WEEKLY Arrows from Zion 4/12/2017

Priority Prayer Focus Apr 12, 2017

For our priority focus, I am borrowing this recommendation with a promise from Marc Chopinsky in northern Israel:  "For those who think they know Passover, I recommend reading Exodus 1 - 12 during the week. You will see new things."

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.

As reported last week, Eddie Santoro has received another cancer-free MRI report. Keep praying with him as he gets screened  every 4 months. Every woman who gets regular pap smears understands how waiting for the results is an anxiety producing situation.  Pray for Eddie's peace in those times... meanwhile, he also reports that out of his life and death ordeal with cancers that God has made him greatly zealous to pray for healing for others. He also gives a follow up report on Patti Juster  Read inside the Weekly Summary attachment      

See also Eddie's comments on the Passover celebration

Kerem-El, which means, God's Vineyard, is a daughter congregation of the Carmel Congregation in northern Israel. It is pastored by Dani Sayag (who is also the Senior Pastor at Carmel), with the help of his young ministry pastoral team Yonatan Arnold and Stefan Silver.  This congregation has a strong family and evangelistic focus and they are seeing many miraculous healings.  One of the issues they face in their congregation - and which many of the congregations if not all - deal with, is the debt and  financial strain among their members.  Please pray with them and with all the Israeli Messianic and Christian Arab congregations for God to prosper their people in every sense of Biblical prosperity. Read more inside the subscription only Attached DOCX Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests from Israeli Ministries

Ben Juster is the Operations Director for Tikkun Int'l, the umbrella organization that covers many ministries raised up under the 30+ years of the connected ministries of Dan Juster, Asher Intrater and Eitan Shishkoff. What is happening in this network is greatly encouraging because weekly we see the emergence of their next gen Israeli Messianic ministers - apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists.  Inside the Weekly Summary attachment, Benjamin, son of Daniel, gives a praise report about the recent ministry trips by their next gen leadership, which Ben himself is among those. 

Also a report on the continued re-shaping of this network in their annual Tikkun-affliated ministry leaders last month. Ben writes, "There was a noted sense of humility and unity, committing to walk even more strategically and intentionally for the future. The leaders made several key agreements and decisions together that will help to set our course for the future. We will be communicating more in the coming weeks and months." For all the Tikkun priorities and prayer request see more inside the subscription only Attached DOCX Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests from Israeli Ministries

               

Israel Pochtar is a quite dynamic spiritual leader of the Voice of Judah Ministries and Beit Hallel congregation in Ashdod. His primary ministry is to the great many immigrants from Russia who are not Israelis.  Pochtar leads many outreaches to minister to the needs of these people and in this letter he speaks about their 3-day youth retreat in the desert, the "Born to be Loved" Women's Conference and their traditional Passover Seders. The congregation has grown so much that this year they could not hold a congregational Seder because they have had to go to two service times each week to minister to all the people. It is a great problem to have which they settled short term by holding family-style Seders in private homes for everyone. Long term they are about to renovate their new building that will provide all the space they need.  Read more inside the Weekly Summary attachment  

While on the subject of Russian immigrants, please read my special report below about hearing a great message last Shabbat from Jonathan Bernis, who back in the 1990's went to Russia to minister and saw thousands and thousands of Soviet Jews come to faith.  He delivered a much needed message for today and the message link is provided below in My Word.

Rick Ridings who pioneered 24/7 prayer and praise in Jerusalem at Succat Hallel, and has helped establish the same in many nations of the Arab Middle East, writes about the preparations for Passover. But he also writes about something that I believe may be a concerning issue of many of the ministries in Israel at the moment:  "We are currently facing one of the largest financial challenges we have faced in our twelve years of continuous 24/7 worship and prayer in Jerusalem.  If you have received our updates for any length of time, you know we rarely mention finances, saving that only for urgent moments. Any gift, large or small, will be deeply appreciated."  Get contact information  inside the Weekly Summary attachment       

For whatever reason, I believe that there is a slowdown of giving to the Israeli ministries right now and I urge international Christians to respond to the need.  That is a DEFINITE part of our mandate from God to uphold the Israeli ministries not only in prayer but in material support.  This is a call to share the burden of what God is doing among them, not only for the salvation of Israel, but for the release Israel's salvation brings to harvest in the nations.

