We don’t celebrate Yeshua in Hanukkah and Christmas for nothing! What the entrance of the Light of the world brought us is beyond any comparison to any other blessings any person who ever lived might have. That is why I was so thrilled to read the amazing testimony from the Tiferet Yeshua congregation in Tel Aviv, called Raised from the Ruins. In so many ways I was reminded of Jan 6, 2012 when our grandson, Karl was rear-ended on a Dallas freeway as his car was sputtering running out of gas. He had such a severe traumatic brain injury he was not expected to gain consciousness, then when he did, to never regain mental and physical function. It was a true miracle recovery and when he had recovered enough to do it a year and a half later, he wanted to be baptized. He knew God had saved and preserved his life. That was worth more than any present ever. The Tiferet Yeshua testimony from Menny is one of those undeniable miraculous acts of God too.
A Powerful Testimony: Raised from the Ruins
by Tamar Afrait, Tiferet Yeshua in Tel Aviv
Moti and Kosta with Menny, a new creation in Yeshua
This is a story about Menny, a very
special person who joined Tiferet Yeshua over the summer. Recently after one of
our services, Menny walked up to Debby, Tiferet Yeshua secretary, and asked
her, “Debby, how do you know Yeshua is alive? I know He is alive because He
raised me from the dead. But how do you know He’s alive?”
Over the summer we shared the amazing story of how Menny first reached
out to us. He was looking for a specific English-speaking church in the area,
but somehow God led him to us, a Hebrew-speaking congregation of Jewish
believers instead.
When Menny first showed up at Tiferet Yeshua, he told Kosta in Hebrew, “I am a Christian now because I believe in Yeshu the Christian”. The name “Yeshu” in Hebrew is a derogatory one given to Him by the rabbis. Menny had never heard His real Hebrew name. He also did not know that there were other Jewish followers of Yeshua. Since he first reached out to us, we have had the privilege of getting to know Menny and to hear his amazing testimony.
Menny often says, “What happened to
me is not normal.” We agree, but we serve an amazing God who sometimes uses
extraordinary circumstances and experiences to reveal Himself to us, like he
did with Menny.
The day Menny died | After
his military service in the IDF, Menny took a trip to the US and ended up
staying for good. In November 2014, Menny was a married father of five
children, working in real estate and construction when he started renovations
on an old Victorian building he had bought. The building had been damaged in a
fire, but inspections had found the building structurally sound for renovation.
While Menny was working over a high gable on the second floor, that section of
the building collapsed, and Menny plummeted 30 feet and was then buried under
the building debris. After being airlifted to a nearby hospital, his medical
records show that he had no signs of life upon arrival. After they succeeded to
resuscitate him, they began the fight for his life.
For over a year Menny was in a coma. The way Menny describes it: “My
head was smashed apart. My whole right side is filled with titanium because my
bones shattered from the fall.” Menny woke up from the coma after a year and a
half and had to begin intensive physiotherapy to relearn how to do everything.
At least, that is what they told him, because he barely remembers those first
couple years after he woke up from the coma. During that time, Menny could not
speak. He was relearning how to swallow, feed himself, to walk.
Eventually, the doctors determined
that Menny had significant brain damage and sent him to a nursing home.
Somewhere along the line Menny started speaking again. It was then he started
to share his experience, where he had gone and the person he had met—the reason
why he was still alive.
“Your name is not in this book”
| When Menny tells his story, he starts with a caveat, “Listen, I know I have
problems.” What he means is that it not as easy for him to speak as it used to
be, and sometimes he can’t find the right word. But one thing is for sure: his
memory is crystal clear. We found local
newspaper accounts of the building collapse which mention Menny by name and his
injury, and all the details he remembers are exact.
While Menny was in the nursing home,
a woman minister from a local church who volunteered there started taking walks
with Menny as part of his physical therapy routine. She told him it was a miracle
that he was still alive. He then told her the real story of his miracle:
“When I died, I went up into the universe, into the next world. It
wasn’t a dream. I came to a man who had an open book on a stand in front of
him. I approached him and told him, ‘My name is Menny Mor. Where do I go?’ The
man just looked at me. I knew he was the one who was supposed to tell me where
to go. So, I ask him again, ‘Where do I go? To the left or to the right?’ Then
he said to me, ‘You are not written in this book. I am sending you back to
where you came from.’”
