Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Strategic Golan | Arrows From Zion 7/1/2019


The Strategic Golan Heights by Donna Diorio

This issue focus has been planned for a week, but overnight it became even more important due to the special prayer alert from Pastor Dani Sayag of the Carmel Congregation north of Haifa near the Lebanon border. It was an urgent prayer request to pray Isaiah 19:23-25, "that God will fulfill His full purposes for this region."

As Sayag wrote, "Last night, the Israeli air force attacked at least 10 targets in Syria, belonging to Iran and Hizballah.  Since the Arab spring, over half a million people have been killed in Syria because of the civil war, and 4 million Syrians have become refugees.  During this time, Iran and Hizballah have been trying to establish terrorist bases in Syria, in order to create another front against Israel."

Although Israel did not comment on the attack, the
Times of Israel reported from a British-based group that Israel launched strikes on Iranian-linked bases near Homs, and at least 10 other targets near Damascus including a base where Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces are headquartered and a weapons research center.

The Times also noted that the strikes came just hours after an Israeli satellite imagery analysis company said Syria's entire s-300 air defense system appeared to be operational indicating a greater threat to Israel's ability to conduct airstrikes against Iranian and pro-Iranian forces in the country. The strikes came less than a week after Israel, the US and Russia participated in a trilateral summit on Iran activities and presence in the region. Israel has threatened to destroy the Syrian s-300 defense system if it is used against Israeli fighter jets, regardless of potential blowback from Russia.

The Golan Heights, of course, is strategic to the Syrian border with Israel. Maoz Ministries'  Shira Sorko-Ram writing this month on The Golan Heights recalls, "When I first moved to Israel in October 1967, I visited a family living in a kibbutz at the foot of the Golan Heights. The father told me how he and his son were walking just outside their house when suddenly Syrian soldiers began shooting down at them from the slopes of the Golan Heights.
"They raced for their lives and reached the safety of their home. But, he said, for 19 years, since Israel’s Independence, they never knew when or where the next bullets would reach their kibbutz. Until the Six Day War changed everything. In June 1967, a horde of several hundred Syrian tanks came rolling down the Golan Heights." Fighting was intense in what became known as the Six Day War. (Click title link to read part 1 of Shira's Golan series more online)

"After 52 years," US President Trump tweeted on March 21, 2019, "it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel's Sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!" Two days later the President signed official recognition of the Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights in a ceremony with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel had longed for decades for such a powerful acknowledgement of their strategic necessity of holding on to the Golan Heights. So clearly it was a matter of Israel's security, even survival, but no other nation in the world and no other president in the United States had moved with such just clarity to recognize the obvious right of Israel to rule over the Golan Heights. Still, in the days and weeks that followed, both the US news media and the Israeli news media trivialized the move as merely political to help Netanyahu in Israel's elections.

Frankly, just a little under the first year anniversary of the US Embassy in Jerusalem, in my opinion it takes a lot of chutzpah for anyone to chalk it up to mere political moves, that Trump made both of these long-yearned for formal declarations of approval and support of Israel. And clearly God has had a say in these events. He is the mover of the hearts of kings, and other such rulers. He will have His way in all His plans for Israel, including the one Pastor Sayag referred us to pray over Israel at this time, from Isaiah 19:23-25:

"In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: Whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance." 


Arrows from Zion
Summarized from the Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests Israeli Ministries by subscription only donna@israelprayer.com
Yet another sad loss to report with the passing of Ye'shi Reinhardt of Hands of Mercy 

Ye'shi Reinhardt (L) with Yariv Goldman (R)

Yariv Goldman writes, Our dear friend and brother, Yeshi Reinhardt, the Founder and Director of Hands of Mercy, went to Glory on Thursday morning (6/27) in New Jersey while in preparation for a conference there and another summer-long speaking tour in the USA.


The Hands of Mercy team are devastated and heartbroken due to the sudden and unexpected loss of our Founder and Director, "the heart and soul" of our organization. We are determined to continue the wonderful work Yeshi has started and to keep his legacy alive, relying on the strength, grace and wisdom of our L-RD.

