If Netanyahu succeeds in forming a government, then it is time for us to re-think our positions.
by Donna Diorio
Today the Republican leader of the United States Senate said, "The American people deserve a debate about how best to stand with Israel. How best to lead in the world. Not whether to do so at all."
That is the same debate that should be going on spiritually throughout the
Christian world. It is past time to for spiritual people to be questioning
whether we should be supporting Israel, God has made it clear to everyone with
eyes to read His Word and ears to hear it preached. All we should be debating
now is "how best to stand with Israel." That is the singular purpose of this prayer list and it always has
been.I think it would be safe to say that believers through the world who support Israel were very pleased to hear that it appears Benjamin Netanyahu has won the substantial number seats required to form a government. There is little doubt in most minds that Israel's security and economic needs will be better served under a Netanyahu government than his Labor opponents would have executed. That fact is complicated by how Netanyahu's political allies, the religious parties, will impact the Messianic Jewish believers of Israel.
In an election day article by Ron Cantor, he wrote, "One believer who is not a fan of the Prime Minister told me, 'God told me to vote for Bibi.”
God may be up to something we haven't yet been able to see. After reading Ron's article the thought came to me that for a long time we have been locked into thinking that Bibi would be good for the nation of Israel, but not for the believers of Israel — or for those Jewish believers in the nations who want to become Israeli citizens.Then the thought came to me, that fight is over for the time being, so now what would God want to focus us on instead?
Immediately, I know that it is more important than ever for Christians in the nations to stand strongly behind the believing Jews in Israel and I do mean stand strong in every way — through comprehending what is the significance of a Messianic Jewish Body of Christ in Israel. (I say Christ for the sake of Christians to hear what I'm saying).
The presence of a Messianic Jewish body of believers in Israel's Messiah is significant not only in terms of the salvation of Israel and Jews wherever they are in the world, but their presence and increase in Israel has an incredible, mysterious, surprise prophetic significance to believers from all the nations.
For as Israel has the breath of spiritual life breathed back into her (just like Ezekiel's prophecy of the valley of dry bones), that is going to mean life from the dead not only among the Jews, but also among our loved ones and fellow countrymen in the nations. Romans 11:15 couldn't spell it out any clearer: For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
The debate over if the Bible says this or not should be over! God's Word says that and much more if we will quit resisting the idea like Jonah resisted what God was prepared to do for the sinners of Nineveh.
While in the natural the situation for the Israeli Messianic Jews is shaping up to them seeing increased opposition in their country (but also increased effectiveness in salvation, signs and wonders), in the spiritual our calling in the nations to help them should have great clarity. Electing Netanyahu will not help them because it is our job as spiritual brothers to do that. No more helping Israel but not helping the body of Messiah in Israel. That day is over. Can you not sense that in the Spirit?
Today we must redouble our efforts to stand strong in prayer, financial help, volunteer help and even political advocacy. All those things are needed now more than ever before. Christians may be sighing a sigh of relief that Bibi has won, but his government will be a double-edged sword, with more aggressive religious opposition against Messianic Jewish believers. Don't turn a blind eye and you will see it.
For may Messianic Jews who are being turned out of Israel because of faith, and for those who are still in the nations but will not be allowed to become citizens, that saying, "Bloom where you are planted" comes to mind. If you want to make aliyah but can't get in right now, then it is incumbent upon you to be a major factor in stirring Christians and other Messianic Jews in your nation to all the things discussed here.
If you as a Messianic Jew don't know the significance of the Messianic Jewish presence in Israel beyond your own innate desire to return to the ancient homeland, then it is about time that you awoke to that significance. If you cannot be there now, then support those who are there right now like you would like to be supported if you were there too. This is not every man for himself time, this is time to pour our support into the body of Messiah in Israel to do all that is in God's heart to do!
If you as a Christian don't know the significance to the Church of the Messianic Jewish presence in Israel beyond your understanding that God loves Israel, it is about time you awoke to the full nature of His plan is to SPIRITUALLY restore Israel. God is not wanting the restoration of lamb sacrifices in a third temple in Jerusalem, He is wanting Israel to receive the sacrifice of the blood of THE Lamb of God, Yeshua, for their sakes. So wake up!
