Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Arrows from Zion 4/17/2019


Apologies: Some of the ministry letters that have come in
will have to be carried over to next week.

The Secret of Authority in Prayer
is that God Empowers Prayers of Love  

Jerusalem Sunrise & the glorious promise of a new day starting.
Photo by Bonnie Saul Wilks (Messianic Jewish Bible Institute)


Because I love Zion, because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I will not cease to pray for her or to cry out to God on her behalf until she shines forth in his righteousness and is glorious in his salvation. 
Isaiah 62:1

For Jerusalem to shine forth in His righteousness and to be glorious in His salvation, it means that the people of Israel will know the salvation of Yeshua and be walking in the righteousness that only comes by the inheritance by Yeshua to the saints. Zion is not the name of some Israel-spiritualized-away false doctrine that Israel has been replaced by the Church. Zion is both together: the unity of the church and Israel - Jew and Gentile - one new man in Messiah. The consummation of what God planned all along from the very beginning!

For Israel to be saved, the Church has got to join in alliance with the body of Messiah in Israel in prayers and support. As Christians we can't just say, "I love Israel" divorcing that love from the men, women and families in Israel who are already walking in the faith of Yeshua as living testimonies to "all Israel." How shallow is our love for Israel if it excludes a genuine heart for the believers in Israel? Our theology about how Israel comes to know the LORD fails us completely if it stands in the way of loving of the family of God, the believers in Jesus right now. What kind of love is that anyway?

Recently I have been considering how prayers that are prayed in the wrong spirit become like curses sent out to the person being prayed over. It is possible in prayers to pray in such a way that instead of sending out angels to help someone, we are really dispatching demons to bring them troubles. 

I know that is a controversial thing to say but Yeshua Himself addressed this in Luke 9:54-55:

"When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked,
“Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”
But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and said,
"You do not know what kind of spirit you are of."

Clearly our prayers meant to turn people to God are only as powerful as the love we have for the people we pray for. One thing we could ask ourselves, is our prayer for them more about praying for ourselves to be treated better by them or are our prayers coming out of a real heart to see the person redeemed and saved from themselves?

We are all pretty good at justifying our own motivations while cutting no slack for 'human-ness' in others. We do that on a personal level and the Church has done that on an institutional level dismissing Israel as 'hopelessly' sinful and replaced by the Church in God's plan. Really, at every level of life, whether it is one-on-one personal relationships, or inter-denominational relationships, or Church vs. Israel, we justify our own motivations towards others.  Of course, God sees through all this, as Proverbs 16:2 says, "All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the LORD weighs the motives."

In another Proverb 18: 20-21 God's Word says:

A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

I believe the "it" is a superfluous addition by translators. Not they that love ~it~ but they that love PERIOD. Not lip service, cold love that prayers for others despising them in the heart, but the only kind of prayer that God puts His power behind: a heart of love prayer. Life and death are in the power of our words, and we that love will eat the fruit of the words we are speaking - the words motivated by our love.

Surely it pays to know what kind of spirit we are of.  - Donna Diorio

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

First up I am beginning with the portion of the report from Eddie and Jackie Santoro on Eddie's health. Eddie's health condition is "some weakening overall but he is a fighter and refuses to give up! ... We are so very grateful and awed at the way God uses us even in our weakest condition," Jackie writes speaking of Eddie's optimism and desire to be a great example of Messiah's love and grace even in his deepest physical weakness. She also wrote, "Someone told us that they had visited four different congregations in Israel and in each one they prayed for Eddie. We are so deeply grateful and humbled by this love that is such a beautiful manifestation of the love of the Father living in his children. How wonderful it is when His Body operates according to God's heart and what joy it must bring Him to see his children loving one another." 

Rivers of life flowing out of the mouths of people who love. Please join us in speaking life over Eddie...and also Jacob Damkani, whose update is in the Urgent Healing Needs section.

Sally Shiff, an intercessor and representative for the HaMaayan congregation in Kfar Saba, writes that this is the week that changed our lives, with both the Christian celebration of the Resurrection on Sunday, and Friday night the beginning of Passover for Jews.  She also writes, "My heart goes out to France. More and more she is under siege from the enemy and specifically with the Jews in her nation.  And it's no longer just the Jews but the Christians too.  Notre Dame was not the only church to go up in flames, as there has been accounts of other churches in France that have been burned.  And, God is bringing the French home back to Israel.  You cannot go to Tel Aviv without hearing French on the streets and buses.  The government offices now have a 'French' option for communication. France is just another indication of God’s promise to us that He will always take care of us" even through tragedy and loss "This weekend is a weekend of victory."