Yeshi founded Hands of Mercy in 1992 for the purpose of providing comfort and support for the many injured soldiers and victims of terror in Israel. Initially based in Jerusalem, Hands of Mercy was assisting victim families throughout the country during events of suicide terrorism and war, including the horrific events of the "Second Intifada". As a pioneer with a heart to always stay on the "front lines", Yeshi decided to move Hands of Mercy's headquarters to the small rocket-ridden community of Sde’rot during the Gaza war in 2009.

Yeshi served the US during the Vietnam War, an experience that marked him in many ways for the rest of his life. As a war veteran, he has shown an example to us all through his strength in overcoming personal trauma, trial, and suffering and his determination in turning the tragedies he has experienced into strength for doing good. Instead of living a life of victimhood, he chose to work tirelessly to help those who experienced similar traumas of war that he went through.

Yeshi lived his life like there was NO tomorrow, putting 110% of himself in every situation. A single man for his entire life, Hands of Mercy was his “child” in which to do good and leave a legacy of purpose. He put all he had in it. After nearly 30 years of running a successful charity, he was still sleeping in his office — the bomb shelter of the crowded and modest charity headquarters in Sderot.

Yeshi didn't know life apart from work and only rested on the weekly Holy Shabbat. Due to his high workload and the pressures of running a charity on the front lines and living under relentless rocket fire from the Gaza strip, Yeshi was planning to retire and he has appointed a new director and successor before he went on his yearly speaking tour in the US.

Yeshi had travelled to the US with joy and peace in his heart, looking forward to starting his yearly speaking tour and his approaching well-deserved retirement in this beautiful "Promised Land" of pain and redemption. His team at the Hands of Mercy headquarters were shocked and heartbroken to learn that he will never return to his precious "Covenant Land" and the people he so loved.

Through our pain and heartache, we thank God for Yeshi’s life, legacy and obedience, as he is now blessed with a “final” rest in which he connects with his Father and Creator and he no longer has to gear for another week of trauma and pressure that started for him at the end of each Shabbat. Despite our own indescribable loss and sorrow, we rejoice in knowing that Yeshi now experiences a full and eternal Shabbat rest with his beloved Yeshua.

We THANK-YOU so much for your love, faithful prayers and support for Hands of Mercy through this painful and challenging time... enabling us to continue Yeshi's work and uphold his wonderful legacy. We will keep you updated on Facebook about the date and place of Yeshi's funeral in Grand Rapids, Michigan, US, and his memorial service in Israel. There is also a memorial ceremony for the residents of Sderot, the city he loved so much, on the 30th of June. - Yariv Goldman, is the new head of Hands of Mercy in S'derot, Israel                  


For an excellent tribute to Ye'shi Reinhardt, please see KehilaNews' Ye’shi Reinhardt, tireless minister to Israeli trauma victims, suddenly passes away.  Including the following:

"Just before he left for America, in the last two weeks, Reinhardt legalized Goldman’s status to take over Hands of Mercy should anything happen to him. “It was as if he knew, like he felt maybe he wasn’t returning, Goldman said. “He prepared everything and handed over the reins to put me as the head of the organization. He even organized his office, which he never does, right before he left.”

Goldman worried about joining, saying his evangelistic approach could upset people Reinhardt had built solid relationships with over the years. “Before I agreed to take over I said this could cause you problems because you have good relations with the religious people in Sderot,” Goldman recalled. “I’m all for works of mercy … but I do it in the name of Yeshua. … He told me, on the contrary, he wants to see more fruit, he wanted something more evangelistic.”


Arrows from Zion urges you to consider SPECIAL DONATION TO HANDS OF MERCY ministry.  Ye'shi was cut off from completing important connections with new and old financial supporters this summer.

The Israeli ministries - all of them - have been suffering for more than 2 years with a marked downturn in financial support from the believers in the nations. Please step up with a special donation towards this humanitarian outreach. Also in relation to this, Kehila News reports new govt cuts in humanitarian aid: Can Messianic humanitarian orgs aid Israelis as budgets slashed by $1.2 billion?
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From the Weekly prayer letter from Maoz ministries notes that most Israelis do not want another election because it will "cost an astronomical amount of money that could go to solving real problems, and the results are probably going to be very similar." The Knesset Chairman is researching options but it will take a 2/3rds majority to skip elections in Spet. Whichever way it goes, Maoz is asking for prayers for the current political confusion Israel is trapped in. Pray for God's will to prevail over the situation.

