Investing in the Next Generation
...of
Israel-Supporting Christians
It
caught my eye in January when the article notice came from a web alert I have
set up. The Jerusalem Post headline
read "Investing in the Next Generation" and it was all
about the $60 million headquarters that
Rabbi Eckstein's International Fellowship of Christian and Jews is building
only 1 block away from the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.
Apparently
money is no object in the IFCJ quest to capture the donations of future
generations of Christians because four of Israel's most acclaimed architecture
firms competed to build the 10,000 sq.meters, 7-floor Jerusalem HQ.
As the JPost article noted, "the warm and inviting structure is the organization’s way of telling the Christian world: come on in, this is your spiritual home."
As the JPost article noted, "the warm and inviting structure is the organization’s way of telling the Christian world: come on in, this is your spiritual home."
Rabbi
Eckstein's daughter, Yael Eckstein, then the IFCJ Senior VP put it this way: “This center is not a Fellowship museum, but
a building for Christians to visit physically and virtually that will help them
deepen their spiritual roots in the Holy Land."
The
plan is to use this impressive, extravagant HQ to draw in the Christian
tourists is so they can "partake
in pro-Israel programming" and, Yael Eckstein explained, "since many Christian visitors want to
'give back' to the country and help the people of Israel too, the building will
provide volunteer opportunities. For example, visitors will be able to pack
food packages for Holocaust survivors, sort clothes to be donated to the needy,
and much more."
Of course, all of this is to be completely divorced
from having any relationship whatsoever with the Israeli Jewish followers of
Jesus who are the sharing their faith and seeing steadily increasing numbers of
Jews come to faith in Israel's one true Messiah.
Here's the truth of the matter:
Having spent the last two decades focused on Israeli ministries, I knew that
IFCJ building would be paid for almost exclusively by Christians donations.
Also, that not one Israeli believer ministry comes anywhere near
receiving Christian donations equal to the massive amount of money that goes
from Christian hands to Eckstein's IFCJ disposal.
That is a tragic on so many levels.
One person who gives to IFCJ recently countered that the reason for the troubling
fact must be because IFCJ does a ‘much
better job' of blessing Israel with the Christian donations than anyone else. That depends on what you think God wants
Christian donations to Israel to do.
Let's review some of the facts.
Here
is a quote from the late Rabbi Eckstein himself and expresses the position of
IFCJ:
“…
Until now,” Eckstein said, evangelicals
“have realized that if they want to have relations with the Jewish community
and Israel they have to put messianic groups aside because they know people
like myself aren’t going to work with them …”
See how that statement separates Christians from
their spiritual kin, the Israeli Messianic Jewish community?
It also sets up Eckstein like IFCJ the only game in town.
Eckstein has gamed Christian good intentions toward Israel, but IFCJ is not
the major artery that God intends for Christians to assist in ministering to
the need in Israel. No sir. The major artery of material supply must be fed
from within the body of Christ —meaning from the international Christians
directly to the Israeli believer ministries for distribution to the needy in
their own communities.
IFCJ are not the only ones ministering to the needy of Israel, what's
more, IFCJ are not ministering in the faith of Jesus either. For every
type of outreach that IFCJ does, the Israeli Messianic congregations and
ministries also do to the same with one
big difference: they do it to the glory of Messiah Yeshua!
Rabbi Eckstein died suddenly just a few weeks after the new HQ announcement was made, but his daughter, Yael, had been groomed for several years to take over. She has "inherited" the billion dollar charity which the Times of Israel noted "raises $130 million a year, mostly from evangelical Christians."
Rabbi Eckstein died suddenly just a few weeks after the new HQ announcement was made, but his daughter, Yael, had been groomed for several years to take over. She has "inherited" the billion dollar charity which the Times of Israel noted "raises $130 million a year, mostly from evangelical Christians."
Imagine that amount financial support becoming the
lifeblood of the Israeli Messianic congregations doing outreach among their
people. The fact that it does not go to the body of Messiah
in Israel brings one to consider how similar this is to the original entrance
led by Joshua into the Promised Land "little
by little".
Joshua, or Yehoshua, in Hebrew, was a forerunner type of Jesus (Yeshua) of the Jewish people entering the "Promised Land" of Israel. That is not the only parallel: Exodus 23:29 and Deuteronomy 7:22 may also give us a window into why more Christians are still not able to see God's intentions and join into the work of the ministry by the Israeli body of believers.
