through donations to the Messianic ministries, allowing them to contribute in the name of Yeshua.  See valuable practical information on where to give in the Hasdey Yeshua report below, from Karen Davis at the Carmel Congregation,  and The Harvest of Asher note from Guy Cohen.

I do not want to over-spiritualize this, but I cannot shake the impression that the dry conditions in Israel due to lack of latter rains, is parabolic. That so much was burnt up because the latter rains were held back.  It is the praying Church, embracing what God is doing among the body of Messiah in Israel, who call for the latter rains to fall - in the natural and spiritually. Let's take up this call for the latter rains to begin to fall upon the dry ground of Israel. And thank God that the fires set by the enemies of God's plans for Israel, did not take lives.

Arrows from Zion
Strategically Aimed for the Lord’s Harvest in Israel
Contact info for all the ministries included inside the subscription-only Weekly Summary.

Most of this prayer letter will focus primarily on updates from the ministries about the fires - some 2,000 - that burned across Israel over the past week. (Other emphasis letters will be carried over to next week). The fires are out now, let us pray for rain as even Tuesday morning the skies over Tiberias were showing indications rain was coming. Some of these prayer letters were during the fires, some afterwards. Some we are just passing along their own personal reassurances they are okay. It is important, and I know you desire to hear those reassurances as much as I have. It is hard to understate the impact of these fires - probably half of which were terrorist arson - on the people of Israel.  Note the date highlighted in yellow as some came in as early as Thanksgiving morning:

Early Thanksgiving day I received a special secondary email from Moaz ministries as the fires that began in the Carmel mountains and Judean hills began to spread in many places through Israel.  Their report from a Lebanese pastor in Haifa, Joseph Haddad, that a fire was started near the firehouse, began to create the suspicion that some of the fires were not natural causes, but instead arson-terror.  That has been later shown to be the case. You can read more inside the attached DOCX Weekly Summary

Hasdey Yeshua, the Hebrew congregation in Arad assures everyone they are fine and appreciative of the response for their safety.  They have given great tips on how to give, such as "Please do not send any offerings for fire victims to Kehilat Hasdey Yeshua. Thankfully we are located far from the fires and at the moment don’t have a warehouse or other facility for distribution of goods. The Israeli government makes it difficult if not impossible for one non-profit organization to donate to another because they fear groups funneling money to terrorists. Very understandable!"

The congregation has supplied suggestions for giving in the relief effort including Kehilat HaCarmel, The Hadadit Fund An arm of the Messianic Jewish Alliance of Israel,  The Joshua Fund and The Joseph Project Outreach of the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America  Get more details of the focus of each of these operations inside the attached DOCX Weekly Summary

Eddie Santoro of Ahavat Yeshua asked prayer for rain as the fires began on the 24th. Today we hear from them that no one from their congregation was affected by the fire, but as they are surrounded by national forest land, the fires close by the Yad Hashmona village were threatening at one point.  Eddie reports there is a 3-day rain in the forecast and that ask for prayers that it will come mightily.

Also  inside the attached DOCX Weekly Summary is the Santoro's report from a ministry trip to Italy last week , "This was our first trip out of Israel in nearly two years as we have spent the past 16 months in a battle against the demonic attack on my body. Our ability to pack our suitcases and travel to Italy for a week of both ministry and rest was another page in the ongoing and wonderful testimony of our victory over the powers of darkness. Praise God the cancer is gone and we are going out in a new power and authority that God has awakened within us as a result of this life and death battle we have fought!" Prayer Needs for the congregation are also included.

One of the first messages we received was from Ronit Bender's son with an urgent request as his mom was being evacuated from her home. She was able to get a few things from the house but was unable to take the time to send out the prayer request message from her computer.  Today Ronit updates, "The fire was very close to my home. I was evacuated with 80,000 other people. I slept at friend's home in Isfiya, and returned the next day home. Even until now the air is thick, and it is hard to breathe. The city of Haifa is full of grief, as so many homes were either burned of effected by the fire. Our Hebrew congregation gave out food to the fire fighters who risked their lives so many times, and offered blankets and clothes to those needing them. We are praying for salvation to our heartbroken people. Only the comfort of the Lord."

Orna Greeman of A Sign & An Example ministry wrote her update online, Israel on fire.  This is where Orna is posting her ministry communications these days. You can sign up for her excellent news and insights.