From KehilaNews.com  just a couple of the many articles featured on the site: Little Hearts in a big city - Jerusalem preschool nurtures reconciliation a loving and nurturing environment that models unity amongst the Arab, Jewish and International populations of Jerusalem. AND [Israel 101] Netanyahu wins again in the complicated world of Israeli elections

The ministry report from David Lazarus at Beit Immanuel in Jaffa is that David and Michaella are retiring as the pastor of the congregation after 32 years.  On April 26th at the regular Friday night service, David will lay hands on Aleksey Raikhstadt to be installed as the new pastor of Beit Immanual .  Aleksey, his wife Alla and their three children have been a part of the congregation for for 20 years, serving as Elder and part of the leadership team for the past 12 years.  Mazel Tov to David and Michaella as they continue to serve the LORD in the Land with a special burden for media  for David, and Michaella for the arts.

Israel Pochtar sent a ministry letter prior to the huge Evangelistic Event they did on April 13th with 1700 Israelis hearing the gospel and receiving pray in the Galilee.  Last year Evangelism Event 2018  they had 1000 participants and this year almost double that. The people are hungry. Please pray that much fruit would be gathered from this event, discipled and made strong in the things of the Lord Yeshua. Pray also for Israel Pochtar and all their ministry to be protected against all backlash. Pray also for their Beit Hallel Bible School grounding believers in a solid, systemized foundation of faith.

Ron Cantor is so prolific with his writing and vdeos, it is hard to keep up! Here is just a sampling from his wonderful output: VIDEO & Article: Peter’s Vision—Sharing at the home of Simon the Tanner | Our Up To Zion Israel Tour Dec 2019 Price Drop! | Podcast: PART 2 Moshe Dayan: Israel’s victorious yet controversial military general | News focus VIDEO Your Israel Connection April 12 Elections 2019 | Israel is Proof that God will be Faithful to You!

From Asher Intrater's Revive Israel, we are the The Poem of God . Plus the video Path to the Promised Land and Asher's book All Authority which he cites, then  writes, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth..." Matthew 28:18. If that was true, then I needed to re-examine every thought I had ever had about authority."  From Revive Live Video with Cody Archer: Daphne & Andrew Kirk Through the Eyes of Youth

The Intercessors for Israel in Jerusalem are posting their Friday Prayer Points online. Here is the latest 

Ye'shi (Jesse) Reinhardt leads the humanitarian outreach in S'derot and which he writes about in this update. S'derot is right next door to Gaza and the town of fairly poor people has been terrorized for years being bombarded by the willy nilly firing of missiles from Gaza. Fear and trauma is what they are dealing with on top of the neediness of people. You can learn more how to help at the website.

Marianna Gol is leading a widows & orphans ministry in the Negev called Streams in the Desert (in English). Currently they are underway with their Passover Hike - 41 hikers with 30 teens and 11 counselors.  Here is a Facebook video clip they posted with the teens learning to blow shofars in the dramatic desert scenery.  The teens are being taught about "blowing the shofar as a means of prayer and intercession and revealing of the issues of the heart."

Lovely report from Norma Sarvis this week on her time with the Deborah's Clan in Nazareth last week. We have been exposing you to this through the ministries of Rania Sayegh, the Arab prophetic intercessor in Nazareth based House of Prayer & Exploits, and Orna Grinman, the Jewish widows and orphans minister of A Sign & Example. It is delightful to hear from Norma Sarvis on this gathering of Arab and Jewish "mothers in Israel" who are in the faith of Jesus.  Norma writes, "Those of us invited to attend were about 25 Arab and 20 Jewish women, all in positions of leadership, multiple generations coming together from the north to the south of Israel. I have attended a number of Jewish/Arab women’s gatherings, but this was by far the most natural, unforced, prophetic." If any can pray in a love motive over the body in Israel and the peoples to be saved in Israel, it is the mothers of faith! 

Norma also wrote, "At times I wept as I realized what God was doing in our midst. The result was a clear realization that, no matter our age, we are the current mothers in Israel, we have a voice and God is at this time calling forth that voice to be heard. There was prayer and declaration towards this goal, all done in great humility, while at the same time honoring our brothers, the men whom God has set in leadership here. We sensed the importance of each needing the other in order to accomplish God’s purposes in the land. We left feeling greatly encouraged and empowered.  I am so thankful to have had the privilege of being a part of this!"

From the Morning Star Fellowship in Tiberias led by Claude & Michelle Ezagouri, they are praising God for the re-opening of the Galilee Experience - especially because it provided jobs for some of the youth of their congregation.  This has long been a prayer priority because many of their youth have to move away to find employment.  "This led us to pray and encourage our people to open small businesses." They ask for prayers for their children and teens to resist the pull of the world ...and also the effort of some classmates to attract them back to traditional Judaism.  They also write about the unexpected surprise of an non-religious mayor who will not allow the Orthodox to block development of the city. The "new mayor is quite open to develop and encourage Christian tourism." Please pray for their favor with him.


Lastly, and I believe this is a super priority for the body of Messiah in Israel:  "We thank God for the recent national pastoral meetings and women conferences that promote unity among believers in the land .... Please pray that God would alleviate the differences and that we would focus on our common goal to see the progression of the Gospel in Israel."