Also, just overnight we have seen a new threat emerge with civil unrest across Israel after an 18-yr old Ethiopian-Israeli man was fatally shot by an off-duty police officer. After violent protests, with over 100 officers  injured and over 136 arrests, the Public Security chief warned that protesters have the right to protest but Israel "will not tolerate anarchy". This is the third day of rioting. 

Last week we shared the Ein Karem portion of the ministry that Rachel and Gilad Netanel are engaged in as the break bread and share faith in a way that opens the hearts of Israelis to hear and receive Yeshua. This week is concentrated on their Zukim house. This is a greatly effective evangelistic ministry: by Israelis for Israelis. Pray for their ongoing legal battles with the Islamic Trust (Waqf) attempts to shut them down in Ein Karem, pray for health as the work is quite exhausting, for funding for all aspects of what they are doing, pray that no weapon formed against them shall prosper as the Waqf also cursed them and the threat of arson violence is not out of the question at this point. Pray a ring of protection around their properties and lives.

In Arad, the Hasdey Yeshua encourages us to keep praying for our prodigals with a couple of great reports of young prodigals they've been praying for returning to their faith. Hallelujah! Also they give good reports on on their Door-to-Door outreach which is bearing fruit, as it the outreach among the Bedouin women.  As they share, "So many people in the Western world are under the mistaken conception that Islam is one of the three major monotheistic religions and should be considered of equal value in all things, no matter how bizarre and demonic its beliefs and no matter how barbaric its customs." In their teaching of Bedouin women - who know better about Islam - the report is that the Bible truth is "turning their world upside down." That is what the Good News does!

Among the Arad congregation's prayer requests:
 "for our continued search for a permanent meeting place. For the Messianic summer camps which will be starting soon. Many kids come to faith or deepen their faith at these camps. And for continued fruitful outreach into our community"

Ron Cantor's 6/27 Middle East Update was right on the money of what news was leading to. He wrote: "The biggest news in Israel is Iran. Even overshadowing the economic summit in Bahrain is the desperate and reckless behavior of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iran funds terrorism throughout the Middle East, even to the point of neglecting their own citizens. They must understand that as long as they continue on their belligerent path, they will not be accepted among the nations. Thank God the US is standing strong, even as Europe trembles."


Israel Pochtar sends a report on the Jewish and Arab Pastor's Retreat that Tom Hess blesses Israeli ministers with each year. It was held on the Sea of Galilee and was a time of fellowship, prayer, worship and sharing for pastors and their families serving in the Land of Israel. Pochtar writes that it is "Absolutely priceless to see how with each passing year, the friendships and bonds are only growing stronger.... Being a pastor in Israel is not an easy task. Not only is it not exactly prestigious, but it is also unpopular and considered odd to most people in the land. It is also very challenging because of the continuous pressure, criticism and persecutions. We always return from the retreat encouraged, refreshed and ready to continue carrying out the task God has entrusted them. Despite the difficult time of growing challenges, problems and conflicts in our cultures, we continue to spend time together, Jew and Arab, reflecting the unity and the love we have for one another in the Lord."

Pochtar also shared about their Men's conference which seeks to strengthen men in the deeper things of God, and how he is also participating in the Messiah conference going on now in Harrisburg, PA. Get info on the LIVE STREAMING schedule 

Dov Bikas Aviv Ministry writes about a new Women's Shelter project that they are planning to launch in Beer Sheva soon, which compliments their outreaches to drug addicts and victims of sexual abuse in Tel Aviv, as well as their men's rehab in Beer Sheva. The Women & Children in Crisis outreach will help those trapped in domestic violence, prostitution, human trafficking and extreme financial difficulties (because of husband in prison, lack of rights and/or citizenship, health issues, etc.). Dov and Olga are seeing pieces of this vision taking shape as the key personnel for helping these women and children are already to get started.  A few more pieces of the puzzle need to come together: please pray and consider helping with financial support. Dov writes, "Needless to say that like all our projects this one is going to be Christ centered and will not just pursue humanitarian goals. Only the Lord Jesus can truly heal and restore these women and their families. We also believe that this ministry can be a great evangelistic tool to show God’s love and care not only to those we will be helping but also to many people around them – relatives, social workers, judges, etc. We also hope that eventually these women and children will join our local churches and will become a testimony and a blessing for them and for our society in general."