Joshua, or Yehoshua, in Hebrew, was a forerunner type of Jesus (Yeshua) of the Jewish people entering the "Promised Land" of Israel. That is not the only parallel: Exodus 23:29 and Deuteronomy 7:22 may also give us a window into why more Christians are still not able to see God's intentions and join into the work of the ministry by the Israeli body of believers.
As
the forerunner type, God told Moses ahead of Joshua's leading them into what
would become Israel, that He was not enabling them to overcome the opposition "all at once" because that
would cause "the wild beasts to
multiply around you". Wild beasts indeed! Spiritual wild beasts that
oppose the kingdom of the Lord coming to Israel!
There were 29 documented Jewish believers in Israel in 1948; 5 took the
new Israeli government offer to relocate to other countries and 24 refused. From
that humble beginning, in 2019 the numbers of Israeli Jews who believe in Yeshua
has swelled to an estimated 20,000.
How is it with that kind of increase they are still such a hidden
mystery even to the majority of the international church? Increasing this is
changing as more and more in the international church are going to Israel
specifically to connect with the believers in Israel. It is happening little by little, but should we not endeavor to
help Israel-supporting Christians see how in throwing such heavy support to
those who oppose the body of Messiah in Israel, that they are hurting Christ's
cause in Israel, not helping it?
The late rabbi Eckstein died suddenly of a heart attack as 67. Just the day before he gave the last interview of his life saying some truly troubling things. The
interview was given to The Jerusalem Report. It was only reported in
Hebrew and was summarized in the Caspari Media Review
of the Hebrew Press. In it Eckstein misrepresented New Covenant scriptures to
bolster his own cause.
"Eckstein
referred to Romans 9, where Paul wrote that Christians have been grafted into
the olive tree of Israel by grace. This passage, said Eckstein, provides
impetus for Christians to be involved in work that supports Israel and the
Jewish people."
Caspari's
summary from the same Hebrew news magazine article noted that "IFCJ has
1.6 million Christian donors, and has raised 1.4 billion dollars, mainly from
Christians."
He
also he said he had faced opposition both from the Haredi community, as well as Messianic Jews, who feel “they
should be the ones to lead this movement of bridging Christians and Jews. And
here we are, the largest organization with the biggest budget, and headed by a
rabbi, even though most of our donors are Christians and we teach at Christian
seminaries all over America.”
That statement is so grievous because it is not
about a competition for donors as Eckstein saw it, but it is because
it is God's plan to unite the Church with the Jewish believers in Israel.
The unsaved rabbi Eckstein twisted the meaning of
the Romans passage. He was quite adept at appropriating New
Covenant scriptures to suit his own purposes, but this passage was written
by Paul to the believers in Rome. It was about how Christians were being
"grafted in" by faith and to the faith of Jews
who were the first to believe in Jesus — in great numbers of Jews
according to the New Covenant.
Romans 9 was not about how Christians are grafted in
to unsaved Israel, Paul laid out in great detail that
unsaved Israel were the branches broken off because of their unbelief. Still today Christians are ONLY able to be
grafted in to the saved branches of Israel. That is
the only spiritual family ties we have in Israel, although our desire and
heart is to help Israeli Jewish believers in all their labors to spread the
Good News until "all Israel is saved". This is what Romans 9-11
is about, not at all how Rabbi Eckstein stated it.
How it must have grieved God's heart to hear the
arrogance in Rabbi Eckstein's statement and
even more so that because of how he has stood in opposition to God's stated
plan for uniting Jew and Gentile in the Messiah.
The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
has been so successful in isolating Jewish believers in Jesus from the
Christians who desire to please God by helping Israel. Why do major Christian
organizations still support IFCJ despite this fact?
Over the years as many have tried to speak to Christian donors to the
IFCJ and sadly many responded by accusing the Messianic Jews of being jealous
of Rabbi Eckstein. Those who have eternal life in Yeshua are jealous of the
rabbi who does not?
Reality check: it is not a matter
of being jealous over the billions of dollars that have been misdirected
from those building the kingdom of God through sharing the gospel with Jews,
it is about trying to wake Christians up that they are being led astray by
those that are hostile to the Gospel.
Both Eckstein and the ultra-Orthodox are hostile to the Gospel, only Eckstein was fine with taking as much money as you would give him. He would then distribute the funds as he saw fit. The calling of God upon the Israeli Jewish believers in Yeshua to minister and preach the Gospel until all Israel is saved would never enter into Eckstein's mind as a good thing to contribute to. Rather he actively opposed all Jewish believers that to the hilt. He thought them dangerous, "treasonous" and fake Jews.