Richard and Carolyn Hyde of Heart of God Ministries share Carolyn's Out of Egypt Music Video as we are about to enter the Passover season. They write, "We long for the testimony of Yeshua, which is the spirit of prophesy, to break forth in this Land again. We are reaching a time in the history of Israel when we NEED the local prophetic believers to rise up and declare His Word, bring healing in Yeshua's name and find the people of peace to share His love and truth with!"  It was the apostle Paul that noted, "For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom." 

Many say signs are unnecessary in this day and age - I couldn't disagree more! Yeshua said, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues" and Hebrews 2:4, "While God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will." We NEED signs and wonders - God bearing witness to the preaching of Jesus!

More from Richard and Carolyn Hyde, "At a local prayer house we are seeing prophetic worship rise up with such a sweet fragrance! If you're in the area and would like to join us, please let me know."  Worship Music from Israel  | Booklets  | Living Stones in Israel

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 

CONTINUED FERVENT PRAYER for EDDIE SANTORO A troubling update does not stop us from believing for total healing in our brother /see update above; and Elisheva's good report last week for Jacob Damkani's rehab |  Ronit Bender is home from the hospital and being watched for more definitive evidence of the leaking heart valve. Please pray that no weapon formed against all three of these shall prosper & that miracles of healing will flow. 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. | In the Acco congregation: Prayer for 5 year old Leon is still very much needed.


On April 12th Elisheva posted this update on Jacob: After two days of not sleeping at all, Jacob was able to sleep last night. Having slept he will hopefully be stronger and less vulnerable... Believing for a good day and a blessed Shabbat. Please pray for Jacob. His spirit is tormented, he is attacked viciously. Please pray. I can't explain, don't really know what it is, I can only guess. The Lord knows. Please pray as He leads you. All day long, since yesterday, Jacob is crying a lot. It might be that he is coming closer to consciousness, but there could be other reasons too. Only God and Jacob know...

On the 13th she wrote: We had a good day. Being embraced by the Almighty God in the midst of the storm and knowing that all curses that have been put on us will turn into blessing (expecting abundant blessing here...) - that is material for a very good day! Still hard. Still a battle. Still sad. But good! Thank you so much for your love and prayer. You have a big part in the blessing and the victory.


Donna: Over the past month the Lord has had me considering the effects of our words, in prayer and out, that are like curses sent out to the people we are speaking about - how life and death are in the power of the tongue. In a passage on taming our tongues, James 3:10-11 asks,  "Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, this should not be! Can both fresh water and bitter water flow from the same spring?" 

PLEASE PRAY over Jacob according to Isaiah 54:17:
"No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in condemnation, you shall judge. This is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,' Says the Lord."
Wagging tongues be silenced and their curses nullified by the inheritance Jacob has in Yeshua.


Praying the Headlines | Israeli News You Can Trust
No news articles collection this week.

Prophetic Challenge

Sand or Rock - a challenge to the prophetic and apostolic movements | by Avner Boskey, David's Tent | These young and burgeoning movements occasionally manifested immaturity, overstatement and pride. As with most charismatic movements, their strengths did not always lie in knowledge and careful use of the Scriptures.  Nevertheless, there were some voices of balance within these groups, and they wooed their enthusiastic adherents to more biblically sound and thoughtful expressions of faith. This article offers a challenge to these movements – to their present leaders and also to their many followers.


Teaching Articles 


It’s Not The End Of The World | Moshe Morrison, Tents of Mercy | "In the midst of false prophets, bloody conflicts, out of control nature and persecution, there needs to be a people with a different Spirit. A people whose lives demonstrate that their “citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Yeshua HaMashiach” (Philippians 3:20).

Pretzels For Passover | by Moshe Morrison, Tents of Mercy | There is a lovely Jewish custom that is connected to the process of cleaning and preparing the home for Passover. It is called the search for the leaven.  ... The origins of this ceremony are obscure, but what is fascinating is its powerful portrayal of the message of Messiah.






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

Please note change in PayPal donations:   
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. 




Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Arrows from Zion 4/10/2019



The Phenomenon That Is Bibi!
by Ron Cantor April 9, 2019

There is a joke about Netanyahu: What is the difference between Bibi and President Trump? Netanyahu speaks good English.That is not a slight against the President, but more the fact that Netanyahu’s English is so good, he could be mistaken for an American.

