Priority Prayer Focus
Voice of Judah's Israel
Pochtar posted this early morning photo taken on Yafo Street in Jerusalem.
Later in the day this road will be filled with all sorts of Israelis who need
the Lord. They are the ones God is calling to become Living Stones in His
Temple in Israel. Do we have a heart for the real spiritual work God is doing
in Israel, or just for a 3rd stone temple?Continuing the theme last week about Temple Fascinated Believers, this article I wrote fourteen years ago:
Temple Mount Faithful
or temple mount Faithful?
or temple mount Faithful?
August 2004: Recently I
stood by listening as someone asked an Israeli Messianic leader about the
Temple Mount Faithful. It was obvious that the person had expected an approving
response to that group's recent latest attempt to place the cornerstone of the
third temple in Jerusalem. The questioner was truly surprised when the
Messianic rabbi responded with immediate displeasure upon hearing that name,
"I usually try not to comment on Israel's religious groups, but that
group!"
The Israeli leader went on to explain how the Temple Mount Faithful-a religious group that enjoys wide support among Christians — and even some Messianic Jews living outside of Israel — continually place their religious zealotry to rebuild a physical third temple above all else, including the national security of Israel and all her citizens.
To tell you the truth I couldn't tell you exactly what the rabbi responded to this man's question after that because I was too busy reeling that such a question would asked by someone who serves in a Messianic congregation.
How is it that in all our efforts to present an authentic Messianic Judaism and to reconnect Christians through teaching to the Judaic roots of their faith, that we are failing to educate on such critical subjects as this? At this late hour is it still something we consider too hot to handle? Too controversial to rock the boat of Christian support of Israel?
I doubt that there are many Messianic Jewish believers in Israel cheering on the efforts of groups like the Temple Mount Faithful as many Christians are. No one wants to dissuade Christian support of Israel, but Christian support of Israel should be extended to the body of Messiah, not to the unbelieving religious groups who persecute them! Our support shouldn't be extended to the religious zealots who threaten Israel's very national security, therefore every citizen in the Land. This ignorance is not bliss, it is dangerous.
It is amazing that most Christians who support these types of religious groups in Israel are clueless of the danger they pose to the nation and to the true household of faith in Israel. What is really amazing is that there is so little done to educate Christians in these matters.
Why is that? From the perspective of the body in Israel, I understand they are bearing the burden upon themselves in order not to dissuade Christian support of Israel and likely, in order not to bring an avalanche of backlash persecution for being the ones to blow the whistle on this. And why should they be forced to be the ones to whistle blow? Are they in this alone, or are we in it with them?
It may not be the time to press into the Church being able to discern between the builders of the spiritual temple of God and the natural temple of religious Judaism. I don't really believe that, but so many keep silent, I say this so as not to exclude the possibility that there is a timing that I'm just not being sensitive enough to.
So much of Christianity that recognizes the need of the Church to support Israel is focused on the rebuilding of a physical temple. They see it as the necessity of prophetic fulfillment for Christ to return in His Second Coming. Too bad they don't understand that it is a spiritual temple that Jesus is currently building by His body in the land of Israel.
His ministering body in Israel could use Christian support of their efforts. Only Israeli citizens are legally allowed to evangelize. So what are your Israel-support dollars being channeled toward?Some projected temple made by human hands is not what God is focusing on. So in many ways the uneducated support of Christians towards Israel is downright counterproductive.
At what point will the misplacement of Christian support of Israel outweigh the overall benefits of the spiritual building of His kingdom? Why must the body of Messiah in Israel bear this burden alone through the lack of teaching going on about such matters? Whose place is it to begin the process of educating the Church-teaching those who will listen? Can we stand the heat for the sake of our brothers and sisters who have been going this alone?
Instead of Christians aligning themselves with God's focus and throwing their considerable Israel-oriented resources toward the building of His spiritual temple in Israel, those resources are being diverted from the body to the persecutors of the body. That is beyond sad—it really is a disgrace for so few to understand these things at this hour and instead to be thrilled by every minute detail of the preparations for a flesh-built third temple.