From Asher Intrater, Revive Israel - some practical keys in family relationships, Part one of Parental Transfer.  It is not just that the sins of the fathers show up in the next four generations, but also that He will bless to a thousand generations when we reverse the curse.  Also from Revive Live: Cody Archer with Grant Berry Yeshua Won’t Come Back Until This Happens | and Cody's Learn From My Mistakes Quality over Quantity . See also Ahavat Yeshua (Love of Yeshua) congregation in the heart of Jerusalem.

Dan Juster's book  Dynamics of Spiritual Deception sounds exciting to me!  If you have ever been in a congregational situation that went off the rails - and I sure have! - then you will want to know the "principles involved in their deception will prevent the same thing from occurring elsewhere. May those who read this learn to guard themselves against the Dynamics of Spiritual Deception."


Cody Archer is one of the young ministry leaders, along with his wife Liat, who have begun to emerge in recent years as the 'Next-Gen' Israeli Messianic leaders. I am glad to see these new young leaders begin to send out their own ministry letters, as it is important to begin to let young Christians in the nations see their counterparts in Israel stepping into leadership positions. One of the things that is lacking in the younger generation of Christians following in their parent's footsteps of Israel support is because these young Christians are not exposed enough to the young Israeli Messianic ministry leaders and what they are doing. I believe it is very important for the younger generations of ministry leadership in Israel to see the engagement they can have through regular ministry email letters is part of beckoning young international Christians to awaken to what God is doing in Israel concerns them too.  

Recently Cody was responsible for the Shavuot/Pentecost live-stream event from Jerusalem. You can watch the full broadcast here. I thought the worship and prayer time was wonderful (especially the dancing before the Lord in the last hour)...and it was geared to a younger audience as the older forms of worship moved to another space after the first hour of worship together.

After a long absence from my prayer list, Danny and Tammy Meyuseff have returned after walking for a few years through the fires of trials, they want us to know that they never stopped their ministry labors and continue on today. (Those fires included losing both their moms, legal battles with an estranged & lost family member, and Danny had a heart attack with several heart catheterizations & a lengthy period of recovery!) 

In some circles, when believers experience troubles like this, suspicions arise that their faith is not strong, or they must be in sin. THOSE ARE NOT THE CIRCLES I WANT TO BE IN!  I have seen enough to know that if attacks come to a believer - and I think all the Israeli believer-ministries have endured major attacks - that it means the enemy is coming at them with everything to stop what God is doing in and through their lives. So I say: Welcome back Danny and Tammy Meyuseff. 

May God prosper the things that you put your hands to working with widows and orphans, sharing the Gospel with Israelis including Holocaust survivors, counseling women in pregnancy crisis, and helping the poor and needy. May He also prosper everything He has placed in your heart, like the vision to build a model of the Tabernacle in the Jerusalem area.  God bless you as you continue forward...and you are welcome here.

From Howard and Randi Bass of the Yeshua's Inheritance congregation in Beer Sheva, Howard is ahppy to have Randi home from the USA, and also both sons Evan and Tal. They enjoyed a full house for the family reunion. Howard was also speaking about the last days and the things that must be fulfilled before the return of the Lord. In the congregation they are at Genesis 10, the history and roots of our origins as races, languages, nations and ethnic groups. 

Bass also writes, "This month from the 15th - 18th we will be conducting our own children's camp in the congregation.  There are so many believers in the country now that the existing camps cannot accommodate everyone, and it is difficult to register quickly enough when the time comes.  So, along with others around the country, we will do our own, thanks to the love of our children's ministry leader.  It will be a three-day camp, with outings during the day.  This is added work for "A", and those helping her, but her heart is for the children and that they should not be deprived just because of lack of space at more organized and national camps for the believing families." Pray for this and all the camps going on for the children and teens.