Brian Slater offered a prayer just days before the breakout of the fires:  "Lord God, You came to give honour to the least, those forgotten, overlooked and misjudged. You came to give first place to the last, those left behind, misunderstood and undervalued. You came to give a warm welcome to the lost, those who are orphaned, abandoned and destitute. Help us to be your ears to listen to their cries. Help us to be your voice speaking out love and acceptance. Help us to be your feet walking beside those in need. Help us to be your hands to clothe, feed and shelter them. You came for the least, the lost and last of this world. Lord, hear our prayers. Amen!" Brian does humanitarian outreach in the Netanya area via his ministry, Abundant Bread of Salvation.  He asks simply, "Please give the gift of love with a donation of any amount showing how much you care and are thankful for the ministry that we do."

From the Dugit ministry of Avi and Chaya Mizrachi, "Our fire fighters have been working for 3 days around the clock. Our prime minister, Bibi Nethanyahu, asked Russia, the USA, and other countries to send their airplanes to help us to put out these wild destroying fires.  We are so thankful that they have responded!... JOIN US IN PRAYER | We are asking you all, our beloved prayer partners, to pray with us. Please pray that God will send the rain clouds from the west to stop all these destructive fires and bring restoration to our people Israel! We believe that the harvest in Israel is ready.  As always, please continue to pray with us that the Lord of the harvest will send the laborers and the power of the refreshing waters to bring the harvest into our barn!

Carolyn Hyde of Heart of God Ministries took a prayer journey through Haifa after the fires to survey the damage and pray over it. She writes, "Thank G-d for no loss of life and that we've rounded up 23 arson suspects. Please pray for those who lost their homes. Some say it's judgment but what would you say to the Haifa firemen who responded to the first fires and while preparing to send out more firetrucks, had to put out fires that were lit all around the fire department?! That's called terror - plain and simple!

On the way home I stopped by the side of the road twice to write, and both times armed guards approached my car to see what I was doing there. I was impressed! Our shomrim are on the lookout so join me in praying that we'll supernaturally catch terrorists before they can act!

The City of Haifa called upon a local Arab pastor to help gather people to volunteer for renovations and cleaning up damaged homes and apartments.

Martin Sarvis in Jerusalem gives a wrap-up of the fires that began last Tuesday writing in the aftermath, "By Sunday, as the fires came under control, the scope of the devastation began to emerge.  In Haifa, according to some reports, over 500 homes were completely destroyed, and at least 1,700 residents were not able to return home Saturday night, because their homes were too damaged. Other communities heavily damaged were the Jewish village of Halamish in the West Bank, and Nataf in the Jerusalem hills. It is estimated that as many as 32,000 acres of natural forests and brush were destroyed.  Already, the week’s fires are expected to be among the costliest in Israel’s history. Now things are quieter. The winds have died down.  Rain is finally predicted for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Miraculously—in the turmoil and destruction caused by the firestorms, no one has died! " See also Martin's prayer request for the aftermath of fires inside the attached DOCX Weekly Summary

From Sally Shiff of the HaMaayan congregation in Kfar Saba, "We are good in Kfar Saba. I was in Haifa last Thursday and had to evacuate back to Kfar Saba so that where I was staying could take in those whose homes were lost. On the way home saw the fires. Instead of just one day of expected rain, the forecast is for 3 days."

Guy Cohen of the Akko Harvest of Asher congregation lets us know that the need for individuals and families whose homes were destroyed in the fires in Haifa is expected to increase over the next week. Some evacuated to temporary safety, now will come the effort to place them in longer term living spaces.  He also sent us an appeal from the Haifa Foundation who are concentrating their efforts on the schools: "60,000 residents were evacuated from their homes; 1,600 remained homeless and are being taken care of by the municipality. More than 500 apartments are still found to be uninhabitable. Schools are unusable, leaving students to be bused to other facilities far away from their homes. Kindergartens and schools are gone, meaning these youngest residents of the city will be moved to unfamiliar surroundings in temporary arrangements. More specifically, 11 educational institutions were damaged by the fire, among which 9 were kindergartens. Three (3) of these institutions were badly damaged and are in dire need of assistance. " See inside the attached DOCX Weekly Summary for more specific information on how you can help.

Youval Yanay is the CEO of Revive Israel. Here he gives a short video tour of the damage done near
the Yad Hasmona Messianic village where many Revive Team members live and work. He tells of the civilian patrols they set up to protect against arson attacks on their village.

The Carmel Congregation has already jumped in with all hands on deck to help out in serving the community needs of those burn out in Haifa. They write, "Several of our Kehilat HaCarmel and Kerem El families were among those evacuated, and we were able to house many of them at our Beit Yedidia community center in central Haifa where the fires had not reached, as well as at the top of Mount Carmel at our Or HaCarmel Ministry Center. . . .

On Thursday, many Haifa families were evacuated to the Haifa Auditorium very close to Beit Yedidia and we were able to immediately bring them mattresses and blankets. The next day at Beit Yedidia, our staff and a team from Kerem El packed water and food bags and took them to the auditorium to comfort the evacuees.

