Arrows from Zion 10/10/2018

Mount Precipice outside of Nazareth, in Luke 4

Priority Prayer Focus

One of the most difficult things we face as Yeshua's people is dealing with the attack of others who are also called by His Name. Not everyone understands that they are to be transformed in their inner person by the Spirit of the LORD, who is making us to resemble Yeshua to the uttermost depths of our beings. It is a process not a once and for all moment. It is daily choices and walking in the understanding that God is after transformation within us, so we are transformed from where we are at salvation to Yeshua's likeness from glory to glory. That's not pie in the sky, that's Bible.

So, when believers who think they can still act like the devil against us, we have a pretty big challenge on us. It is like a beloved close family member relentlessly attacking us in hateful ways. The flesh cries out to return the animosity, but the Yeshua in us wants something more, namely their restoration, their salvation, their reconciliation.

It is a fine line we walk when the attacks are spiraling out of control. I will never forget God showing me how Jesus walked this fine line in His very first, post-Holy Spirit anointing (MT 3:16), instance of reading the scroll in His hometown synagogue.

The crowd became enraged at Yeshua: 'Who does he think he is?!' They became a mob baying for his destruction. They acted as one, pushing him out of the synagogue all the way to a steep cliff outside the city intending to push him over to His death. It was utter chaos as all the pushing and shoving became pushing and shoving each other and not just Yeshua. 

When they got to the edge of the cliff, He calmly walked through the enraged crowd. He walked away from the midst of them and did not allow them to carry out their will upon Him. If you will notice, it was not the only time that scripture records how Yeshua did not just allow angry people to do to Him what was in their darkened hearts to do. It was not time and He knew it.

In my opinion, we sometimes try to be more spiritual than Jesus when we are being attacked. I base my view on Yeshua's precedent in Luke 4. We cannot allow those who are acting in the flesh, even under the guise of some higher spiritual calling, to do whatever harm to us that they will. We are to be as harmless as doves, but wise as serpents. When we are standing in an attack of vipers, we need to remember that. We pray for our enemies, but we do not let them push us off the dangerous hometown cliff.

Pray for the peace and unity of all the believers in Israel.

Arrows from Zion
Summarized from the Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests Israeli Ministries by subscription only donna@israelprayer.com

In keeping with the Priority Prayer Request is Avner Boskey article to help intercessors as they pray for Messianic Jewish healing and restoration. Healing the wounds – Messianic Judaism’s intercessory challenge covers a few of the issues involved.

Martin Sarvis tells us the need for rain is becoming "serious" (on every level the rains are need!) Also Norma's reflections of being an Israeli citizen for the 29th year - lots of changes

Like so many Israelis, Ron Cantor is sending An Open ‘Thank You’ Letter to Nikki Haley from an Israeli American Messianic Jew. Ron also files a report on the congregation in Tel Aviv which was packed out beyond expectations as he returned recently from time in the US. It is a good and growing work in Tel Aviv.

The latest Maoz Israel Report is out with articles by Shira Sorko-Ram, How I Learned to Pray the Prayer of Faith on the Mount of Olives and Eliezer Ben Yehuda: Father of the Modern Hebrew Language | Part 2: The Visionary; also from Ari: Bringing the Truth of Israel to Brazil.

Another Maoz article A Sign of the Times really struck me as I looked at the accompanying photograph of children holding their musical instruments in their Music Making for Kids program. I had to do a double take on the photo because at first glance it looked like kids holding weapons. Of course, those kids were proudly posing with their musical instruments. So often I see photographs (and have for decades) of young Palestinian children holding weapons while terrorism role-playing at their Hamas kindergarten children's camps. This is the difference in what comes from different child rearing: Train up a child in the way he shall go and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Lovely Revive Israel Team photo included in this issue of the Weekly Summary (which is by subscription only, but free at donna@israelprayer.com). I used it to illustrate the Revive Apostolic Equipping Center.

Plus Dan Juster's article The Palestinian Confederation Idea and two videos, one In the Footsteps of Paul with Cody Acher & Greta Mavro, also Asher Intrater on Biblical Meaning of "Gentile". Finally Asher & Dan's book Israel, The Church and the Last Days - a fresh perspective on the last days and the swirl of current events.

Also from Revive, if you are interested in an 8 week Discipleship Journey in Israel don't miss this VIDEO from Chaim and Ruti Singerman. The next event is coming up Dec 29, 2018 to Feb 23, 2019  to view more of this email in your browser  

Often heartbreaking but wonderful in rejoicing over men rescued from addiction, the report of Eric Benson from House of Victory in Haifa is full of good reports and requests for prayers over some who are still teetering. Since these are so sensitive, we will not share in public, but please pray for those who are ministering to this segment of Israeli society. You can learn more by directly subscribing to the ministry, or reading more in my Weekly Summary. Heaven rejoices over the recovery of one lost soul that everyone else has completely given up.

Jim Schutz directs The Joseph Project, largest importer of humanitarian aid to Israel, but this month a new thing has blossomed which really sounds like the LORD's leading!  It's a wonderful story of how the Joseph Project was called on to help transport luxury hotel furniture for an Israel organization that did not have the funds or means to receive the donation. In the end it has opened up a new avenue for working with similar Israeli businesses that want to help solve the poverty problem in Israel. It is quite a great development which you can read in my Weekly Summary or through contacting the Joseph Project.

