Priority Prayer Focus Jun 7, 2017
KehilaNews.com Kehila
(K’hee-lah) is a Hebrew word that means community or congregation.Kehila News
is an online community news and information portal by the community (kehila) in
Israel, about the community (kehila) in Israel, and for the community (kehila),
both in Israel and around the world. Our vision is to connect the millions of
Christians around the world who love Israel with the Messianic community in
Israel. KehilaNews.com Donate to
this important resource here Click on the picture or Title to link to the story.
I believe this is such an important thing for
Christians to know and understand about the believers in Israel that I am
reprinting this article written by the Kehila News Staff at the front of Arrows
from Zion this week. I am 100% FOR Israel, but even Israel has lots of areas
that need improvement and the exclusion and attempted exclusion of Jewish
believers in Jesus is one area that we must draw a line in sand about. In
prayer and in voicing our concerns to the Israeli government without hesitation
or apology.
Discrimination? Messianic believers’ struggle for
citizenship in Israel | KehilaNews.com
|
When Israel’s prime minister boasted last month that the Jewish state is
“committed to the freedom of all faiths and to the rights of all,” many
Messianic Jews trying to make aliyah were left wondering how exactly their
faith fits into this picture of democracy and tolerance.
“Throughout the Middle East, Christian
communities are decimated, minorities persecuted. But here in Israel, we’re
proud to have a growing and thriving Christian community, and we guarantee the
rights of all,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said upon welcoming U.S.
President Donald Trump to Israel.
Yet several Jews who believe that Yeshua is
the Messiah are systematically being denied the right to immigrate to Israel
because of their faith, several Messianic Jews contend. As one of them noted
when he heard Netanyahu’s speech, “We could only think, ‘unfortunately the
rights of all are not yet guaranteed, Mr. Prime Minister.’”
The Ministry of Interior is notorious for
barring Jews who believe in Yeshua the right to immigrate. With strict laws for
making aliyah, Israel nevertheless actively encourages Jews from around the
world to consider making the Jewish state their home. Jews who immigrate
receive a benefits package to help them start off here including discounts on
major purchases such as homes and cars, tax reductions on their income for a
few years and free Hebrew classes.
A person must be able to prove with certain
documents that they are Jewish or that they are descended from at least one
Jewish grandparent. Then, under the Right of Return, they may move to Israel
and receive citizenship. However, Jews who believe in Yeshua are deemed
“Christian” and are no longer eligible for citizenship — even if they have
proven their Jewish lineage.
While there are a few cases of persecution
against believers in Beersheba and recent protests in Dimona, several Messianic
Jews trying to make aliyah are still fighting for their status to live here in
long, drawn out appeals processes and court cases.
This kind of blatant discrimination must not
be allowed to continue … the rights of an entire segment of Jews ARE being
trampled. A few whose immigration applications have been rejected by Israel’s
Ministry of Interior shared their stories with KNI on condition of anonymity
because their cases are ongoing.
“I am sure that Prime Minister Netanyahu is
unaware that a handful of people who work for the Interior Ministry are not
living up to that statement – at least where it concerns the rights of
Messianic Jews who were born of Jewish parents,” C., who is an Israeli Jewish
citizen, told us. “These corrupt officials are purposely withholding the right
of my son, whose late father was also an Israeli citizen, to live here, in the
land of his forefathers.”
“It would be right and proper for our prime
minister to be informed of this and to make sure that the rights of all Jews —
irrespective of their personal faith beliefs — are legally and morally granted.
My son is a Jew by birth, and, as such, he must be allowed to immigrate to his
homeland simply because the law says that Jews, the children of Jews and even
the grandchildren of Jews are eligible for citizenship,” she continued.
“Political and religious views of such individuals is neither the business of
the State nor something which makes them ineligible for the Law of Return.”
Jews in all democratic nations of the world
are free to believe whatever they want or nothing at all. Not in Israel!
J. and his wife had all of their papers in
order to make aliyah and waited on an answer for months. They purchased a home
in Israel and set out to serve their community, living off their savings and
not intending to burden the state. Finally the response came from the Interior
Ministry.