Menny thought that the man he saw could not be God because no one can
see God and live. But he also knew that the man he interacted with had
authority and that he saved Menny’s earthly life by sending him back
again. The minister who accompanied
Menny on these walks told him the identity of the man he had met: Jesus, the
Son of God. The Messiah. The way, the truth and the life. To Menny it made perfect sense: if anyone wants to go the Father, they
must go through this man, Jesus, to whom was given all authority. As the
minister continued to share about this Jesus with Menny, that He was a personal
friend and savior, Menny gave his heart to Him and discovered that His presence
was with him all the time.
A Miraculous Recovery and Call
back to Israel | Despite the doctor’s assessment that Menny had serious
brain damage, he kept improving and he was able to speak again. Before long,
Menny’s son who had come to visit him said, “Abba, we have to get you out of
here! You don’t belong here.”
Menny left the nursing home and continued improving. He started driving
again after passing a three-hour test of his mental fitness. His faith in the Jesus who had saved him
continued strong too, and he told his family all about it. Needless to say,
they told him to stop talking nonsense. They told him, “That’s your brain
damage talking!”
Menny stayed in touch with the
Christian minister who volunteered at the nursing home, and she encouraged Menny to go back to Israel: “God
gave the Land to your people. That is where you belong.” So, after forty
years in America, Menny returned to Israel a very different man.
Learning the Hebrew Name of His Savior | After Menny returned to Israel, his minister friend continued to stay in touch and disciple him. After the covid restrictions in Israel were eased, she encouraged him to get connected with a local church. She sent him the name of an English-speaking Lutheran church in the area, but the number she sent him was our number instead. It seems that God wanted Menny to get to know the Jewish identity of His Savior and to learn His Hebrew name, Yeshua.
I talk to Yeshua all the time | For someone who has gone through so much suffering, you would never know from Menny’s attitude. He is happy, has a great sense of humor, is outgoing and is full of life. He also shines the light of Yeshua. “I talk to Yeshua all the time,” he says, “When I’m walking, at night when I can’t sleep. I talk to Him and ask Him to help me.”
It is clear that Menny has a very special and deep connection with the Lord Yeshua through his experience after the accident, but Menny is also growing in the depth and understanding of His faith, getting to know the Jewish side of His Savior by reading the New Testament. Last week Menny decided that he wanted to make a declaration of his faith in water immersion, accompanied by pastors from Tiferet Yeshua leadership team and other friends. A week later, we asked him how he feels: “I feel new, like if I think about the future there is nothing that upsets me. Just peace.”
 12/3/21 Gil & Tamar Afriat, lead pastor |
The Culture Came First... | by Gil Afriat | ...and then the
foreign gods followed. While our focus during the holiday of Hanukkah is the
victory of the Maccabees over the Greek army and their cleansing of the Holy
Temple, this holiday offers us some interesting insights if we ask the right
questions. A good question to ask might be, "What led to the attack and
takeover of the Holy Temple by the Greeks?" Read more online
Arrows
from Zion
Summarized
from the Weekly Summary of Prayer
Requests Israeli Ministries
Another truly exceptional word came from Avner Bosky which you can rean on
David’s Tent. It is called Keep your
eyes on the prize. Avner takes us through the ages when God’s people
were “holding on” in the face of oftentimes traumatic oppression. He recognizes that many of us feel the same
way about the things in the world that are staring us down right now…but Avner
brings out the redemptive purposes of God that we can count on as we hold on to
His promises.
Evan Levine of HaTikvah Project also sees the need to speak a word for
those of us feeling swamped: “Let’s not Give Up!” Our partners have
found that although they thought they were helping someone else, they
experienced a blessing themselves when they gave. Watch this on Vimeo & be inspired at the impact of your giving.
Liat Archer sends a report on their Katzir (Harvest) youth camp last week at
(wow! What a subject line: I Almost Stopped Believing in God!). But that is what one young believer said before the camp and
afterwards said, “Now I know God is Real!" What was the turnaround? When Liat came to
him and asked to pray for him, “I was shocked. When she prayed, it was as if
she knew exactly what I was feeling and going through in my life. Every word
she prayed was right on. I was asking myself; how can she know all these things
about me? Then I understood that God is real and knows me!" Liat writes, “Young people in Israel struggle
greatly with identity issues, pressures and so much more. They are in desperate
need of godly mentors. We are excited about fathering and mothering young
people into their God given identity and calling. We also tremble before the
Lord when we consider the responsibility and urgent need. Would you help us
reach more young adults and disciple more leaders by sharing a gift with our ministry?