He is polished to the tee. While the evangelical world loves Netanyahu—who can forget his bold speech before congress, attacking President Obama’s Iran Deal—he is the most polarizing figure in Israel. Walk down any street in Israel and you will get two responses to the elections.
1.       Rak Bibi! Only Bibi
2.       Anyone but Bibi

But surprisingly Netanyahu is polling well amongst young people. This has intrigued the experts. As a 53-year-old man, I forget that for many young people, Bibi is the only leader they have ever known. While there are clearly domestic problems, no one can deny that he has kept the country safe in the midst of ISIS, Hamas and Iran. Maybe they are simply frightened of a new leader.
Think about it. Bibi has been in power for 10 years. The left wing Prime Ministers before him served two years (Barak), one year (Peres) and three years (Rabin). If Netanyahu wins in today’s elections and makes it to July, he will surpass Ben Gurion, our first prime minister, as the longest serving prime minster in Israel’s history.
Bibi History | Born in Tel Aviv to secular parents, his mother a native-Israeli and his father an American immigrant, Netanyahu enlisted in the Israeli Defense Forces just after the Six Day War. He served in an elite commando unit. He fought bravely on the front lines in the wars between 67-73, once getting shot in the shoulder.
His brother, Yoni, is one of the most famous of Israeli war heroes, as he led the raid on Entebbe, freeing Jewish hostages taken by terrorists to Uganda. If you have time to read Shimon Peres’ No Room for Small Dreams, his chapter on the Entebbe raid is fascinating.
Bibi graduated from the illustrious MIT. One of my Hebrew teachers at Tel Aviv university was not only one his classmates, but part of his inner circle of friends. While she is a dyed in the wool left-winger, she had nothing but praise for Bibi as a person.
Gulf War and CNN | The first Gulf War was the first war fought on TV. Elana and I would stay up late at night watching CNN and the latest developments. It was then, that a young, handsome Benjamin Netanyahu won the hearts of Americans. The former Israeli Ambassador to the UN, and present deputy foreign minister, spoke intelligently, with charisma, in perfect English. Everyone knew he was destined for great things.
Then, Rabin was assassinated in 94. Had Shimon Peres called for immediately elections, there is no doubt that Peres would have crushed Netanyahu in the wake of public sympathy. But Peres knew that would be manipulative; an abuse of Rabin’s memory. By the time elections came a year later, Israelis had no faith in Arafat or the PLO and were growing weary of terror. Bibi  defeats Peres and becomes prime minister.
He was the youngest prime minister we have ever had and served until he lost to the arrogant Ehud Barak in 1999. Barak was sure he could fix things. However, after he offered everything to Arafat, including parts of Jerusalem, and still Arafat rebuffed him, the public threw him out for Ariel Sharon.
Netanyahu bided his time for the opportune moment to get back the premiership. In 2009 he came back to power and has not let go. Despite leading a country of less than 10 million people, he is one of the most recognized world leaders, right up there with Trump and Putin. Love him or hate him, he is one of the most extraordinary figures in the last 50 years. Over the past couple years, he has managed to build relationships with some of our worst enemies like Saudi Arabia. Recently he was received in the Muslim Majority nation of Oman.
Rocky Road | His life had not been without bumps. He cheated on his first wife who promptly divorced him. He married his non-Jewish mistress who converted to Judaism. However, they soon divorced. Then he met a flight attendant on an El Al flight named Sara. She was studying for her master’s degree in Psychology at the time.
Sara may be the most famous, or infamous, wife of a Prime Minister that we have had. She has made bitter enemies in the political world and has been accused of arrogance and living a lavish lifestyle. She has been under police investigation for corruption for the past few years. For that matter, Bibi was recently recommended for indictment for taking bribes.
He will go before the court in the next several months. If he is elected to a fifth term today, he will be the first sitting Prime Minister under indictment. Bibi’s pitch: No one can lead the country at this time like me.His main rival, Beni Gantz: Our democracy hangs in the balance this election. 
By the end of the day, it will either be the end of the Netanyahu era or the next chapter. We will see.
               
WEDNESDAY: And the winner is Bibi!
Here is Ron's follow up
Bibi wins unprecedented fifth term! Here is what it means.

MY NOTE:  I love Netanyahu too - BUT this increases the power of the ultra-Orthodox party (Shas) which has been getting worse and worse about harassment and persecution of the Messianic Jewish believers in Jesus in Israel. As Christians we can rejoice that Netanyahu will hold the line for Israel but WE MUST begin to open our eyes to the religious persecution his win imparts to those who actively seek to do harm to the believers in Israel. If we don't make them OUR priority, we are failing the highest purposes of God for Israel.

Arrows from Zion
Summarized from the Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests Israeli Ministries by subscription only donna@israelprayer.com
Regardless of how the vote turns out today, I am writing on 4/9, this one thing I know: whether it becomes more dangerous or less dangerous for Israelis to share the faith of Yeshua with fellow Israelis, the Gospel will go forth with signs and wonders following.  That is why I positioned the first several ministries at the top of this report because each one is emphasizing evangelism. Not one of them is escaping persecution for their ministry of the truth. Each one has experienced many times of religious harassment and persecution because of their ministries, not just recently but going back many years. Guess what. They are still out there spreading the Word because the precious lives of Israelis are too valuable to waste because of fear. 