You want to donate to Israel causes, then do it THROUGH the spiritual brothers and sisters of Jesus in Israel. There has never been a time when it was more important for Christians to get hold of our real connection in Israel. If you know these things, then it is your charge to teach it to others who don't know.
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
Maoz Israel covers much important ground in weekly prayer requests: the
hodge podge of the Israeli legal system needs restructuring " give
Israel leaders with wisdom in restructuring the way laws are made, communicated
and enforced in the land.... even the repeated elections show the original way
Israel’s voting system needs to be changed.| "A couple of weeks ago young and zealous Orthodox Jews attacked the home
base of a ministry that reaches out to ex-Orthodox Jews who’ve rejected their
upbringing. The attackers threw bricks through windows and destroyed property.
This past week they beat and stabbed several of the ex-orthodox Jews on their
way out of the place. Father... Protect and defend those who seek You...
Forbid that the police overlook this situation as something not worth
resolving because it is simply an attack on Messianic Jews."
Also Maoz is praying over the elections, security, the Iranian church ("Iran is being openly judged with economic turmoil, earthquakes, floods, pestilence, and social chaos, still its demonic rulers use time and money to accomplish their #1 goal – the annihilation of the Jewish State – Israel. The Iranian people are fed up, trapped and disillusioned with Islam. In the midst of all this the Lord Yeshua walks and saves and strengthens His Body which is growing very quickly in Iran.") | Anti-Semitism and Aliyah ("Lord, whatever it takes to wake up the Jews in the West.... Bless abundantly all those Christian organizations that are literally and figuratively carrying Your people back home on their shoulders. The call and purpose for Israel is significant in God’s plan – and therefore significant in God’s plan for you.")
Also Maoz is praying over the elections, security, the Iranian church ("Iran is being openly judged with economic turmoil, earthquakes, floods, pestilence, and social chaos, still its demonic rulers use time and money to accomplish their #1 goal – the annihilation of the Jewish State – Israel. The Iranian people are fed up, trapped and disillusioned with Islam. In the midst of all this the Lord Yeshua walks and saves and strengthens His Body which is growing very quickly in Iran.") | Anti-Semitism and Aliyah ("Lord, whatever it takes to wake up the Jews in the West.... Bless abundantly all those Christian organizations that are literally and figuratively carrying Your people back home on their shoulders. The call and purpose for Israel is significant in God’s plan – and therefore significant in God’s plan for you.")
From Israel Pochtar in Ashdod a report on the process
of moving and Equipping Our
New Humanitarian Space for daily aid of people in
the community. They are blessing the needy with clothes, food packages, donated
furniture, house essentials or medical equipment, and more. You could help,
click the link to learn more. They also have a Special children's Project for Purim also
WATCH the
video. The Voice of Judah has a 2-day
conference coming up for an expected 200 young people in the Next Level Youth Conference, learn more
also WATCH
Hasdey
Yeshua in Arad sends a report on their Bedouin outreach where they are being
greeted with great love and hospitality even from people who do not have running
water, windows, a roof on their home. "Please pray for our humanitarian
outreach to bear much spiritual fruit in many lives." In the midst of
this, the ultra-Orthodox are visiting trying to turn people away from attending
their worship services. " Please pray for the salvation of the
ultra-orthodox. They’re blind and are being mislead by their leaders."
They are rejoicing in the abundant rain ("Please pray that the Lord will
pour out spiritual rain) and share Sarah's video is in
Hebrew with English subtitles. Sarah was a young victim of sexual abuse then
Yeshua set her free - now she is an anointed song writer, wife and mother.
Avner Boskey of David's Tent writes about the seeds of anti-Semitism that
were sown in the early church Bad seed,
bad harvest
Sally
S got word from her family to return to California because her 93-yr old mother
was so rapidily declining and in hospice. She arrived, went to prayer over her
mom who was in critical status. " My heart was for mom’s
salvation, and for the restoration of our family…not only physically but
spiritually as well." Her mom rallied: "God has our days numbered,
and not one of them should be stolen by the devil. Mom time was not then, and intercession works
to stand in the gap on behalf of those who cannot stand on their own. God wants
to save my whole family!"
We may have been standing praying for our families for so long it seems
almost an "impossible" thing to believe for but God is not done, so
we aren't either. It is time for us to rally in expectation again for God's restoration
of our families.