IFCJ has been pulling the wool over Christian eyes long enough. Here are some confirmed points to counter the most recent Charisma Standing with Israel article, submitted by The KAIROS Company: "Fellowship of Christians and Jews Calls for Emergency Assistance"
• Rabbi Eckstein's salary with benefits totaled $1.2 million per year. That is DOUBLE what the president of World Vision—a ministry with a budget 10 times larger—earns.
• For every $1 raised 40¢ goes to fundraising & compensation
• Eckstein's daughter, who inherited IFCJ received a 63% Pay Raise in 4 Years! $206,491.00 to $292,248.00 to $324,500.00
Both Eckstein and the ultra-Orthodox are hostile to the Gospel, only Eckstein was fine with taking as much money as you would give him. He would then distribute the funds as he saw fit. The calling of God upon the Israeli Jewish believers in Yeshua to minister and preach the Gospel until all Israel is saved would never enter into Eckstein's mind as a good thing to contribute to. Rather he actively opposed all Jewish believers that to the hilt. He thought them dangerous, "treasonous" and fake Jews.
IFCJ has been pulling the wool over Christian eyes long enough. Here are some confirmed points to counter the most recent Charisma Standing with Israel article, submitted by The KAIROS Company: "Fellowship of Christians and Jews Calls for Emergency Assistance"
• Rabbi Eckstein's salary with benefits totaled $1.2 million per year. That is DOUBLE what the president of World Vision—a ministry with a budget 10 times larger—earns.
• For every $1 raised 40¢ goes to fundraising & compensation
• Eckstein's daughter, who inherited IFCJ received a 63% Pay Raise in 4 Years! $206,491.00 to $292,248.00 to $324,500.00
In
Eckstein's 1984 book, What Christians Should Know About Jews and Judaism, he mischaracterized Messianic Jews by accusing:
“…
By sprinkling their Christian lives of faith with Jewish customs and rituals
taken out of their proper, historic context, they pervert Jewish symbols and
make a mockery of the Jewish faith … A Jew who accepts Jesus as Lord or Messiah
effectively ceases to be a Jew. He is viewed almost treasonously as having
abandoned his faith, given up his Jewish heritage, and severed all links with
the Jewish peoplehood … More than constituting an imposing threat to Jewish
life and survival, Hebrew Christians are the source of much of the Jewish
distrust of Evangelicals and the discord in their relations …”
How could he charge Jews who believe in Jesus as
"constituting an imposing threat to Jewish life and survival"?
Is there anyone ever in history who has
been more Jewish than Jesus? Isn't a Jew discovering the Jewishness of
Yeshua the best thing that could ever happen to a Jew —or to any person, for
that matter?
The
real tragedy is that so many Christians have believed every twisted thing that
Rabbi Eckstein has told them to put Jews who believe in Jesus in the worst
possible light — as if they are enemies of the Jewish people rather than the
truth of who are and what they are in the plan of God.
Now IFCJ leadership has set its sights on capturing
the hearts and donations of the next generation of Christians too. For
as long as they are successful in this mission, they are strangling the
lifeblood of Christian financial assistance to the hundreds of congregations
and ministries across Israel who are declaring the faith of Yeshua to all
Israel. We have to help them. We must. —Donna Diorio
Lest anyone believe this is a personal attack on the late Rabbi Eckstein and his daughter who now heads the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, it is not. IFCJ is not the only organization that is causing a major bypass of Christian donations from reaching those spiritually mandated with reaching all Israel with the gospel, namely the saved Remnant of Israel.
As a friend and major leader in the Israeli Messianic leadership asked, "Don’t you think a lot of these Christians think that Jews are almost saved already?" He observed that even pre-Trib Christians "used to believe that if Jews died without Jesus they would go to hell, so what about all the Jews who die before the tribulation? There is something fishy going on."
Those scales aren't fishy, but serpentine.
Arrows from Zion
Summarized from the Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests Israeli Ministries by subscription only donna@israelprayer.com
Summarized from the Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests Israeli Ministries by subscription only donna@israelprayer.com
Israel Pochtar's Beit Hallel congregation and
Voice of Judah Ministries is one of the many perfect examples of how Israeli
ministries are doing humanitarian outreach even better than IFCJ - because they
are doing it as a ministry of the Jewish Messiah Yeshua. As it happens, the
focus Pochtar choice to highlight this week is their love, care and concern for
the 200,000 Jews who are survivors of the Holocaust still living in Israel.
Without exception, the congregations and ministries across Israel have a huge
heart for these precious survivors whose numbers decrease with every passing
year.