First up is Asher Intrater of Revive Israel writing a superb article on Indigenous Evangelism that gives intercessors a much greater grasp of how ministry in Israel differs from what they are used to. He writes, " By 'indigenous' we mean within the local culture. ...To do this in any culture often means discarding ministry methods and structures that were successful in other countries but are not bearing fruit among the native population. This is what Yeshua meant when He said, “new wine must be poured into new wineskins” (Matthew 9:17).      BOOM!

Also from the Revive Israel letter this week:  Cody Archer's Preparing for Persecution, Roaring from Zion video with Paul Wilbur & Cody, & Israel, the Church, and the Coming Revival video of Asher teaching

Israel Pochtar, who leads the Ashdod Beit Hallel congregation, has been getting a weekly write up in the Hebrew news media summaries of the Caspari Media Review. Not always mentioned by name, but certainly referencing what is going on from the religious opposers of his ministry, Israel Pochtar receives what I consider high praise from one opposing rabbi, saying that Beit Hallel is one of the "boldest missionary organizations in the country." 

However, we need to understand that calling someone a missionary in Israel triggers all kinds of negative response because of bad Jewish historical experience with missionaries and forced conversions. But the main point is, that Pochtar & the Voice of Judah outreaches are ministering to new immigrants from Russia who are not as closed to traditional forms of outreach. The religious anti-missionary activists are the ones with the problem against their outreaches, like the Purim event Pochtar wrote about last week. I hope that will cause you to up your prayers for Pochtar, the congregation in Ashdod and all of the ministries, congregations and outreaches connected with them.

In Israel Pochtar's current ministry letter, they are getting ready for the Passover season and will have a great Passover Seder meal in the dessert with over 300 families, believers and non-believers, celebrating together.  In fact, they have 3 Passover events they are hoping you will pray for and help support financially. Watch these 3 videos on the events planned and see if you might help: Watch: Beit Hallel Seder Pesach | Watch: Beit Hallel YouthCamp 2018 | Watch: VOJ Humanitarian Work. They also have an upcoming event in the Galilee for 600 non-believers.  

From Maoz Ministries comes this message:  "Regardless of the outcome of these elections, the vision of Maoz Israel remains: Reaching Israelis with the Gospel of Messiah Yeshua and strengthening the body of believers in the Land. You, too, have a crucial role to play in Israel's salvation!" One of the ways they bring good news to their city, Tel Aviv, is by Project Feed Tel Aviv. Situated on the border "between Tel Aviv’s booming financial center and southern Tel Aviv, home to some of the poorest, most marginalized and needy communities in the country," their hearts were touched by the dire straits of those so near their congregation.  Read more by clicking article title.

Tiferet Yeshua, the congregation founded by Maoz, is also planning for a congregational Passover Outreach. But for "many Israelis who don’t consider themselves religious, the holidays serve as a cultural touchstone". This is a key time to reach family, friends and neighbors, in the method that Asher Intrater and Rachel Netanel found to be the most natural form of reaching Israelis: breaking bread and sharing your life and testimony." There is a famous Jewish joke about Jewish holidays: " They tried to kill us, we won, let's eat!" Fellowship and food is a key in sharing faith in Israel. Read more online

One of the ways the Shavei Tzion (Return to Zion) congregation in Haifa ministers is through its Eagle Project which ministers to young adults. Designed for spiritual growth it is a discipleship program that incorporates journeys to and with those from other nations. Their ministry trip this month will cost $25,000 and they write the would be grateful for financial support and prayer.

Kehilat Hamaayan (Congregation of the Wellspring ) led by Tony and Orna Sperandeo  in Kfar Saba  post their ministry letter online here

Arni and Yonit Klien of Emmaus Way write about their passion for worship, and the 37th group they welcome at the end of the week for a time of unplanned, unrestricted worship. Then, "the next gathering is designated for German speakers and will be from May 16-26. Please pray about joining as there are a number of places yet to be filled." They also write about their "ten-session course entitled 'Israel Revealed.' There has been some wonderful feedback from groups going through the course in the US, the UK, and Australia." 

Daniel Juster writes in his personal ministry letter, Restoration from Zion, about how he is continuing to minister during his 8 months in Israel, then 4 months in the USA (plus world travel). Dan not only breaks down his responsibilities to the Tikkun ministries in Israel and the US, but also how the donations from his personal ministry are applied, and also the donations of the Tikkun ministries are applied. They have precise designations that pay for the travel costs for the equipping ministry he does, as well as travel to minister in foreign nations, and as part of unity movements.  If you want a lesson in how to order your life, read this in the Weekly Summary!

I was tickled to see that Dan is currently writing a book "aimed particularly at Millennials on the subject of social justice, based on what the Bible says about social justice and slicing through and refuting the almost Marxist ideas of social justice in our western culture." I believe the great challenge Israel loving Christians have before them is the departure of their children - believer and unbeliever - from biblical values through social justice peer pressure. If you love your young people, I would advise buying a stack of these to bless Millennials with. We must see a turnaround!