From Chuck Cohen at Intercessors for Israel in Jerusalem, read in full Friday Prayer Points 2/28/20. On elections he writes,
"Most
Israelis are tired, discouraged and angry over this situation which is has been
brought about by inflated egos of many politicians – especially Avigdor
Liberman.... Abba, please give to Israel a stable coalition at this time (1
Pet. 2:13-14). Have mercy on Liberman by bringing him down from his arrogant
perch (Prov. 11:2). Continue to reveal the true face of Benny Gantz, the leader
of Blue & White which is the Likud's main opposition in this election (Job
28:11). Anoint those whom You are wanting to lead this nation to be able to
speak words of truth (Prov. 8:7). "
From Revive
Israel there will be a Purim:
Esther Fast & Prayer for Unity Live Streaming March 9th beginning at 2 PM Israel Time.
Also Asher teaches on the Gift
of Prophecy VIDEO | Plus
Greta Mavro, Revive in Greece Mary
at the Tomb: Progressive Revelation, Part 2 and read about one of
the primary directives from the Lord to Revive Israel in how they do Strategic
Giving
Ron
Cantor is hard to keep up with! He is doing so much: Listen to this encouraging
word about not being in a panic about the Corona Virus. The word "panic" comes
from the people who worship "Pan," the demonic god of lust. We are
overcomers! Here is some more good news: Israeli
researchers are three months away from a vaccine for Coronavirus. Be of good cheer! | in other news Initial
Thoughts on Israel's Election | Israel
has received so much rain this year—a record amount—that the country is
bursting with color. Join us on our May trip. | US
Democrat candidate: calls Netanyahu a racist, could move US embassy back to Tel
Aviv | Ron
interviews Yariv Goldman and Sean Steckbeck of the Adullam house in Jerusalem Messianic
Jews come under attack as they reach out to former orthodox Jews |
Also Join Ron and
Cindy Jacobs, Paul Wilbur and others for a powerful time together April 3 - 4 Dallas/Ft Worth Conference | The Prophetic Destiny of
Israel
There appears to be a lull in rockets from Gaza, but
just last week there were over 100 rockets fired at Sderot. That's where Michael and Dina Beener of the City of Life
are ministering to the poor citizens of Sderot. One way they help is through
distribution of diapers for children and adults — the majority of them being elderly,
holocaust survivors, low-income families and families of new immigrants who are
deeply grateful. This month they sent two touching testimonies of one woman who
came to faith and another, a Holocaust survivor suffering oncological problems
who said, "Thank you for encouraging me, coming to me, praying for me, really
helps me and gives me strength to move
forward." The Beener's say, " We invite you to be part of our
ministry so that together we can bring hope to our border town of Sderot. Our
work would not be possible without the help of partners like you"
At the
Kerem-El, God's Vineyard congregation, a plant of Ha Carmel, the major need is
for partners: " This year we have experienced a decrease in giving and a
rise in extra needs within the congregation. Will you join us in 2020 as a
financial partner with Kerem-El in the work God has given us? If you would like
information on specific needs or projects, please contact us. We would greatly
appreciate your support and would be honored to have you partner with us!"
I don't mean
to embarrass Kerem-El or any other congregations by putting such emphasis on their
need for financial support from the believers in the nations. This is not an
isolated need but a widespread one among the Israeli ministries. We must make
this a priority prayer request for them all!
Kerem-El sends a report on their participation in the
week of prayer for the congregations of Haifa as they prayed over the needs of
the congregations and the communities they are ministering to. They ask for
prayers for continued
unity and partnership as we seek to reach Haifa for the glory of God. Also they
held their biannual congregational Shabbat dinner, an evening fellowship with
Seniors and Young Adults (what a great idea!) and the Women's gathering and
Youth Group ministry. Pray with them over all these.
Another
ministry that operates out of the HaCarmel congregation is the Beit Tiferet
Yeshua, a worship & arts ministry. There is an invitation open for those
want to take part in the 1-2 week heART Incense Arising Gatherings, but also
for longer periods of 1-3 months "to wake up every morning to worship Him
and celebrate Him through prayer and the arts, to glorify Him through communion
in Israel, to join a radical and powerful infiltration of the LORD’s Presence
on top of Mt. Carmel." There will also be a Shavuot/Pentecost gathering
4-nights in a Jerusalem penthouse, and other artistic-oriented worship events.