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

CONTINUE to PRAY for the urgent healing needs of Jacob Damkani | Ronit Bender is awaiting results from her heart echo test results although she has she feels so much better - but has had a persistent cough for months now. She will have to go to a lungs doctor...and the heart valve is still leaking. Please continue to pray for Ronit. She has been released to travel to Australia in Oct, and Holland in Nov despite the outstanding issues.| Martin Sarvis has undergone arthroscopic surgery and is now in the healing process. Surgery was successful and now will have physiotherapy for a couple of months. | Shlomy Abramov of Awake Israel, because of a condition where blood does not flow to his legs as it should, he was advised by a specialist in case of injuries, he could lose his leg because of the blood flow issues. Shlomy has to wrap his legs daily because of the blood flow issues. Please pray for Shlomy | Ruth Nessim has several health issues, one of the most critical is her EYES which has sent her to the hospital many times. Please pray for Ruth in Nahariya|  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. | 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.


People have always complained that I express myself too strongly, too adamantly.
So in recognition of the need for humility of opinions & interpretations, here's

My 

Christians whose hearts are stirred by God toward Israel can be so vulnerable to be led astray from Jews of faith in Jesus, to Jewish unbelievers who have set leading Christians AWAY from Jews of faith in Jesus, to a simple fascination with Judaism.

Why would I want to sit at the feet of an unbeliever Israeli Jew, even if he were a rabbi? I wouldn't. That person has nothing to offer me but to dazzle me with Jewish lore. I want only what has been given to an Israeli person of faith, downloaded from God in Heaven into the redeemed spirit of a Jewish disciple of Jesus! But some think they are bridging the gap between Jews and Christians. How can that be when they ignore the Messianic Jews of faith and latch on to the hem of the garment of some Israeli Jew who behind their back spits at the name of Jesus?

I know a lot of Christians ignore Jews of faith because they say, 'We don't need to go to them, they've already been saved. We need to make the ones who haven't been saved "jealous" of our faith by befriending them (and showing them how sweet we are).' Uh-no. That is not working for you because they are not going to be impressed with how you are willing to throw Messianic Jews under the bus in order to be friends with them.

Why should they be jealous of the faith of Christians who treat Jews who believe in Jesus as it they are insignificant and less important than the Christian being able to befriend unsaved Jews?

Others seek out unbeliever Jews for teachings. They like to financially support unbeliever Jewish Israel- projects rather financially supporting the Israeli Messianic believers carrying the Gospel in Israel. Why? Why is it so hard to get Israel-supporting Christians to see that supporting the Gospel to Israel is greater than all the other endeavors together? Why do Christians make Israel the ONLY exception to that understanding in a lost world?

I am not against being friendly to unsaved Jews, quite the opposite. But I am not going to financially support ANY projects in Israel that are led by unbeliever Jews, and I am sure not going to go to them for spiritual enlightenment. Wake up. This is so wrong, how can you honestly be fooled by such situations?

It would be the same thing as Christians flocking to the Sanhedrin in the book of Acts, as the Sanhedrin was actively seeking to persecute, jail and put to death the Apostles and the followers of Yeshua in the first century of faith. Absolutely the same thing, same situation today with Christians falling all over themselves to make Israel jealous of our faith when it is the Israeli Messianics who are winning souls and making disciples.

If you want to make Israel jealous of our faith, you will support Israeli Messianic ministries ONLY. You will get spiritual understanding from those Israeli Jews who are actually filled with the Spirit of Jesus, not from those who are trying to drive all those believer Jews out of Israel. Again, I say: Wake up! It doesn't mean you can't reach out to unsaved Jews, but if you don't have inclination to the Israeli community of faith high in your priorities, I question if you really get God's plan for Israel. That's my 2¢ —Donna Diorio

Photo: Ashdod pastor Israel Pochtar standing in front of anti-Messianic posters targeting him and his ministry staff at Voice of Judah.





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

THANK YOU to those who have considered this ministry worthy of financial support.
Donations appreciated | paypal.me/DonnaDiorio
Or by postal mail make donations payable to the order of Donna Diorio
P O Box 111302 Carrollton, Texas 75006 
I do not have tax exempt status. 



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