“’You were denied citizenship because you
belong to Messianic Judaism, which is an exception to the Law of Return,’ This
in spite of the fact that we are 100 percent Jewish,” J. said. “It was not what
we had expected.”
J. noted that Jews, in all democratic nations
of the world, are free to believe whatever they want or nothing at all. Even in
Israel a Jewish person can be involved in New Age, Buddhism, atheism, etc.
“But believe in Yeshua? You’re labeled a
‘dangerous missionary’ and various anti-missionary organizations will work hard
to find you out and then keep you out,” J. said. “This, Mr. Prime Minister, is
not our idea of guaranteeing the rights of all. Perhaps, now is the time to
uphold the words that you proclaimed to the president of the United States of
America.”
J.’s lawyers are pessimistic about them
receiving citizenship despite a years-long appeals process.
We felt as if we had been violated and that we
were criminals
In another case, A., who is an Israeli Jew,
and her husband who isn’t Jewish, were called in by the Interior Ministry. They
were split up and their phones taken from them and then interrogated separately
as to which congregation they belong and whether A. shares a “foreign faith”
with her husband.
“We obviously felt as if we had been violated
and that we were criminals,” she said.
The questions included what they do on the
weekends and names of their friends.
“Everything that we said was being written
down, and then we were requested to sign what they wrote,” she said.
The people interviewed here, and others not
mentioned in this article but encountering the same treatment, are
understandably drained and discouraged.
“We committed ourselves to give and not to
take – of our time, our talents and our finances,” J. told us. “We’re not here
to try to change the laws of the land. We are just requesting some form of
status so that we can remain here and continue to serve individuals and
families in our city.”
C. concurred and said it’s about time the
Ministry of Interior live up to Netanyahu’s words.
“This kind of blatant discrimination must not
be allowed to continue,” she said, “because it means that the rights of an
entire segment of Jews are being trampled upon.”
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Please keep this as a Priority Prayer focus. One
reason to do so is because the blessing that the LORD has for Israel is
deposited in the believers of Israel. Out of the BODY of Messiah in Israel will
flow the blessing out to the whole nation.
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Arrows from Zion
Strategically Aimed for the Lord’s Harvest in Israel
Contact info for all the ministries included inside the subscription-only Weekly Summary.
Strategically Aimed for the Lord’s Harvest in Israel
Contact info for all the ministries included inside the subscription-only Weekly Summary.
If we could point to one core scripture
motivating the Israeli ministries, I think it would be the one shared by the Hasdey,
or Mercy of Yeshua congregation in Arad this week: “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”...And he said to Him, “Lord, You
know all things; You know that I love You.” Yeshua said to him, Feed My
Sheep." John 21:17
As they write, "Feeding Yeshua’s sheep
involves much more than just proclaiming the Good News. ... during Yeshua’s
ministry on earth, He fed the multitudes, healed the sick, raised the dead and
proclaimed Good News to the poor. If we are truly His disciples, we are called
to live our lives in the same way, showing the love of God through meeting
people’s physical needs and their spiritual needs through helping them come
into a relationship with Yeshua."
The congregation writes about their several
year outreach to a Bedouin tribe near to Arad with care in various forms -
after school programs for the children, food, clothing and other practical
help. They also write that they have to go to the tribe because "The needy
won’t come here; they would become targets for the ultra-orthodox." Do you
see what they are up against? Read their
full report and critical prayer requests inside the Weekly Summary attachment
Maoz weekly ministry letter for Ari &
Shira Sorko-Ram starts with the disappointing news that President Trump did not
move the US Embassy to Jerusalem as promised and hoped for, but instead signed
the 6-month waiver. They note that the Israeli Prime Minister also has some
critical decisions in front of him, like whether or not to build new
neighborhoods in Judea and Samaria. Read about these inside the
Weekly Summary attachment along with suggested prayer points.