Another quite exceptional word from Shani Ferguson of Maoz Ministries: Prayers
Concerning Light, Darkness and Brokenness | “Permission
to be broken” was the phrase that came to me when I considered the prayer
points for this week. At first, it didn’t seem to fit the motif of typical
December holiday musings. But the truth is, whether you celebrate Hanukkah or
Christmas, if you’ve had enough Decembers in your life, you’ve likely had at
least one or two that did not turn out like you wanted. What makes an
emotionally difficult December even more difficult is feeling like it is
supposed to be a good month. After all, everyone else is having an awesome
December, right? Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is near to the broken-hearted.”
Arni Klein sends a word out that really captures the anguish of looking at the
state of things in each of our nations right now. This is what was meant in the
pregnant statement by the apostle Peter about how God destroyed Sodom and
Gomorrha “and delivered just Lor, vexed with the filthy manner of life of the
wicked. That’s where we are and Arni says it well. But, Arni writes, what is
God’s purpose in all this? “God has two basic
goals: to glorify His Name and to bring forth a fitting Bride for His Son. Everything
He does begins and ends with His longing for a dwelling place in the midst of
His children. His plan and process has been in effect from the beginning. It
began with the manifestation of light…spiritual truth.. .. Only truth and
transparency in the inward parts will prepare a dwelling place for the Lord. As
some have lamented the current crisis as causing division among brethren, we
see the hand of God at work to expose division that had not been visible until
the current pressure brought it out.” He writes, “....We are hoping and praying
that there will be a window between events and that Father will give us a few
more hours to work before the night comes. On this point we have an unction to
pray and plead with the Lord imagining His response to be, “If
I give you time, what will you do with it?”
From the Revive Israel Tikkun Global Team, RITG Executive
Director Ariel Blumenthal shares his story of why he came to Israel, to
Jerusalem specifically in following what the Holy Spirit was showing him was
his own purpose in playing a part of Isaiah 58:12 : “Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up
the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The
restorer of the streets in which to dwell." Read it here: Why Jerusalem
From Israel Pochtar who leads the Beit Hallel
congregation and Voice of Judah outreach ministries, Video & Article Hanukkah — A
Window of Opportunity for the Gospel in Israel , also read Bringing
Back Christmas to Israel | Plus Let the Little Children come to Me Outreach
Praise Report — Hanukkah and Pastor
Yacov Koifman in a Article & Video Empowering
Israeli Youth through Spiritual Authority. | Now is the Time to
Bless Israel with Year-End
Giving
A good year end report
from Daniel and Shirya Yahav in Tiberias at the (Face of God) Peniel
Fellowship. The struggles were many last year with constantly changing capacity
restrictions, but they found a place in the forest where they could meet
relatively alone. “This year
we have had
the privilege to
welcome at least
seven new families
who have joined the
fellowship, and seem
to have integrated
very well. We
have also seen a
growing attendance in
the young adults
group as well
as in the
youth group. In the last youth
meeting there were
over fifty youth
present, and that
was not all
of them. We praise
God also for
several young people
who made a
personal decision to
follow the Lord and we had
the joy to
celebrate their water
immersion lately. One of them even invited his unbelieving
relatives to join the occasion. Many among us have unbelieving relatives who
have been witnessed to. We would appreciate your prayers for all of those, to
come to know their
Messiah and be
freed from the
fear of men and
from deep rooted misconceptions about Yeshua our
Messiah.” There are many more good reports in this congregation, but we will
leave you with this: Shabbat services
and short teachings with a translation into German, can be found at the Peniel
website and on our YouTube
channel We wish you a
blessed and peaceful Christmas season, and the grace and blessing of the Lord
for the coming Year 2022!
Ron Cantor of Messiah’s Mandate sent this testimony from Eitan Shishkoff about
what great things were done with the Messiah’s Mandate donation towards the
Katzir Youth camp. (Helping each other is such a critical demonstration of love
and commitment). Eitan wrote: "During an
amazing week, we hosted 85 teens from all over Israel at our summer conference.
We chose the theme “connected” because for the year and a half of Covid19 young
people had suffered from isolation and disconnection. Our prayer was that they
could reconnect with God and each other in deep and meaningful ways. This
happened in the stark beauty of Israel’s desert, where our Patriarchs
experienced God’s transforming presence.
"The
high point, on the last evening, was an incredible breakthrough and a real
outpouring of the Spirit. The speaker asked who felt lonely or isolated.