The Maoz Ministry of Ari and Shira Sorko Ram also writes this week about the Pesach, Passover that millions of Jewish families have just celebrated.  Their prayer of course is for the salvation of Israel.  You can read more inside the Weekly Summary attachment   including their thoughts on Syria.  It is important to know that the Israeli ministries have been doing outreach and humanitarian aid to the Syrian refugees.  You don't often hear about it because it is a work that has to be done mostly in secret due to safety issues. 

As a nation, Israel also has:  "Ever since the civil war began, Israel has been treating wounded Syrians in our hospitals, sending humanitarian and medical aid to fighting zones (secretly, of course), and reaching out to refugees.  Maoz has taken a big part in providing necessary supplies to these refugees who fled to Jordan, Cyprus, and Turkey through a local Arab minister. Our hearts and prayers go out to the children and the adults caught up in this war.  Many of these children do not know another reality since they were born into the war.  They have no concept of “peace.” Find their prayer requests for Syria inside the Weekly Summary attachment    

Shira Sorko-Ram has also written Anti-Semitism: Where Did It Come From? for their April Maoz Israel Report

From Asher Intrater's Revive Israel, ARTICLE Jewish Roots Part II by Ariel Blumenthal | Revive Israel in the Nations – Update and Recap | Thank you for your prayers for Tal and Roni in the Czech Republic this past week and for Cody and Andrew throughout their time in Japan! Asher and Betty will also soon be traveling to Hong Kong for a Chinese leader's conference. Together, through your prayers, we are advancing the kingdom of Yeshua all over the world! Also, check out this recap video of Cody and Andrew's time in Japan. and VIDEO Yigdal adonai - Esther fast worship | Listen to a song by the youth worship team from the Esther fast at Revive Israel.

Arni Klein shares his thoughts on the Passover, " The whole event was about more than just bringing them out of Egypt.  He arranged their bondage and Exodus so He could bring them into the land (Deut.6:23) in order to cleanse it to be His dwelling place. We need to get this right.  It is foundational to our understanding of God, His ways, His purposes, His plans, and our individual and corporate callings."

Read more inside the Weekly Summary attachment       

You would think that Israelis have traveled all around the country to visit the tourist sites of Biblical renown, but that is not how real life works.  (Just think about how many tourist sites you have visited in your own country or state).  Which is why I truly enjoyed Ronit Bender's account of the tourist trip that her son who lives in Australia took her on to many sites around Israel - some she would never have dared to visit herself.  If you have ever or never been to Israel, you will enjoy reading Ronit's account inside the Weekly Summary attachment               

Last week Christianity Today gave a platform to two anti-Messianic rabbis to present a case for telling Christians they should quit letting Messianic Jews teach them the Hebrew Roots of the Faith and the primary example was their denial that the "Lord's Supper" was a Passover Seder.  The fact of the matter it was the Passover Seder Jesus and His disciples observed and the foreshadowing of the Messiah is written throughout it. Obviously, anti-Yeshua rabbis don't want Jews or Christians seeing those foreshadows clearly and that is what this article was all about.

Ron Cantor of Messiah's Mandate has written a MUST READ response to this and Christians everywhere need the huge amount of insights Cantor shares in Ron's Response to the Rabbis: Was the Last Supper a Passover Seder? Christianity Today: Listen up!