That same day, Yousef Dakwar’s Haifa Arab congregation packed 350 sandwiches and took them to the Haifa firefighters who were working unceasingly.  Other Messianic congregations in Haifa were also reaching out in various ways with humanitarian aid.

We are now in the process of gathering information from the Haifa Municipality and others, regarding possible ways that we can continue to bring relief to the families who have suffered property loss during these recent fires. For those of you who have inquired about sending donations for fire relief, these can be sent by bank transfer directly to our main congregational account {See inside the attached DOCX Weekly Summary}

Israel Pochtar sent us this dramatic photo on the 25th. A fiery inferno that is a miracle no lives were lost in anywhere in Israel.  Israel also sends news of their ongoing fundraising for renovations of their new congregational building which begins in Jan 2017 and special outreach projects they have for Hanukkah and Christmas. Please read all about these opportunities to reach out to the huge Russian Jewish community they minister to in Ashdod and surrounding areas. It is inside the attached DOCX Weekly Summary.

Urgent HEALING Needs: Life and Death is in the power of the tongue

Please see inside the attached DOCX Weekly Summary to keep in prayer the Israeli ministry leaders and believers with urgent health needs including the fight for their very lives: 

"Gila" in the Negev Was scheduled for an amputation of one of her limbs, but then had emergency surgery for intestinal blockage and now has developed a nerve condition that will present her from wearing a prosthetic. She is in an extremely hard place, and being a believer for only a year, really needs the prayers of the saints for God to intervene to help and heal her. Please pray for her. |We are sorry to report that Rick Ridings' daughter Esther Moore has had another confirmed cancerous lump. Please keep praying and read the excerpt below for specifics.  Continue to pray for Jacob Damkani who has decided to trust God for healing and forego the advised more dangerous surgery for now (Fungus has disappeared but bacteria still present in his blood, please keep praying | Continue prayers for David Davis |   Eddie Santoro - a new form of cancer unrelated to the brain cancer | Ruth Nessim has received a clean bill of health from cancer treatment: pray it does not rise up a 2nd time | David Stern Please continue pray for David's health and also for Martha, as his caretaker |  David O., Ami (unhealed wounds); 

Long term disease battles:  Leah; an unnamed forefather of Messianic Judaism; Moshe M.;  the son of an Arab pastor, Ghazi, who is suffering from Leukemia. Judy, wife of pastor Yaakov K;  Evan Thomas in still painful occupational therapy phase after serious arm fractures; Carolyn Hyde, Eddie Beckford, Claude Ezagouri; Patti, wife of Dan Juster; Baruch and Karen Maayan; Michael E and unnamed Israel-related ministers.  Ronen a congregant & faithful volunteer in the Tiferet Yeshua Tel Aviv congregation.  PLEASE PRAY ALSO for all the caretakers. If you have ever been one, you know that it stretches us to our limits in an very emotional time. Pray for God to strengthen and uphold them all. Miriam Abramov as she recovers from hernia surgery.

Update for Polly Sigulim from Hasdey Yeshua:  Good News! Polly doesn’t need surgery! The tumor in her lung hasn’t grown in eight months and recent scans show that it isn’t really attached to her spinal cord, as the doctors had feared. They’re going to check it again in six months. Please pray it will shrink or disappear.

Praying the Headlines

Two recent articles featured in mailings from KehilaNews.com

Seismic shift in Lebanese politics: What does this mean for Israel? | Joni Koski | Northern Israel experienced a minor earthquake last weekend, but the election of former army general and Prime Minister Michel Aoun as Lebanon’s president late last month presents a different seismic shift in the axis of power on Israel’s northern border.

Israel thwarts first possible intentional attack from Syria | Joni Koski | Israeli forces responded with deadly force to an attack by an ISIS-affiliated group on Sunday morning on the Syrian border location, east of the Sea of Galilee. No Israelis were injured, but the four militants were killed.

Teaching Articles

Asher Intrater 

Revive Israel Ministries and Tikkun International
http://www.revive-israel.org  newsletter@revive-israel.org

God's Destiny for Arabs and Jews | ARTICLE | Asher Intrater | The Arab peoples have a positive destiny that was pre-destined by God.  That destiny is not found in Islamic extremism or politics, but in the Christian Arab community; the born-again, Spirit-filled, Bible-believing remnant found in each nation. We are in covenant with them through our mutual faith in Yeshua, and we believe they will stand with us and our nation in the difficult times ahead. 

Israeli Ministries on Tours  |  Inside the attached Weekly Summary are itineraries and open dates for Avner & Rachel Boskey in New Zealand and Italy

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