Wednesday, December 20, 2017

WEEKLY Arrows from Zion 12/20/2017 O Holy Night


Priority Prayer Focus Dec 20, 2017



In just a few days almost the whole world will be celebrating Christmas
— many will celebrate without a clue of its true meaning
for they are still in a world engulfed in sin and error pining.
It is not only strangers, but many of our own families, as well.
Please join with me in prayer for our families, young and old,
to come to the knowledge of the true meaning of Christmas
and to know the thrill of hope and rejoicing
for the breaking of a new and glorious morning in their lives.

Literally a last minute addition to this letter from Yeshua Israel ministry:
O Holy Night recorded in Arabic with musicians from Nazareth
recorded in the Ferguson's Jerusalem Ministry Center

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.

I so love the testimony given by Eddie Santoro from the Ahavat Yeshua (Love of Yeshua) congregation in Jerusalem this week. God prepared his heart to step out with boldness when a miraculous door was opened for him to declare the goodness of God to cancer patients about his own incredible testimony of the healing of two cancers he has overcome in the past couple of years.  Please read this remarkable door that was opened for him from an unexpected source - a miracle in itself. Find Eddie's testimony inside the Weekly Summary attachment              

This ties into the major thread this week about the religious opposition to the faith of Yeshua among the Israeli Messianic Jews. I write in Praying the Headlines about an experience of trying to comment on an extremely prejudiced article in the Jerusalem Post about Israel's Messianic Jews.  I believe it is important for Christians who support Israel to STOP letting abusive conduct and statements about the Israeli community of Messianic Jews go by unchallenged. They are our spiritual family in Jesus, and if you think it will ingratiate you to Israeli Jews, it may for some, but God will be sorely displeased by the betrayal.

In the several articles I picked out to highlight from the KehilaNews.com email from 12/19, there are three articles from three Messianic ministers in the Galilee, the Negev and in Jerusalem.  Eric Morey writes about a new campaign in Israel called, "We're also Jews Anti-discrimination Campaign".  Howard Bass responds to the JPost article and Benjamin Berger asks, Who gave the rabbis authority to decide who is a Jew?

Real life in Israel does not agree with the conclusions of the JPost article, and is offset by Eddie Santoro's testimony, as well as David Lazarus' article (see Messianic Articles below) in writing about the 22-year old Messianic Jewess who has received "overwhelming support" in her bid to represent Israel in the 2018 Eurovision.  No matter what the religious opposition, when something or someone is from God, what He is doing cannot be stopped regardless of how much effort is put into ill feelings being whipped up. That is just a fact of God.

From Revive Israel  (I thought this was a timely word to add to their weekly ministry email) —a VIDEO teaching by Asher Intrater on The Chanukah-Christmas Connection.  If you follow Revive Israel on Facebook you will notice that a great many of the teaching videos and articles recently being shared have a focus of preparing the saints for end times events —and if you are not following on Facebook, you probably should be because the teachings are invaluable and uplifiting, even on topics like the end times.  This week there is a short article from Asher on "Attitudes toward Tribulation" which you can read in full inside the Weekly Summary attachment. There is also another video: teaching by Asher, Prophesying the Resurrection     

Ron Cantor of Messiah's Mandate and Tiferet Yeshua in Tel Aviv has this timely offering: 7 Thoughts about Christmas from a Messianic Jew—Part 1 | While the understanding of the Jewish Roots of the New Testament is important (I wrote two books on the subject), we are not called to be zealots, preaching against holidays that many people celebrate with pure hearts. I hope this blog series helps.

God bless the ministry of Dov Bikas who does evangelism and outreach among the drug addicts and sexual abuse victims in South Tel Aviv. Why? For this: "These days, when the whole Christian world celebrates Christmas, let us ask ourselves this question: Why was Jesus born and why did He come to this world? We find the answer in the words spoken by the angel to Joseph: 'You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins' (Mat 1:21). The angel tells Joseph how to name the baby and explains why God chose this specific name for His Son: 'because he will save his people from their sins'. For most of those who do not speak Hebrew this explanation says nothing, but if you look into the dictionary you will see that the direct meaning of the name “Yeshua” (Jesus) is “Savior”.  And now imagine a lifeguard on the beach. Who will he be saving? Who will appeal to him for help? Only the one who is drowning and cannot save himself."  Read in full inside the Weekly Summary attachment and please remember to pray for their BeerSheva Rehab Center.

The weekly Maoz ministry letter begins with an encouragement for us to pray for the Israeli towns surrounding Gaza who are again under attack from terror groups lobbing missiles into Israel. The excuse this time is because Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, but make no mistake about it, one way or the other the missiles were bound to be launched again and again. Please pray - and also over all the well-armed enemies surrounding the Jewish state. We are in the battle in earnest, and the sooner we realize this, the better prepared we will be to enter the fight with spiritual cover for Israel.