From Orna Grinman whose ministry is to orphans, widows and single parents in the body of Messiah in Israel  (A Sign & An Example, Ot Oo’Mofet)  two new blog articles:

“Don’t leave before you say these three” | Orna Grinman of Otoomofet (A Sign & an Example) | “Wait! Stay in your chair!” my friend rebuked both his sons, who were sitting at the Passover table. The two wanted to get up and sit elsewhere with their phones as they got tired of reading the Haggadah (the story of the exodus out of Egypt, compiled by rabbis centuries ago, depicting their arguments concerning the customs Click Title to Read Online

Who passed over? | by Orna Grinman of Otoomofet | Who led the children of Israel out of Egypt, all the way to the promised land? Moses? Sure. But he had no idea if they're to turn left or right when they hit a junction. Whom did he follow? God? Right, that would be the common answer. But can you please be a bit more Click Title to Read Online

From the excellent Israeli Messianic resource KehilaNews.com, here are just a few selections from one of the updates they put out in the past week. There is much more where this came from!

Afikoman: The ultimate Passover question | By Hannah Weiss | Hannah writes, "Rabbis expound on its name, purpose and traditions, but they never explain why the Haggadah historically surrounded the Afikoman with silence, except for one contradictory statement..."

Celebrating Passover as a prophetic intercessory act | By Sandra Teplinsky | Sandra writes, "At Passover we recount and personally engage with the bittersweet story of the biblical exodus. We re-live the event, especially through the seder. For a week we eat unleavened bread, as did our ancestors when freed from bondage."

Ethiopian Haggadah connects the generations | By Karen Faulkner | The Bnei Akiva religious Zionist organization has created a Passover Haggadah written in both Hebrew and Amharic designed to help Israel-born children of Ethiopian immigrants connect with their parents’ history and their journey from Ethiopia to the Promised Land.

Netanyahu on US strikes in Syria: Israel fully supports President Trump’s decision | By Amir Tsarfati | PM Netanyahu expressed Israel’s support for the United States strikes carried out in Syria Friday, stating “In both word and action, President Trump sent a strong and clear message today that the use and spread of chemical weapons will not be tolerated..."
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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: 

Juster, Daniel Juster's wife, had heart valve replacement and has now been released to home recovery with no complications, infection. Please pray for continued daily healing. | Eddie Santoro's latest MRI brain cancer screening was again clean, praise the Lord! | David B. from Howard Bass' congregation was wounded by a pipe bomb during his military duty is recovering at home but still waiting on an eventual procedure to restore his finger and hand. Please pray for his full restoration. | Olga & Dov Bikas have been suffering from severe backaches. Please pray for their healing | David Davis continues to suffer weakness and a new small growth in the area of the previous cancerous tumor. Please continue to pray for David to be fully healed. | Gila, the first graduate from the Ark of the Negev’s discipleship training, after many delays finally had a successful surgery. She's been living in extreme pain for years.  Please pray for complete healing, restored mobility, and freedom from pain.| Hand operations on both Cookie and also Howard Bass' went well. Please pray for swift recovery.| Continued prayers for  Rick Ridings' daughter Esther Moore victory over cancer |   Ruth Nessim  According to the blood tests, all is well with the cancer of the lymphatic system,  "But I am blind in one eye, with much reduced sight in the other. I would value prayer." | Eddie Beckford has a toxic level of aluminum in his body and it has affected his health.  This is very likely the underlying cause of his thyroid & diabetes problems.  He is undergoing a protocol to remove the aluminum and he has not been well for some 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; Carolyn Hyde, Claude Ezagouri; 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.

Praying the Headlines

4/7/17  Intercessors for Israel in Jerusalem
Ofer Amitai, Eliyahu Ben-Haim and Chuck Cohen
http://www.ifi.org.il/  Friday Prayer Points  P.O. Box 28368  Jerusalem 91281  Israel

We awoke this morning to the "exciting" news that America had struck a Syrian airbase, just north of Israel's border, with 60 Tomahawk missiles – as a response to the chemical weapons attack that took many Syrian lives this past week. While most of the world accused Assad of this evil deed, he pointed the finger at Israel! So we prayed for Israel to be on high alert over this weekend to all attacks – especially from Syria or Hizbullah. We trust in Your many promises to defend this nation (Deuteronomy 32:43; Psalm 121:4)