The fleshly response is always to build the natural instead of the spiritual. Take Peter's reaction to the appearance of Moses and Elijah with Yeshua as He was transformed on the mount. Yeshua was "appearing in glory" before the eyes of Peter, James and John, who were "heavy with sleep" (Luke 9:32). "Heavy with sleep" or spiritual slumber is exactly where much of the Church is today regarding the temple that Jesus is building and the reality of His body—the spiritual temple of Messiah in Israel.
Matthew 17:4 Peter said to Yeshua, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
At the sight of the glory of God upon Yeshua, a spiritually drowsy Peter was nevertheless ready to spring into action to build three tabernacles with his own hands. God was preparing instead to build a new and living Temple through His Son. He interrupted Peter's nervous chatter saying, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!"
Those who are listening to the Son know that God never has been that interested in any temple that man could build for Him. Take God's response to David when he expressed his desire to build the first temple. Yes, Nathan the prophet said, "Do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you," but what did God say?
2 Samuel 7:4-7 "But in the same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying, "Go and say to My servant David, 'Thus says the LORD, "Are you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in? For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been moving about in a tent, even in a tabernacle. Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, 'Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?''
God's promise to David was about a spiritual house, not a house of wood and stone. He would allow the building of a physical, natural temple because it would serve His ultimate purposes but this is not what God was most interested in building. It wasn't then and it isn't now.
2 Samuel 7:11-13 "The LORD also declares to you that the LORD will make a house for you. When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish His kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of His kingdom forever."
Thanks, David, but My house is a spiritual house and it will take My Son to build that house. That is the spiritual house, the spiritual tabernacle that is "not made with hands."
1 Peter 2:4-6 "And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Messiah Yeshua. For this is contained in Scripture: 'Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed."
The Israeli leader went on to explain how the Temple Mount Faithful-a religious group that enjoys wide support among Christians — and even some Messianic Jews living outside of Israel — continually place their religious zealotry to rebuild a physical third temple above all else, including the national security of Israel and all her citizens.
To tell you the truth I couldn't tell you exactly what the rabbi responded to this man's question after that because I was too busy reeling that such a question would asked by someone who serves in a Messianic congregation.
How is it that in all our efforts to present an authentic Messianic Judaism and to reconnect Christians through teaching to the Judaic roots of their faith, that we are failing to educate on such critical subjects as this? At this late hour is it still something we consider too hot to handle? Too controversial to rock the boat of Christian support of Israel?
I doubt that there are many Messianic Jewish believers in Israel cheering on the efforts of groups like the Temple Mount Faithful as many Christians are. No one wants to dissuade Christian support of Israel, but Christian support of Israel should be extended to the body of Messiah, not to the unbelieving religious groups who persecute them! Our support shouldn't be extended to the religious zealots who threaten Israel's very national security, therefore every citizen in the Land. This ignorance is not bliss, it is dangerous.
It is amazing that most Christians who support these types of religious groups in Israel are clueless of the danger they pose to the nation and to the true household of faith in Israel. What is really amazing is that there is so little done to educate Christians in these matters.
Why is that? From the perspective of the body in Israel, I understand they are bearing the burden upon themselves in order not to dissuade Christian support of Israel and likely, in order not to bring an avalanche of backlash persecution for being the ones to blow the whistle on this. And why should they be forced to be the ones to whistle blow? Are they in this alone, or are we in it with them?
It may not be the time to press into the Church being able to discern between the builders of the spiritual temple of God and the natural temple of religious Judaism. I don't really believe that, but so many keep silent, I say this so as not to exclude the possibility that there is a timing that I'm just not being sensitive enough to.
So much of Christianity that recognizes the need of the Church to support Israel is focused on the rebuilding of a physical temple. They see it as the necessity of prophetic fulfillment for Christ to return in His Second Coming. Too bad they don't understand that it is a spiritual temple that Jesus is currently building by His body in the land of Israel.
His ministering body in Israel could use Christian support of their efforts. Only Israeli citizens are legally allowed to evangelize. So what are your Israel-support dollars being channeled toward?Some projected temple made by human hands is not what God is focusing on. So in many ways the uneducated support of Christians towards Israel is downright counterproductive.