Avi Tekel, who leads the Tents of Mercy, or Ohalai Rachamim congregation in the Kiryat Yam, writes about their planned Passover Outreach: "This year we are gearing up to help 800 families in our local community celebrate the Passover with a bag of food and household items worth more than $80. Among the recipients are single parent families, new immigrants, Holocaust survivors, families in financial difficulty and lone soldiers (soldiers without family in Israel) and pensioners." Would you consider a special gift PARTNER for PASSOVER  (choose "Humanitarian Needs" in the drop-down box)

Joel Jelski writes about the next Katzir youth camp coming up in a few days, and Passover. Pray for Joel as he is the director of this camp for the first time. The camp will take place in the Golan Heights and will be focused on Bible Meditation. They are delighted to be in the Golan right after the unexpected and unprecedented recognition of Israel sovereignty over the Golan. Joel and family have a prayer request which I am going to leave unnamed in public forum - but which I know you would be happy to pray over them for no complications and a quick, good report from the deciders.

Barry and Batya Segal of Vision for Israel are also delivering humanitarian aid to needy Israelis for Passover.  They hope to reach 1,000 families at $150 for Passover food. Donate here


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 

CONTINUED FERVENT PRAYER for EDDIE SANTORO A troubling update does not stop us from believing for total healing in our brother /see update above; and Elisheva's good report last week for Jacob Damkani's rehab |  Ronit Bender is home from the hospital and being watched for more definitive evidence of the leaking heart valve. Please pray that no weapon formed against all three of these shall prosper & that miracles of healing will flow.  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. | In the Acco congregation: Prayer for 5 year old Leon is still very much needed.


Elisheva update on Jacob Damkani Beloved friends out there, Grace and peace be with you.  For a long time I didn't write, there wasn't much new...  Today it has been nine months since that surgery - July 9, 2018.

Nine months since I received back my husband alive after a 11 hours surgery that was so difficult and dangerous that no one in the operating theatre had believed he could survive it.
Nine months after his brain suffered from a lack of oxygen - carelessness maybe but surely not out of God's control. And my God promised that everything (!) will have to serve for our best!
Nine months of many hopes and doubts, faith and desperation, great support and people that burdened me.
Nine months in which we saw friends disappearing while others came very close to our hearts.
And nine months in which many days God was closer to me than I was to myself and other days He seemed to be so far away, out of reach...

And here we are today...With great hope and with unsolved questions. With great accomplishments and with many problems that have to be sorted out. With good plans for the future and issues I don't know how to even approach them....

(Read in full on Facebook here or in the Weekly Summary, if you are a subscriber)

Praying the Headlines | Israeli News You Can Trust
No news articles collection this week.





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

Please note change in PayPal donations:   
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. 

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Arrows from Zion 4/3/2019


The Israeli Elections are Upon Us
by Dan Juster, Restoration from Zion Also online here
For Whom will Messianic Jews Vote? | Elections on Tuesday April 9 | As you get this article, the Israeli elections will just be upon us. I want to write concerning the difficult position of the Messianic Jewish community in Israel in trying to decide for whom to vote.

Among the many parties in Israel, there are two blocks of parties that seem like they will need to join together:  a right wing block and a centrist block now called Blue and White. There is little desire on the part of the Israeli public for a left-wing government. All the parties that have a real chance to be in the government are, in my view, for free enterprise and for strong security. Though Prime Minister Netanyahu may accuse the centrists of being leftist, the joined list of former General Benny Gantz’s Resilience Party and Yair Lapid’s There is a Future Party (Yesh Atid), is not truly leftist

Comparing and Contrasting Right and Centrist | A vote for Likkud under Benjamin Netanyahu is a vote for the continued policies of a strong national defense and managing the situation with the Palestinians without a real solution until there is a change and a true desire for peace on their part. This could be many years away. My guess is that the Gantz-Lapid coalition would enforce the same policies on security that we have seen in recent years. A Blue and White Coalition would probably do more for domestic issues, especially the terribly high prices in Israel.

The difficult position of the Messianic Jewish community in this election, is really in regard to religious policy, which is crucial. The rightist coalition would probably keep the ultra-Orthodox Sephardic Shas party in control of the Interior Department. They persecute Messianic Jews, seek to remove our citizenship, and seek to keep some Ethiopian Jews, who converted under pressure to Christianity, from coming to Israel though that has been approved by the Knesset… and more. They seek to prevent those qualified by law for citizenship in Israel from coming, if they are followers of Yeshua. In addition, ultra Orthodox parties in the coalition will continue to support large welfare payments for men who will not work or do national service, but only study Talmud and other religious texts all day.  (The centrist coalition will not join with these parties who themselves are committed to not be in a government with Yair Lapide.) 

The centrist parties support civil marriage which would give hundreds of thousands of mixed-marriage Jews the chance to have an official wedding in Israel, currently denied by the rabbis for those who are considered not legally Jewish!  However, the centrist parties support gay marriage as well.