From the Tikkun Global email, Dan Juster's What Is The Future Of The Nations? and from his wife, Partricia, her book Refined by Fire A Grieving Mother Finds Treasures Hidden in Darkness. It is her story of the fire in their home that took the life of their son, Samuel.  Also from the leader of the Return to Zion congregation, Leon Mazin, Ministering To New Immigrants

Intercessors for Israel Jslm share prayer points on riots in Gaza, Israel's response, potential for violence in the W Bank, Syria/Russian/Israel, Aliyah for increasing anti-Semitic Europe, Drought, elections & prayers for their ministry

Orna Grinman's latest blog article about ministry to Holocaust survivors He had Set Eternity In Their Hearts

KehilaNews.com is an excellent and much needed resource from Israel - for the ministries in Israel, for the Church in the nations and also as an outreach to Israelis interested in the Messianic faith. Like all of the ministries, Kehila has been hit with a lack of financial support that seriously imperils the operation. Some do not consider a website to be a ministry but nothing could be farther from the truth. I hope God will stir up many to come alongside KehilaNews.com with regular monthly financial support so we do not lose this important ministry resources.

Some of the articles available from Kehila this week:

An Open Letter to the Ministry of Interior | Chava Stein | " all Jewish-born individuals and their offspring who, by virtue of the Law of Return have the right to live in Israel and be counted among her people."

Seal Of King Hezekiah And Of Isaiah Discovered | One For Israel Staff | The seal of King Hezekiah was recently discovered

New album released in Portuguese and Hebrew – DESPERTA (Wake Up) | Thais Schucman is a worship leader at Shemen Sasson congregation in Jerusalem

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

Please keep in prayer these Israeli ministry leaders and believers with urgent health needs

Keep praying for CONTINUED URGENT PRAYER FOR JACOB DAMKANI and prayer for continued decreasing cancer in  EDDIE SANTORO's brain | Albert a Messianic leader from southern Israel, has had a successful surgery and an amazing recovery details in Howard Bass' ministry letter |  Rania Sayegh asks for prayer of restoration of strength, energy, and complete healing.| Rachel Netanel took a fall and has broken her leg. Pray for quick healing. In April she learned she had a polyp on her vocal cords. Please pray for complete healing for this evangelist in Israel.  | Olga Bikas continues to suffer from chronic, acute back pain. She is getting medication and physiotherapeutic treatments but without any substantial improvement | Ruth Nessim continued prayers for health

                Pray also for Israel intercessors/supporters in other nations with urgent health needs:  Jeurgen at ICEJ, Karen and Yonit in Israel.  Also for Israel intercessors:  Cecelia Toth, Arlene Stucki, Una Gere, Mo Murray, also from our friend Steve in the UK for his wife Elizabeth. A special appeal for prayers for Israel intercessor Debra Koen Abernethy 

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Special Urgent Request for the USA
Praying the Headlines

Last week we asked prayers for the United States locked in a horrible political battle that had serious spiritual ramifications. There was what can only be described as a demonically-inspired attack against a righteous Supreme Court Justice nominee. In the end Justice Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court but it was an intense spiritual battle that in times past would have destroyed the nomination through the lack of courage to fight such an intense battle. Now we have barely had time to get over that and we hear that one of the strongest, most courageous voices in the Trump administration for Israel will be exited her ambassadorship at the UN.

Please pray as Maoz Ministries' Shira Sorko-Ram speaks to this:  Twenty-eight days until the election. Today is the last day in Texas and Florida to register. As they used to say, even God can't direct a parked car. We must pray and act. The Bible says, "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? (James 2:14)

Remember, we are fighting for and believing for the ultimate goal of revival in America and Israel and the world. Some people think it doesn't matter if we have righteous leaders or wicked leaders. Not true. The N.T. tells us clearly that Israel is an example for us. When rulers like Ahab and Jezebel rule, the Israel went south like never before. True believers were hunted and killed.

When rulers of Judah like Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah and Josiah ruled, there was revival in the land and the nation prospered. It is very important who America's rulers are.

Take Nikki Haley--a known born-again spiritual official who left a tremendously important mark on the U.N. God literally prospered everything she did. She was the best UN representative America has had. Israelis love her. Even in America, she was respected by more people of different political perspectives than anyone I know. I am very sad she is leaving.

Now it is very very important to pray for the right person to fill her place. There is one possibility that is being bandied around that I believe would be a disaster. We need another person at the UN who is blessed by God because he or she is a God-fearer and has family values. So we must add the filling of this empty seat to our prayer list.

Remember to bring before the Lord the names of Congress and Senate candidates that we are praying for. We are in war, and this war must be won.
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There is a real crisis that has been taking place over the past year with donations from the nations towards Israeli ministries of all kinds taking a serious nose dive. It is so serious that many have been forced to lay off staff and make other really hard decisions about their ministry outreaches. Please, if you have the means to bless Israeli ministries, their ability to continue to increase rather than decrease their ministry to Israel is expedient for us all.

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Donna Diorio 
donna@israelprayer.com  or donna@d10r10.com
 
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