As Pochtar wrote, a quarter of the Israeli Holocaust survivors are living in poverty. "Statistics shows that by the year 2025, about 102,000 are expected to still be alive, which amounts to half of the number of survivors still alive today, and all will be 85 years of age or older by then. By 2030, a quarter of the current number of Holocaust survivors, 53,000 in total, are estimated to still be alive, at which point they will be over 90 years of age. So in these statistics we see a picture painted of a dying generation that deserves to be honored, blessed, and to experience a dignified and better quality of life."
As Pochtar wrote, a quarter of the Israeli Holocaust survivors are living in poverty. "Statistics shows that by the year 2025, about 102,000 are expected to still be alive, which amounts to half of the number of survivors still alive today, and all will be 85 years of age or older by then. By 2030, a quarter of the current number of Holocaust survivors, 53,000 in total, are estimated to still be alive, at which point they will be over 90 years of age. So in these statistics we see a picture painted of a dying generation that deserves to be honored, blessed, and to experience a dignified and better quality of life."
The IFCJ may have expensive, excessively emotional TV commercials designed to provoke greater
giving response, but Israeli congregations are ministering from the heart of
Jesus to these people who are in the last years of their lives. As Pochtar
writes, "Imagine what an impact it would make on these dear survivors if
believers from the nations were to extend a helping hand to them, showing them
the love of Jesus in a practical and impacting way? Our work with them extends
beyond just food packets, or practical aid they so desperately need and are so
grateful for. Our care ministry to the holocaust survivors also involves weekly
house visits from our team, who check up on them, witness to them about the
love of God, making sure they don't feel lonely or forgotten. We also host
international Christian teams who want to meet these precious people during
their Israel trip, bring them a gift, drink tea with them and just embrace
them."
I can't imagine why any Christian would prefer
to donate to IFCJ rather than through believer congregations throughout Israel
whose hearts are in sync with the Lord's own heart for these elderly, unsaved
Jews.
Next up, Avner Boskey announces an early summer
tour of the Western to mid-West & southern states from Texas to Georgia up
to Tennessee. The time to book is now, so reach out by contacting them via David's Tent website
Marianna Gol, whose widows and orphans
ministry Streams in the Desert, writes a glowing follow up report on their
Passover Hike: "All of our prayer requests were answered....Breakthroughs
In individual lives: Several of the youth gave their lives to the Lord. Five of
the youth received the gift of tongues and had powerful testimonies to go with
the experience. There was a lot of opportunity for relationship building,
plenty of time for everyone to talk and to 'open up'. The shofar blowing itself
released personal freedom and an increase in faith. It awoke many in their
spirits, and stirred prophetic giftings and awareness." Connect directly
with the ministry to learn more or in the Weekly
Summary, if you are a subscriber
Intercessors for Israel in Jerusalem (IFI)
shares full Friday Prayer Points for
May 10th online here
Ron Cantor of Messiah's Mandate celebrated his
birthday on Israel's 71st Independence Day anniversary. Walking home from the
huge celebrations going on, he and Elana "encountered hundreds of young
people, amongst thousands, singing songs of the Messiah and God has our
protector. I felt it was a prophetic moment, as one day they will see and
know their Messiah. Watch the video Israeli Young People Cry out for Messiah. I hope this video moves you to pray for the people
of Israel..so close, yet so far. Thousands of people gathered on Rothschild St.
in Tel Aviv to celebrate 71 years of Independence. They cry out, "Messiah,
Messiah, Messiah," but don't know to whom they call out. Please pray!"
Ron also writes: "In Tel Aviv we are
PREACHING THE GOOD NEWS...Feeding the Poor...Healing the Sick...Discipling
Believers and Raising Up Leaders. We can only do it because of partners like
you. Please DONATE to help
us reach them."
From Revive Israel, Asher Inrater's video Our Challenges Today VS the Book of Acts (Part 2)
| Inheriting Zion by Yoni Koski
| VIDEO Training Young Israeli Leaders in Asia | Cody Archer with Jeremiah Smilovici, Tal Haroni
& Ahallela Nickalls
Also this report "2018 was a time of great growth for Revive Israel, but in early 2019 we have seen an unprecedented increase in the number of requests for visits from our team, demand for our media services, and opportunities to minister to the needs of people. We are seeking to be strategic in how we steward these opportunities for the sake of the Kingdom of God, and at the same time to be wise in ensuring the stability of our team and ability to respond in an effective way. " The report goes on to give insight into the purposes of the Nesher Project established by Shavei Tzion congregation Read more details online here
Also this report "2018 was a time of great growth for Revive Israel, but in early 2019 we have seen an unprecedented increase in the number of requests for visits from our team, demand for our media services, and opportunities to minister to the needs of people. We are seeking to be strategic in how we steward these opportunities for the sake of the Kingdom of God, and at the same time to be wise in ensuring the stability of our team and ability to respond in an effective way. " The report goes on to give insight into the purposes of the Nesher Project established by Shavei Tzion congregation Read more details online here
KehilaNews.AllIsrael.com
Shares this report Israelis celebrate Independence Day as anti-Semitism
spikes around the world and Iran continues its quest for nuclear weapons | by Kehila News Israel Staff | May 8, 2019.