A Coalition Compromise | The Blue and White centrist party says they would be in a coalition with the right (Likkud) if it is not led by Netanyahu who is under indictment for bribery. That could point to a coalition between the right and the center minimizing inordinate influence of the ultra-Orthodox. 

The right and the responsibility we have not only to vote but to vote well, places us in a difficult moral dilemma. Messianic Jews are mutually empathetic but, as you know, here in Israel we do not always agree on a number of things. You can take it from me that the Messianic Jewish block is not all going to vote the same way.

So the question remains: for whom will Messianic Jews vote when the time comes? Pray for us and for the country that we will get the government we need and not necessarily the government the country deserves!


Arrows from Zion
Summarized from the Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests Israeli Ministries by subscription only donna@israelprayer.com
Israel has been in the news because of the elections and the ongoing, yearlong violent protests every Friday at the Gaza border. Asher Intrater of Revive Israel sheds light on the missile lobbing in Why Missile Attacks from Gaza? Asher shares the perspective of a Gaza Arab friend who reveals it is Hamas way of diverting the growing dissatisfaction of Gazans with them and trying to re-focus them on Israel instead. There is also news speculation that Iran is attempting to further its own agenda against Israel by pushing the terrorists they support in Gaza to escalate. Also there are political "narratives" about it. Bottom line:  Asher says it's the people of Gaza who are suffering horribly. Pray accordingly.

Dov Bikas of the Aviv ministry outreach to addicts & sexual abuse on the mean streets of Tel Aviv says they are seeing a breakthrough in their rehab work and ministry in Tel Aviv. They served 2000 meals a day in February and more people are responding to the call to start rehab. They have a special need for a minivan as theirs is on its last legs. Vehicles are wildly expensive in Israel, so donations would be greatly appreciated for this vital tool in the ministry. See more of the good reports from Dov by connecting with them directly or read the filing if you are subscribed to my Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests from Israeli Ministries. Please continue to pray for Olga Bikas for the chronic severe back pain she has been enduring.

Shira Sorko-Ram writes about the April 9 elections Who will be Israel's new Prime Minister?   Also the Maoz Israel Report is out with features on  Eliezer Ben Yehuda's Destiny | Two Steps Forward, One Step Back, Reaching Israelis with the Gospel - in Hebrew!, Rebuilding Israel (Because They are Still Coming) about the Aliyah Return Center and Representing Israel at the 2019 President's Prayer Breakfast (Ari goes to Washington)

To be a blessing is the mandate of the HaTikva Project led by Evan Glasser and it is not only as an outreach to those who don't know the LORD in Israel, but a great measure is to be a blessing to the body of Messiah in Israel who are in need of blessing also. That's why their dental clinics are such a great blessing to everyone. Dental is not covered by Israel's socialized medicine, so it is a huge blessing that the HaTikva clinics are run to give dental care at much lower prices for believers, Holocaust survivors and others in need. It only takes $25 a month to put a smile on Israeli faces through HaTikva. Follow HaTikva on Facebook   

The Arad Hasdey Yeshua congregation reflects on the meaning of Purim:  The question is…. Will we make ourselves available?  With high stress levels due to the violence in the land, we have to remember this is a spiritual battle. They ask prayers that "God will raise up many like Mordecai and Esther from among our children and youth." Also for prayers over their outreach to the Bedouin - to keep both the ministers and those being reached protected from harm. They ask continued prayer for Hussain, a Bedouin to be rooted and grounded in his faith, and for their door to door evangelism outreach.

There is a wealth of prayer points and scripture verses to pray over in the last Friday Prayer Points from the Intercessors for Israel in Jerusalem - far too many to go into in this brief but you read more in the Weekly Summary if you are a subscriber, or by connecting with IFI directly to receive this email. One item they are calling all the "Jews in exile" to make aliyah. It is crystal clear that the "hunters" are emerging around the world, so it is time for Jews to get to the Land of Promise. 

Israel Pochtar of the Beit Hallel congregation gives a report on their regional Next Level Youth Conference which you can watch some highlights from here: Video Moments . There are some great testimonies from the kids in his report too. Also the Purim gift hampers for children of new Jewish immigrants were a great blessing to many children that Israel writes "have known hardship and displacement." What a delight to bring gifts, music and smiles to the faces of needy children. This ministry does much outreach within the Russian immigrants in their area. Please consider helping them bless others in the name of the LORD. 

Martin Sarvis in Jerusalem addresses the elections including this: "As Messianic Believers we must honestly say that we do not at this time see before us a clear and obvious choice. We are in need of Divine insight. One doesn’t necessarily vote for the party containing one’s choice for Prime Minister—it can be just as important to support another party which would be strong enough to enter the coalition and bring balance to the government."

Martin also asks prayers for Brazil's President Yair Bolsonaro: "Because Brazil is the largest producer of beef approved for Muslim use in the world, he has been under strong pressure from Muslim nations not to officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital by moving Brazil’s embassy there." (Last report I received on this is that Brazil will open a "diplomatic office" or a "trade mission" in Israel rather than an Embassy.) 