Find this and the list of Maoz ministries prayer requests inside the Weekly Summary attachment              . Also from their monthly Maoz Israel Report, please read about Supporting Arab Christians in Finding Their Destiny 

The Kfar Saba HaMaayan congregational ministry letter is published in a blog that you can access here. In it Tony and Orna Sperandeo who lead this Congregation of the Wellspring share highlights from the past year.

Such a wonderful healing praise report occurred that Avi and Chaya Mizrachi had to send out a special email to give testimony to bless and encouarge us all. Eight months ago one of their women was diagnosed with an aggressive stage 3 cancer. They started a prayer network to intercede for her and after 8 sessions of chemo and a scheduled surgery, when doctors went in they could not find any cancer cells. Cancer was gone! They are rejoicing - as are we that EVERY KNEE shall bow to the preeminence of the Name of Yeshua.

Prophet Avner Boskey has a new word available on David's Tent:  YHVH the warrior and the art of strategic pre-positioning  "As Christmas lights twinkle, many people will once again have cause to remember and think about Isaiah’s Prophecy of Peace “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us. And the government will rest on His shoulders. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). But peace is not yet breaking out in the Middle East."

Kobi and Shani Ferguson of Yeshua Israel ministries in Jerusalem write about an important part of their mission, which is "mentoring and supporting Israeli families is the most effective way for long term expansion of the Kingdom of God and rooting its influence deep in the heart of Israel." They offer an opportunity to help them as they have "adopted" several new Messianic families across the country. READ MORE

Yeshi Reinhardt, who humanitarian ministry is located in the heart of the hard-hit town of Sderot (hard hit and often target of Gaza missles), also has opportunities for you to help them bless the needy.  Get contact information inside the Weekly Summary attachment and watch this video of ministering to toddlers to relieve stresses of bomb shelter runs. WATCH kids getting some much needed fun!

We have a great update from Lebanese pastor Najeeb who underwent hip replacement in Germany - plus the opportunities he had to share his faith with Muslim doctors, and other during his surgery and recovery.  There is good news, but also bad news inside the Weekly Summary attachment - the bad news being that donations to continue the Arab IDF Soldiers' Home has not come in and the home is in danger of having to be shuttered. Read about it in the Weekly Summary.          

Guy Cohen, a sabra (native) of the northern Israeli town that he now heads a Messianic congregation in, Akko, writes to us about "The True Light" who is Yeshua. "Yeshua Himself proclaims in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” What I receive or better put, my perception of these words, is alignment. How can we that are called His sons and receive His power bring light into the Kingdom of God here on earth? How is it possible for us to accomplish this when Yeshua himself walked on the earth but the world did not know Him and His brothers did not accept Him?"

The Jerusalem Institute of Justice sends out its updates in a PDF form that I cannot copy and paste to share here, but here is a short appeal to help them as they represent religious freedom in Israel  on a pro bono basis (absorbing the legal fees).  "Please introduce JIJ to your friends and help us reach our goal of 1000 new friends giving a $10 monthly donation to sponsor our pro-bono legal work safeguarding the rights of Christian minorities in Israel. No gift too small, nor any amount too little to make a difference for justice. Pro-bono legal work accomplishments: 800+ cases handled in the last 13 years; 22 Supreme Court Petition victories in the last 13 years; 58+ assisting communities and families in 2017; 2 Know Your Rights seminars in 2017.  ALSO Featured article: Jerusalem Gold and the US Embassy

One last note - it is a great time to get in one last opportunity for Year End Giving and I would like to add this article I wrote a few weeks back:  We Three Kings of Orient AreWise men still come to Israel to the Body of Messiah bearing gifts.


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:  Please continue to pray for the list which reamins unchanged from the past couple of weeks - with the exception that Eitan Shishkoff has written of his restoration from travel and respiratory issues after the days with the young people of the Katzir gathering in the Galilee.


Praying the Headlines

Last week a Jerusalem Post article titled, Will Israel Ever Accept Messianic Jews? came to my notice. The sub-heading read: Indeed, Messianic Jews are largely shunned by mainstream Jewish communities around the world, and are commonly seen as proselytizers. Here is what happened when I tried to rebut that in the comment section of the Jerusalem Post. Read inside the Weekly Summary attachment               

Messianic Articles 

David Lazarus writes about the 22-year old Messianic Jew who has wow'd the judges and public in her audition to represent Israel in the international 2018 Eurovision Song Contest.  Please read this! inside the Weekly Summary attachment       

________________________________________




 Donna Diorio 
 arrowsfromzion@gmail.com or donna@d10r10.com
 

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