    Lord, as both the chemical attack and the US' response did not take You by surprise, we ask for You to reveal to Israel any hidden dangers that are lurking on the horizon (Psalm 139:11-12). Abba, please hedge in the tongues of Israel's politicians from saying unnecessary things (Psalm 141:3). Impart Your wisdom to Israel's government in relation to this current situation. Help the IDF to be super alert at this time – especially along Israel's Syrian and Lebanese borders. We specifically ask for angelic protection to be with the IDF (2 Kings 6:17; Psalm 35:4-6)

Security concerns are always heightened during all of Israel's feasts, so we prayed for Israel's protection throughout this land. He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him, as a shepherd keeps his flock. Jeremiah 31:10  While we do not trust in "chariots and horses" (Psalm 20:7), we do thank You for providing the IDF with its various "chariots and horses" that help to protect Your nation today.    Lord, we ask for Your counsel to prevail in the minds of Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Liberman and IDF Chief of Staff Eisenkot – and also bring them into one accord (Proverbs 19:21; 21:1). We continue to intercede for PM Bibi Netanyahu, and we continue to ask God to show us how to pray for who is to lead after Bibi.

Teaching Articles 

4/8/17 Avner & Rachel Boskey Beer Sheva  David’s Tent
psalm67@netvision.net.il  http://www.davidstent.org/
Donations: Final Frontier Ministries Box 121971 Nashville TN 37212-1971 USA
Also via PayPal: www.davidstent.org

Syria – Ancient Promises, Ancient Curses | By Avner Boskey

As the Passover season of deliverance approaches, the world focuses on the Middle East. Chemical warfare near Idlib targeted civilians, causing the gruesome death of nearly 100 (including lots of children) and the injury of more than 500. The cruelty and carnage shake the souls of all who see video footage of the casualties. Syrian fighter-bombers involved in that incident (and operating under a protective Russian military umbrella) were destroyed a few days later by an American onslaught of 59 Tomahawk missiles. Click Title to Read Online
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My Word

With all the noise out there spiritually, I have to say that it was a great delight yesterday (4/8) to hear Jonathan Bernis of Jewish Voice Ministries speak at Baruch HaShem Messianic in Dallas. I have heard Bernis speak before, but never have I heard such a crystal clear message. It was pure, uncluttered and unbiased call to both Christians and to the Messianic community to extricate ourselves from the peripheral issues that keep us from accepting each other and unifying for reaching all Israel and all nations.

I especially appreciated him and Marty Waldman revisiting their long history together, especially a meeting they called where 10 Jewish believers came together for 3 days of prayer for breakthrough in the Messianic movement.

The 10 were an "odd" group of Messianic leaders - some, in fact, diametrically opposite of each other, like Art Katz and Bob Weiner. Bernis' comments on this were hilarious to me but even more so I heard his spiritual point loud and clear: even when people who are as far apart as it is possible to be in spiritual streams, when they agree to come together in a unity for the greater good of seeing God's purposes fulfilled, God responds robustly with answers.

For Bernis it was immediately prior to his renowned evangelism among the Jews in Russia. For Marty it was the imparting of the vision of Toward Jerusalem Council 2, a vision that I heard Marty relate the very first time to the BHS congregation, when it was just a tiny part of the now huge BHS building. For Art Katz it was the raising of funds he needed to publish a book which his diametric opposite Bob Weiner stood up and collected from among the minion of Jewish leaders who had met to pray for breakthrough in the Messianic movement.

I get what Jonathan Bernis is preaching: the time for radical willingness for unity among the Messianic movement and also among the Church who see the significance in God's plan of salvation of the Jews rippling out with salvation around the world is NOW.

I urge you to listen carefully to this message of Jonathan Bernis. It begins with Ari Waldman introducing Troy Wallace of Jewish Voice Ministries who I was also delighted to see after many years. Troy is the son of my good friend Holly Christmas Wallace who has served Asher Intrater of Revive Israel for decades.  This is a strong point to mention because many of us have had decades of connection. We have history together as all families do - some pleasant, some not so pleasant, but the family connection remains.  God is waiting for us to put His purposes above our unpleasant memories or reactions to others in the family, and to act in unity as the family of God in Messiah.  - Donna Diorio

               

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