Certified
Tour Guide (and congregant at the HaMaayan congregation in Kfar Saba, Ran
Silberman has a blog where he writes about many biblical and inspirational
facts about Israel, which he undoubtedly shares with the tour groups he leads.
Here is one of his latest, A Void in the Word
Guy Cohen of the Akko congregation, Harvest of
Asher, share a message on Sanctification, exploring the question, How is it
possible to be sanctified or holy before God? Connect directly with the
ministry to learn more or in the Weekly
Summary, if you are a subscriber
Ye'shi
Reinhardt's humanitarian efforts began in Jerusalem with terror attack victims,
but when S'derot began to take the major brunt of rockets fired from Gaza many
years ago, he re-focused a major effort in S'derot itself. He wrote this week: "Please
continue to lift up our team and the residents of S'derot in your prayers to
Almighty G-D, as we continue to watch His unfailing love and His miracles of
protection and provision, while we reach out with His "Hands of
Mercy" to the most vulnerable members of our community. Help us to help
them. Click to Donate | ''You shall
rise before the gray-headed and honor the aged, and you shall fear your G-D
with profound reverence, I am the L-RD." (Levicitus 19:32)
The Maoz Israel Report by Shira Sorko-Ram is
out with a report on the recent elections Israel Turns Right. Shira also
writes, "Regardless of where Israel
is headed politically, the Bible promises that the people of Israel will, one
day, turn back to God and see the truth that Yeshua is our promised Messiah. Forty-Three
years ago Maoz Israel was born with the vision to reach our nation with the
Good News. This vision still drives everything we do." Read more in her
article Support the Gospel in Israel. Also Eliezer Ben Yehuda - A Roadmap to the Impossible | How Is This Dictionary Different? | Israelis Read Books!
They pastor the HaCarmel congregation, but
also the Kerem-El congregation: Pastor Daniel and LuAnne Sayag report on the
recent activities from the Purim festivities, to four new believer water
immersions as two married couples expressed their faith through public baptism.
Among the prayer requests they send are praising God for all the rain,
deepening faith and relationships for the congregation, request for the annual
congregational retreat next month, pray that God will provide the financial
needs and that it would be a blessed time of fellowship and encouragement. For
financial provision for all that is needed by this ministry.
Avi and Chaya Mizrachi are the pastors of the
Adonai Roi congregation, but their Dugit Outreach is the focus of this prayer
request which is for all their ministry activities on the streets as
celebrations have been happening, Israel's 71st, Eurovision contest, and their
coffee shop outreach, HaOgen. "We are looking forward to serving guests
with love during this busy time in our city. The harvest is ready! Would you
join us in praying for opportunities to share the Gospel with Israeli's as well
as visitors from other nations? Would you also pray for hearts to be tender to
hear the message of hope through Yeshua? We appreciate your prayers and support
so much! To learn more about our ministry in Tel Aviv, click on these links: Who We Are | What We Do | Please Help us reach Tel Aviv with
the Gospel of the kingdom by Giving Now"
Israel
Today features this article
by Michael Decker that spells out new law in Israel. For the first time
" Israel implements a foreign
investment visa allowing holders to live in the Jewish state indefinitely"
From Tikkun.TV Marty Shoub writes Raising The Banner For The Gentiles about God's special plans for the Nations in relation to Israel. This is one you want to read.
Urgent HEALING Needs: Life and Death is in the power of the
tongue
Please keep in prayer these Israeli ministry
leaders and believers with urgent health needs
CONTINUE to PRAY for the urgent healing needs of EDDIE SANTORO and Jacob Damkani | Ronit Bender is awaiting repair of leaking heart valve. Please pray that no weapon formed against all three of these shall prosper & that miracles of healing will flow. NEW: Martin Sarvis has undergone arthroscopic surgery for a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder. He will be in a shoulder/arm immobilizer for a month followed by physiotherapy to regain use of his arm. Since he needs his arm for typing and as a pianist in his worship leading at Succat Hallel, this is a significantly urgent request for successful surgery & fast, complete healing.
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.
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.