Slowly, many young men and women raised their hands. They stood in a circle,
surrounded by the prayers and love of their peers. What normally would have
been a brief prayer turned into a solid hour of ministry with intense healing
and restoration for many teens. In His love for these youth, the Lord brought
emotional and spiritual healing and renewal. It was a fresh beginning that
continues to impact all who were there." Shalom, Eitan
Ron writes, “As we end this amazing year, would you please
consider making a one-time
tax-deductible donation to Messiah’s
Mandate or becoming a monthly sponsor? We want to keep investing in the Kingdom
of Yeshua in Israel, helping to raise up the next generation of believers.”
David and Josie Silver send a family update and David’s usual video updates: Midweek Update Video 12/7 & The Relevance of Hanukkah Video Update 12/3. They also sends thanks for those who sent a a personal gift to assist with the cost of our move to the new apartment. David’s knee and Josie’s back continue to be areas of healing prayer request, but Stefan and Keren, and Jordan and Limor (their sons & their wives & families (Limor is expect her first) are all doing well. For David, travel has been out since covid hit in 2020, but they continue to reach out in the nations to minister via Zoom & video updates. They write “we continue to stand in faith as the world shaking events become more frequent and more intense…. Next year may prove to be unlike any of us have experienced in our lives, but GOD is good and He will watch over, protect and provide for those who are in covenant with Him, through the precious blood of His only begotten Son, Yeshua our Messiah and soon coming King.” Learn more at their website
Chuck Cohen of Intercessors for Israel sends out his Watchmen
from Jerusalem email (read
online. “As we
race towards the end of another year, the world is racing towards its final
destiny with God – and for most of humanity, that will not end well. . . . For
those who trust in the Lord Yeshua, we must keep our eyes on Him (Heb. 12:2)
and recognize that so much of what is happening today has been prophesied to
take place in the days leading up to His return (Isa. 55:11; Jer. 1:12; Luke
24:44).
Also read Friday Prayer Points 12/3/2021
Guy Cohen who leads the Acco Harvest of Asher congregation writes about
Yeshua’s Timing. Many times in our lives we feel
discouraged and hopeless. We turn our eyes to our Lord for His redemption. We
ask, "Where are you and why aren't you here? When will you answer?"
That line of thinking often brings us to discouragement. Let us dive into the
story told in John 11. “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him
up.” John 11:11. One of things that
really encouraged me personally about Guy’s teaching is his understanding that
“Even within our faith there are borders; lines drawn in our understanding.
For example, Martha understood Lazarus would rise again in the resurrection at
the last day. However, it was beyond the foundation of her knowledge and hence
ability to comprehend by faith that the one standing in front of her, Yeshua,
He is the resurrection and the life.”
Miriam, in the midst of her travail was
full of the questions. Even Miriam, the sister so preferred as an spiritual
example, had her own borders of understanding. Guy talks about how we cannot be
stalled out by grief – we have to look forward with hope and purpose for the
future.
Christian Arab Rania
Sayegh of the House of Prayer and Exploits in Nazareth sends a video with
highlights from the HOPE's New
Building Dedication 22nd November. If you can make a year-end
donation to HOPE, they would greatly appreciate funds donated toward
their new building. Rania writes that the ministry “mobilizes
prayer and worship in Israel and the nations. We train and equip young people
through weekly meetings and annual conferences, reaching several hundred young
adults per year. We also train approximately 1000 women leaders in the land
with regular gatherings and events. HOPE reaches thousands in the nations
through speaking engagements, conferences, Zoom calls and social media. Each
month, HOPE hosts 24 hours of prayer together with the weekly worship and
prayer watches. Since the end of 2019, HOPE has experienced 424 creative
miracles and seen many people healed and delivered. “
Also among critical prayer requests
Rania asks for intercession for Nazareth which “has been facing times of strife
in recent days caused by two feuding families. One young man was killed then
houses were burnt in the revenge acts. The area affected is very close to where
the first HOPE prayer house is located. Please join us in praying for God's
comfort for those who have lost loved ones, that this cycle of revenge will
stop and that there will be reconciliation and forgiveness. Also pray for
healing and righteousness to rule in the city.”
Avi Mirachi of Dugit ministries asks, “How Will They Hear?” He relates it to Luke 5:3 when Yeshua asked to preach in Peter’s dugit – little fishing boat – out on the water so people could hear Him from the land. Such an excellent example of why they are asking for donations for their out Dugit Outreach, for the purchase of around $47,000 USD to upgrade audio equipment. “Our current sound equipment is outdated and severely underpowered, and some of the pieces are no longer repairable.” It “has become difficult for all of our members and visitors who attend to hear well during our services.” The new audio equipment would also be used for “our weekly worship services, online streaming, conferences, digital videos, outdoor events, youth ministry, street ministry, musical outreaches, and other programs that reach the Jewish people with the Good News of Messiah.” Help Israelis hear the Good News with a gift.