At what point will the misplacement of Christian support of Israel outweigh the overall benefits of the spiritual building of His kingdom? Why must the body of Messiah in Israel bear this burden alone through the lack of teaching going on about such matters? Whose place is it to begin the process of educating the Church-teaching those who will listen? Can we stand the heat for the sake of our brothers and sisters who have been going this alone?
Instead of Christians aligning themselves with God's focus and throwing their considerable Israel-oriented resources toward the building of His spiritual temple in Israel, those resources are being diverted from the body to the persecutors of the body. That is beyond sad—it really is a disgrace for so few to understand these things at this hour and instead to be thrilled by every minute detail of the preparations for a flesh-built third temple.
The fleshly response is always to build the natural instead of the spiritual. Take Peter's reaction to the appearance of Moses and Elijah with Yeshua as He was transformed on the mount. Yeshua was "appearing in glory" before the eyes of Peter, James and John, who were "heavy with sleep" (Luke 9:32). "Heavy with sleep" or spiritual slumber is exactly where much of the Church is today regarding the temple that Jesus is building and the reality of His body—the spiritual temple of Messiah in Israel.
Matthew 17:4 Peter said to Yeshua, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
At the sight of the glory of God upon Yeshua, a spiritually drowsy Peter was nevertheless ready to spring into action to build three tabernacles with his own hands. God was preparing instead to build a new and living Temple through His Son. He interrupted Peter's nervous chatter saying, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!"
Those who are listening to the Son know that God never has been that interested in any temple that man could build for Him. Take God's response to David when he expressed his desire to build the first temple. Yes, Nathan the prophet said, "Do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you," but what did God say?
2 Samuel 7:4-7 "But in the same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying, "Go and say to My servant David, 'Thus says the LORD, "Are you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in? For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been moving about in a tent, even in a tabernacle. Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, 'Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?''
God's promise to David was about a spiritual house, not a house of wood and stone. He would allow the building of a physical, natural temple because it would serve His ultimate purposes but this is not what God was most interested in building. It wasn't then and it isn't now.
2 Samuel 7:11-13 "The LORD also declares to you that the LORD will make a house for you. When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish His kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of His kingdom forever."
Thanks, David, but My house is a spiritual house and it will take My Son to build that house. That is the spiritual house, the spiritual tabernacle that is "not made with hands."
1 Peter 2:4-6 "And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Messiah Yeshua. For this is contained in Scripture: 'Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed."
There is no
cornerstone that the Temple Mount Faithful can ever lay that should command
more attention from the world wide body of Christ than the house that He is in
the progress of completing for Himself in Israel. The Cornerstone has
been laid already by the real temple mount Faithful, our Father.
Today it is the living stones of the spiritual house in Israel that should command our attention because His attention is fervently focused on them, not red heifers and not some block of stone the radical rabbis try periodically to drag up for placement at the Dome of the Rock.
If your understanding as a Christian is that the third temple must be built before Jesus returns, then it is time to recognize that it is a living temple that God wants built made up of Israeli Jews and Arabs. The third temple referred to in prophetic scripture is a spiritual temple; it is Jesus' body in the land of Israel. Everything else we've been talking about here pales in comparison to them.
If you as a Christian have been following the developments of the wrong temple builders in Israel, please take the challenge to acquaint yourself with the real temple builders who are the sole focus of this site (ministry). Jesus will not be glorified by the unbelieving religious groups of Israel, but He is being glorified everyday through the lives of His body in Israel. We are called first to support them.
Today it is the living stones of the spiritual house in Israel that should command our attention because His attention is fervently focused on them, not red heifers and not some block of stone the radical rabbis try periodically to drag up for placement at the Dome of the Rock.
If your understanding as a Christian is that the third temple must be built before Jesus returns, then it is time to recognize that it is a living temple that God wants built made up of Israeli Jews and Arabs. The third temple referred to in prophetic scripture is a spiritual temple; it is Jesus' body in the land of Israel. Everything else we've been talking about here pales in comparison to them.