Ronit Bender whose heart issues we have been praying over sends a wonderful  ministry letter about a forgiving opportunity she had recently and it is a good word because we ALL have forgiving opportunities, don't we!  She also had opportunities to just be a blessing to several whose paths she crossed last month.  On her heart, she is waiting for a mid-June appt for her next heart check up. She has some short windedness but her doctor has cleared her for travel, so she is planning a ministry visit to Perth in October. 

The Joseph Project, which is the largest importer of humanitarian aid to Israel, continues in its efforts to provide for needy Israeli s through reputable organizations and professionals. For instance, the make "survival kits" with toys, games, and activities for children that are pre-stored in community bomb shelters and help considerably to alleviate the anxiety, fear, and boredom that results in these bomb-shelter stays. This has been much needed as recent news indicates (at least recent news IN Israel, since not much emphasis is placed on that in international news reports). 

They write, "this month has been full of transition and restructuring. As Joseph Project continues to expand the Blue & White Initiative (in which we a receive surplus goods from domestic, Israeli businesses and organizations who wish to donate), we have been overwhelmed, literally and figuratively by the volume of donations coming through our warehouse!" If you or anyone you know is interested in volunteering, please let us know! You can contact our staff by email at info@josephproject.org.il.   

Ron Cantor is staying on top of the news with many reports on Facebook and emailings. Here are just a few recent but important: Israel remains on high alert at Gaza border and With national elections next week: Bedouin village backs Netanyahu; Fake news plagues candidates.

Ron also has big news about Tours of the Holy Land, he writes, "Now, we are not only doing our own tours, but helping churches and congregations put together their own Israel experience with our special touch, as Messianic Jewish Israelis. Imagine spending time with Messianic leaders here in Israel, hearing the testimonies of Israeli believers and meeting soldiers in the IDF. I know of no tour company that specializes in connecting YOU with the believing community here. We don't just specialize in it...it is our mission! Of course, you will see all the great sites as well, from Jerusalem to the Galilee, from the Mount of Olives to the Dead Sea. Here are two coming up: Dec 2019 |  May 2020


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 

CONTINUED FERVENT PRAYER for EDDIE SANTORO A troubling update does not stop us from believing for total healing in our brother /see update above; and Elisheva's good report last week for Jacob Damkani's rehab |  Ronit Bender is home from the hospital and being watched for more definitive evidence of the leaking heart valve. Please pray that no weapon formed against all three of these shall prosper & that miracles of healing will flow.  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|  Please continue to pray for Olga Bikas' for the chronic severe back pain she has been enduring.

This, no doubt, puts an additional emotional and physical burden on the 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. | In the Acco congregation: Prayer for 5 year old Leon is still very much needed.


Praying the Headlines | Israeli News You Can Trust

It is impossible to keep up with all the news that matters, but it is important that we do not close a blind eye to what is happening in our world. We need to be vigilant. Please pray over these issues as you read  the summaries, or the articles.

This week I've chosen a sampling of 17 of the broad spectrum of probably 100 news articles that caught my eye over the past few weeks. Short summary & links to the articles at IsraelWatcher.


Teaching Articles 


by Dan Juster, Tikkun

Why does it seem so hard to agree on the place of Israel in the plan of God? Though the issue is so central to the prophets, some Bible Believers give little thought to the issue. Why?

Recently, we documented the hopeful signs of the advance of the Gospel in the Southern Hemisphere of our globe. It is a faith in Yeshua that is vibrant, growing and akin to New Testament supernaturalism. Yet I also sounded an alarm concerning the failure of this emerging church movement to recognize the importance of Israel and world Jewry. There are wonderful exceptions to this in Southern Hemisphere leaders such as the Anglican Archbishop in Kenya and Ram Zango, an important apostle in Burkina Faso, Africa. Even so, replacement theology, though repudiated by many denominations including the Roman Catholic Church, is making a comeback.

As I travel the world, I encounter such a divergence of viewpoints on Israel. Though most Israelis do not walk in God's ways, Christians Zionists, mostly in America, encourage Israel to stand firm on the basis of Biblical promise and take all the land now! They are more Zionist than some Israeli prime ministers and were angry at them for leaving Gaza or offering huge "land for peace" deals. Some encourage all Jews to make aliyah (move to Israel) so that they might be safe in the last days. Then we hear of two Messianic Jews who were encouraging Jews to leave Israel. They argue that the people are very sinful. Therefore the land must spew them out again. On the one hand we are told that Jews need to believe in Yeshua to be saved. On the other hand we hear that God's covenant with our people is so absolute that only a full renunciation of the covenant of God with Israel will lead to a Jewish person being lost. No wonder Christians are confused!

Reading the Whole Bible with Care  continues online









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

Please note change in PayPal donations:   
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.