Norma in Jerusalem returns from travel with a new blog post called Thankful heart. She writes, “I am convinced that there is a sound of thanksgiving. Sing to the Lord with Thanksgiving (Psalm 147:7) Now would our song sound differently if we merely sang out of obligation?”
Asher Intrater and Ron Cantor collaborate on an
article called, the Mystery of
the Hanukkah Menorah. If you missed the Zoom meeting last week with
believers across the world (led by Asher and David Demian) you can watch the
replay: His Glory
Fills the House | Also the REPLAY Festival of
Lights Revive Israel Global Broadcast
from last week.
The Tree of Life ministries led by Ariel and Shayla Hyde are heavily involved in prayer and practical ministry outreach to save babies from abortion. That is why they called a prayer event for the reversal of Roe v. Wade (the verdict is still not in from the Supreme court, so replaying this event will help you pray for it). They write, “This battle is raging not just in the US, but also in Israel. Just yesterday, Israel’s Health Minister announced that he’s introducing legislation and multiple measures to remove virtually all barriers to abortion in Israel (even though the government already pays for them and 40,000 take place every year!).” Please join them in prayers.
Kehila News Israel links| “Brit Olam” – Everlasting Covenant, the First Hebrew Chronological Bible by Bible Society Staff | VIDEO with Wendy Cohen teaching on Hanukkah Blessings | From the Fellowship of Artists, a video featuring a traditional Hanukkah song, Maoz Zur
Lastly, Evan Thomas and Lev Guler give the year end
report on the Beit Asaph congregation in beautiful seaside Netanya. “We commend to you these power-filled words
of promise and exhortation (Isaiah 59:20, 21 and Is 60:1-3) as we complete this extraordinary year. These
same two passages formed the basis of my last sermon for the year to the Beit
Asaph community. The Christian symbols of the Advent candles and the Jewish
symbol of the Hanukkiah – both holding prophetic significance.
They report the weekly life groups
system and a monthly celebration service has worked out very well to preserve
the congregation in the midst of Covid through the past two years. “Children
are born and young couples push ahead with weddings. We have celebrated five
during this past year…” Also, “Two years ago as we flew to NZ for a three-month
break (supposedly) we agreed to return and begin the process of forming a team
of pastoral advisors. These younger men and women would provide wise support
for Lev and Evan and in time, future pastor(s) could potentially emerge. Of
course Covid interrupted this process as other priorities took over. Now,
finally the team has been formed and is taking its first steps…and it is
wonderful! Please keep the two David’s, Olga and Georgi in prayer for us. We
are extremely fortunate to have such gifted people serving alongside us in the
Beit Asaph community. We finish the
year, tired but very grateful for daily grace. Nothing is taken for granted and
every good thing, no matter how small, brings us joy. God willing, we will fly
to NZ on December 31 via Dubai.” God
speed.
Urgent HEALING Needs: Life and Death is in the power of the tongue
Please keep in prayer
the Israeli believers who are fighting for their lives or other urgent health
needs:
Please Pray for Ronit Bender who wrote:
I came yesterday shocked from my cardiologist. He told me I will need to
go to hospital Rambam for 10 days and longer, to do a Cardiac Catheterization,
double Bypass surgery and replace 2 valves. I will know the date next week I
hope. Will let you know. Thanks for
praying. | Pray for Claude Ezagouri of the Morning Star
Fellowship who has started a treatment that is due to last at least 6 months
for a medical problem he has been suffering from. Believe in prayer with them as they look to
the Lord for complete healing and for
prompt recovery from some other ailments. Silvers: David's knees and Josie's back pain | A prayer
request for Naomi, for a dear
family that is a part of Israel Pochtar's pastoral team, who was diagnosed with
colon cancer. "Despite what this battle entails, we are confident in God’s
unfailing Word and promises." Read in her
own words| Please continue to pray for Jacob Damkani for the LORD's mercies over Jacob and his dear wife, Elisheva | Dov Bikas
– I have been very
tired these days: probably as a result of a combination of factors: my age,
stress of the days of running to the bomb shelter, work load in the ministry,
etc. Olga Bikas: We are
grateful that Olga is feeling better these days! Though the doctors never found
the cause of the dizziness that put her in hospital a month ago, they did rule
out major issues like brain tumors, heart problems, etc., so this is already
comforting. Olga’s back also keeps improving and she is able to walk more outside
now than she did before.
|
"The
Lord is for me among those who help me." Psalm 118:7 
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