If you as a Christian have been following the developments of the wrong temple builders in Israel, please take the challenge to acquaint yourself with the real temple builders who are the sole focus of this site (ministry). Jesus will not be glorified by the unbelieving religious groups of Israel, but He is being glorified everyday through the lives of His body in Israel. We are called first to support them.
Arrows from Zion
Summarized from the Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests Israeli Ministries by subscription only donna@israelprayer.com
Summarized from the Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests Israeli Ministries by subscription only donna@israelprayer.com
Maoz Ministries, Ari & Shira Sorko-Ram
talk about the nightmare scenarios that the IDF is tackling in Operation
Northern Shield where Hezballah terrorist tunnels into Israel are being found
& destroyed — some large enough to move tanks and troops through in a
surprise attack on Israel! They write, " It seems that, once again, God
has given us the upper hand on plans to destroy our nation piece by piece."
Continue to pray for God's miraculous grace extended to Israel - both protectively & in spiritual
salvation.
Maoz also asks prayers for rain, speaks of its
investment in the next generation of Israeli believers and their
IstandwithIsrael humanitarian fund. Great time to please
consider giving a special year-end gift
KehilaNews.com could also use
your Year
End Giving consideration. Here are a few items of interest from thier most
recent issues: Speaking up for the fatherless - Showing God's love
to orphans by FIRM Staff | “Tzabarim” for Yeshua | by Alec Goldberg, Israel Director at the Caspari
Center | Israeli artists explore hope, light, transition in
upcoming Jerusalem exhibit | by Cliff Keller | The
Jerusalem House of Quality will host an art exhibition featuring the work of 10
artists, nine of whom are Messianic believers, and are all immigrants
who – after transitioning from their lives in other cultures – have integrated
into Israeli society and the creative life here.
Dov Bikas of the Aviv rehab ministry and the
Negev evangelism & church planting ministry, writes about their fruitful,
yet challenging year. Challenging primarily because of his wife's chronic.
acute back pain condition which is greatly taxing. See the prayer request in
Urgent Healing Prayers. Fruitful in that they have been able to meet many needs
among the Tel Aviv street addicts. 12,000 meals served & many addicts going
into faith-based rehab. Also on the streets of Beer Sheva. Please read more
about this ministry to the lowest of society, the ones so many have completely
given up on: Read more by connecting directly with the ministry, or by
subscribing to the Weekly Summary of
Prayer Requests from Israeli Ministries
Avner Boskey of David's Tent and Final
Frontier Ministries is out with two new timely articles: We wish you a Jewish Christmas! and What happens when a nation lifts the Jerusalem stone
From Asher Intrater's Revive Israel, and
article by Tal Haroni Calling Israel Back | Cody Archer sits
with Gil Afriat of Tiferet Yeshua in this video God is Moving in Tel Aviv | Another video
featuring a teaching by Asher Your Daughters Will Prophesy | The Nesher Project is about Raising up the next generation of leaders in Israel
through discipleship and training within Israeli communities | And Asher's
enlightening book of Yeshua throughout the Hebrew scriptures Who Ate Lunch With Abraham
Israel Pochtar (Voice of Judah ministries
& Beit Hallel congregation in Ashdod) writes to give us an update on the Arab
- Jewish Young Leaders Conference last week. Watch
Marwan and Salim, Arab pastors at the meeting sending a special greeting. Also
Pochtar asks for our help in the Christmas outreach explaining what they can do
With a gift as little as $25 [Read
more inside the Weekly Summary of Prayer
Requests from Israeli Ministries or by connecting directly with the
ministry.] Plus praise reports from their Hanukkah Outreach and the Youth
Worship conference they attended in Haifa.
Tikkun Global's Israel's Restoration magazine
covers many of their leaders in israel, like Avi Tekle at Tents of Mercy in a
tribute A Legacy of Priestly Unity to Marc Chopinsky, who was the long time worship
leader at the congregation | Eitan Shishkoff, heading the Tikkun congregations
of northern Israel, also has a tribute to his long time friend and ministry
associate, Marc Chopinsky Reflections on the Legacy of Marc Chopinsky
(1950-2018) | Also featuring a book that
had profound impact on my views Due
Process by Daniel C Juster | Lastly
a report on Revive Israel supported the recent Africa-Israeli Restitution Forum
in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia by Joni Koski called Arise
Africa!