From the Intercessors for
Israel in Jerusalem, Ofer Amitai, Eliyahu Ben-Haim and Chuck Cohen, we have
pulled four key prayer points from their Friday
Prayer Points: Salvation of Moslems during the month of Ramadan, Salvation
of Israel (in light of the death of an Israeli evangelist in Iraq), and for the
Aliyah of Jews to Israel: "Ezekiel
36 suggests that Aliyah is a precondition for the fullness of salvation which
is to come among the Jews. "For I
will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and
bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you
shall be clean." Ezekiel 36:24-25"
Lastly for the Scottish Israel Prayer conference several of them are
participating in before the UK elections.
Asher Intrater of Revive Israel has been
overflowing with the theme of Alignment for a couple of years now. If
you follow his video teachings, you've probably caught that. Here is a video on
the subject from the recent Baruch HaBa tour of Revive Israel and Tents of
Mercy. (An excellent tour which I took in 2005). Asher also has an article, Aggressive Fruit of the Spirit.
Also featured in the Revive Israel ministry
letter this past Friday is Moti Cohen's short piece about Far Mitzvah, Son of the Commandment. Read it inside the
Weekly Summary attachment. Also Cody Archer shares
in this video what the Revive tem have been up to all over the world in the
past year - and what's coming next: International Outreach Report
Fresh of their 21st Galilee Worship Gathering,
Arni and Yonit Klein are really excited about what God has been doing among
them and inside the Weekly Summary attachment, Arni shares a couple of prophetic intercession experiences they've have
had in these gatherings - in the most recent a worship trip to the Dead Sea.
You can read about upcoming gatherings in their prayer letter inside the
Summary, also about upcoming ministry trips from Hong Kong to Vietnam.
We loved the panoramic photo of
the entire congregation that Peniel Fellowship in Tiberias sent us (and you can
view inside
the subscription only Attached DOCX Weekly Summary of Prayer
Requests from Israeli Ministries). Wow! What a thriving
community of believers of Yeshua! Daniel and Shirya Yahav lead the Face of God
Fellowship and they share some of the recent testimonies within their
congregation, also asking prayers for one of their newborns, a baby girl who
has already undergone heart surgery at only a few days old. Shirya also asks
prayer over Daniel and their family as he goes out into the nations to
minister. Also, they are continuing to need prayer and support for a larger
congregational facility.
Shirya also writes, "We
continue to desire your prayers for the salvation of Israel. Many are hungry
and seeking but unfortunately the New Testament is still considered much of a
Taboo, and a forbidden book. Amazingly, there is a lot of eastern religions
becoming more and more popular among our people, but believing in Yeshua, from
the line of David, whom the Bible speaks about, is considered a false
religion… We need God to pour out His
spirit and open the eyes of people to the truth!"
Ronit Bender in Carmel has just returned from
a 3-week ministry trip in the US putting Israel in the spotlight in Colorado
and Rhode Island. Ronit writes, "When I go out to the nations it is a
great honour to have the opportunity to share first-hand about what is
happening among the Messianic congregations in Israel. You probably realize
that mainstream news concerning Israel is often adverse and distorted. The
media is rarely supportive of us. So, when Christians hear what’s happening on
the ground, their eyes and hearts are opened. Messianic congregations in Israel
are very grateful to you, our Christian friends around the world, as you are
our only friends. Thank you for standing with us. God sees you’re your
steadfastness and I believe He will lift you up." Read about her trip and
for plans already underway to return later in 2017 inside the
Weekly Summary attachment
On Jerusalem Day, Israel Pochtar reports that
they were able to baptize 30 new believers in the Jordan River. He writes about
the experience inside the Weekly Summary attachment. "....It is also
crucially important to recognize the times in which we're living and understand
that the Gospel has to be preached to the nation of Israel. We see with our own
eyes the massive harvest that is ready to be reaped. The time is now! We shall
pray and preach the Kingdom of God in this nation, until we have prepared this
land for the glorious return of the King of Israel, the eternal hope of our
nation - Yeshua."