For Yeshua Israel Ministries, Shani writes
about growing up in Israel worshipping alongside the occasional Arab believer.
Now she and Kobi have set themselves to really advance the music of Christian
Arab worshippers and invite us to watch 3 brothers Watch the Sahknini's play
"O Holy Night" in Arabic with an authentic Middle Eastern flare. The song was recorded in our Jerusalem ministry
and the video was filmed in their home in Nazareth. The results are beautiful! You
can be a part of touching lives in Israel, both Jews and Arabs through
important projects like this! Give now
Richard
and Carolyn Hyde of Heart of God Ministries have a glowing report of their
ministry time in Germany at 10 high school classrooms. "We simply share
the Gospel through the message of Passover and explain how the Lamb of G-d,
Yeshua, came to remove our sin which separates us from G-d. When we gave the students an opportunity to
repent and ask forgiveness for their sins, even the teacher raised her hand! .
. . So we did something different and taught them how to
check-in via LK10 Ministry. We asked them what Solomon requested from G-d." They also
share about the upcoming release of a new outreach video "The Great Jewish
Leader" Read more by connecting directly with the ministry, or by
subscribing to the Weekly Summary of
Prayer Requests from Israeli Ministries
Howard & Randi Bass are preparing for
their annual celebration of the birth of Yeshua and visit to Bethlehem to
worship and celebrate with our brothers and sisters there at a church which
does not particularly like Israel. We
have been doing so since 2003 during the second intifada. But we are there as faces and names to them,
and they are faces and names to us:
reminders that our Father has redeemed children there and here. For the sake of the testimony of who
Jesus/Yeshua is we go: we must show that
Jesus is our peace and reconciliation, even when times are tense and difficult.
For this and other things going on in the Yeshua's Inheritance congregation,
see more inside the Weekly Summary of
Prayer Requests from Israeli Ministries or by connecting directly with the
ministry.
Ron Cantor has a "Middle East Update" of new stories
which you can get by subscribing to his mailing list and in this latest issue
he shares one item on Violence begets
violence: Deadly Palestinian terror spree continues after baby dies | Since
the drive-by shooting terror attack last week that left a baby dead and several
people wounded including the baby’s parents, two Israeli soldiers were killed
in another shooting attack during a violent spree that has left Israelis on
edge. Read more in the Weekly Summary
Marianna Gol whose Negev ministry Afikim
BaNegev is reaching out to Israelis -
the literal & spiritual "widows and orphans" - who are in some of
the worst situations in life with no one to turn to. She writes about a 16 yr old with a tragic
family history they are ministering to, with prayer requests for their ability
to reach him. It is a horrid crime of sexual abuse of his sister, and perhaps
him too. Read more inside the Weekly
Summary of Prayer Requests from Israeli Ministries or by connecting
directly with the ministry AND PRAY this young man will be rescued by the LORD.
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
Olga Bikas’s health condition that seems
to have become chronic, with no hope from the doctors for any improvement in
the future. This, no doubt, puts an additional emotional and physical burden on
our family. Please pray for her acute back pain. | CONTINUED URGENT PRAYER FOR JACOB
DAMKANI still in a critical
condition | EDDIE
SANTORO's MRI showing no signs of brain cancer - there has been damage from
the treatments & surgeries, especially to memory. He asks prayers for
"of healing not only the
eradication of the cancer but a restoration of all that has been lost." | Albert a
Messianic leader from southern Israel, has had a successful surgery and an amazing
recovery but keep praying for total restoration | Rania
Sayegh asks for prayer of restoration of strength, energy, and complete
healing.| Ruth Nessim has several health issues, read in her update this week: Most
critical EYES.
Donna Diorio donna@israelprayer.com or donna@d10r10.com
Please pray about making a financial gift donation. Make donations payable to the order of Donna Diorio and mail to: P O Box 111302 Carrollton, Texas 75006 Or via PayPal, Send to: donna@israelprayer.com or https://www.paypal.me/DonnaDiorio
I do not have tax exempt status.
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