They also share a new way to give with a
vehicle donation program to assist those in need. See details inside the
subscription only Attached DOCX Weekly Summary of Prayer
Requests from Israeli Ministries
Also, if you are in Israel and need an intensive
course in Hebrew, the Yuval Messianic Worship Center is going to have just such
a program beginning in July. Watch this VIDEO LINK and get contact information inside the
Weekly Summary attachment
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Died May 29 in car accident while ministering in Northern Iraq
(Kurdistan)
Israelprayer thanks friends and subscribers in South Africa for alerting us to the tragic fatal accident of this Israeli evangelist as he was ministering in Kurdistan. We want to pass along this wonderful tribute to Anthony Simon written by Karen Faulkner for KehilaNews.com. Anthony, who was 53, leaves behind a wife, Donna, and their children Josh, Yoel and Rachel. Please read this tribute and prayerfully consider making a donation to the support of Antony Simon's family at a crowdfunding page to help following his sudden death.
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Urgent HEALING Needs
Life and Death is in the power of the tongue
Life and Death is in the power of the tongue
Please see inside the attached DOCX Weekly Summary to keep in prayer the Israeli ministry leaders and believers with urgent health needs including the fight for their very lives:
New report on Lura Beckford whose kidney is enflamed and painful. She is getting an ultrasound and asks prayer. | David Ortiz who was hospitalized for Pericarditis in March for 3 days. He is healing slowly - pray for full recovery and healing for this heart disease. Also for Ami Ortiz who must undergo another surgery for one of his ear drums| HaMaayan congregant Danny Meyuseff suffering poor health on several fronts | PLEASE CONTINUE PRAYER FOR for healing for David B., the wounded soldier/worship leader from Beer Sheva congregation, Olga Bikas, Esther Ridings Moore for cancerous tumor to yield to treatment and prayer with full healing, Ruth Nessim, Eddie Beckford | PRAY for RECOVERY of Patti Juster, Eddie Santoro, Gila in Arad, Cookie, Howard Bass, | LONG TERM BATTLES | David Stern, David, Leah and Ami, Moshe M.; the son of an Arab pastor, Ghazi, who is suffering from Leukemia. Michael E, Claude Ezagouri; Baruch & Karen Maayan, Judy, wife of pastor Yaakov K; PLEASE PRAY ALSO for all the caretakers.
Praying the Headlines
Inside the attached Weekly Summary, Martin Sarvis in Jerusalem writes about US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley's 3-day visit to Israel which began today. Israelis are grateful for Haley's strong Israel support in the UN and looking forward to her first official visit as UN Ambassador. Read the news and the prayer point, as well as Sarvis' comments on the Czech Republic Parliament recognition of Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel, inside the subscription only Attached DOCX Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests from Israeli Ministries
Teaching Articles
Refusing to Love the Truth
by Dan Juster, Restoration from Zion www.tikkunministries.org
Our young adults are brought up in a culture that does not pursue truth. We are in great danger because this orientation prepares the way for the Anti-Christ: "They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved" (II Thessalonians 2:10, NIV). Over the decades I have found that if a person can be brought to the place of asking God to reveal the truth, and then orient to study and seek the truth, the person usually becomes a believer in Yeshua. Read more online
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Donna Diorio
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If your weekly ARROWS from ZION email does not come in,
check online each Wednesday at our new blog site location ARROWS from ZION
If you appreciate the efforts of this ministry to share both the challenges and the great things God is doing among the Israeli indigenous ministries, please pray about making a financial gift donation.
Donna Diorio
arrowsfromzion@gmail.com or donna@d10r10.com
If your weekly ARROWS from ZION email does not come in,
check online each Wednesday at our new blog site location ARROWS from ZION
If you appreciate the efforts of this ministry to share both the challenges and the great things God is doing among the Israeli indigenous ministries, please pray about making a financial gift donation.
Make donations payable to the order of Donna Diorio and mail to:
Israel Prayer P O Box 111302 Carrollton, Texas 75006
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With PayPal, you can send money to anyone with an email address.
Log in to www.PayPal.com Send donation to: donna@israelprayer.com
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