Contact by email for more
information.
From the Tents of Mercy, Avi Tekel is preparing for
the upcoming Passover for their distribution to 800 needy families in the
Kiryat Yam community. "We have almost half of the
funds, but need another $15,000 (each basket costs $75). Please prayerfully
consider participating in this endeavor which God has entrusted to us."
They also do a regular monthly food basket and their humanitarian center is
open 4 times a week for clothing & household goods, mostly to immigrants
& other needy locals. There are so many people living in poverty in Israel
and the Israeli Messianic ministries are doing such a great work, their cities
are very appreciative. It is a good testimony of their faith to say the least!
Tents is also rededicating themselves to regular prayer and worship
meetings that are open to all the congregants but they especially seek to
develop worship in the lives of their young people. An encouragement in that endeavor
is a young woman who had been living as an unbeliever for the past five years
who returned to follow the Lord - an
answer to their prayers! They also write: " We want all of you around the
world to know that just as you pray for us, we also pray for you! The health
and safety of your communities is a strong focus right now. May God spread His
protection over you and give wisdom and insight to medical staff and political
officials as they seek to contain the virus and treat its victims.
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
URGENT PRAYER NEED from Ronit Bender whose cardiologist told her that
her irregular heartbeat is SEVERE, and is suggesting further tests. Please
intercede for Ronit: No weapon formed against her shall prosper! | Pray for
members of the Yeshua's Inheritance congregation in Beer Sheva who were exposed
to the Corona Virus via Christian visitors from Korea. All have quarantined.
Please pray
for full recovery for Rachel Netanel
for food poisoning last month that sent her and Gilad to the hospital it was so
severe. Gilad has recovered, but Rachel after 3 weeks was still in need of
prayer for complete recovery. She also injured her back and continues to suffer
from having to overdo it. | Please continue to pray for Jacob Damkani, who
remains after surgery locked in the place of non-communication. Pray the LORD's
mercies over Jacob and his dear wife,
Elisheva | Continue please to pray
for Ruth
Nessim Critical prayer need she is
losing sight! Prayers for a miracle for Ruth.| Olga Bikas has longstanding severe back pain. please keep praying for Olga. Sadly, she is
not getting better and recently she has even felt worse for a period of time. Please
continue to pray for all the Israeli ministry leaders who contracted influenza - it is a strain that really
hangs on | Pray for Rania Sayegh who asks for prayer of restoration of strength, energy,
and complete healing.
________________
Article The
Significance is Ours to Give
Beit Immanuel Congregation, beitimm@gmail.com http://www.messianic-jews.org Donations: http://www.messianic-jews.org/#!donate/c1avz
“One person considers one
day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them
should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special
does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give
thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to
God. For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for
ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for
the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” Romans
14:5–8
In many countries, Christmas is the most widely celebrated holiday of the
year. It recognizes an event that took place over 2000 years ago which changed
the world. For most people in these countries, Christmas becomes an important
celebration already from their childhood, but for those of us who grew up in
the Soviet Union, we only heard about it for the first time after the collapse
of the Iron Curtain.
The Soviet
government eliminated all faith in God to such a great extent that as a child I
was taught to instead adore Lenin as a godlike figure and to cherish the ideals
of communism. Christmas was replaced by our New Year celebration which became
the most important holiday of the year. During the New Year, we also decorated
a tree but instead of placing a star of Bethlehem or an angel on its top, a red
star (a symbol of Soviet power) was to shine at the highest point. We exchanged
gifts and were encouraged to rejoice in the hopes that the New Year would be better
than the previous one. It was only many years after my childhood when I learned
that many countries with millions of people celebrated Christmas in December.
However, this only began to have significance to me, once I gave my life to
Christ.
When I initially moved to Israel, I found that neither the New Year nor
Christmas was celebrated here. Instead, Hanukkah, also known as the Feast of
Renewal or the Feast of Light, is celebrated nationwide. Although we do not
find the holiday stated in Tanakh, the events associated with it are well
described in the books of Maccabees 1 and 2.
This brought up a dilemma within me. What was to be celebrated? Should
the past be abandoned (New Year)? Should the present be embraced (celebrating
and rejoicing at the birth of our Savior)? Or, were we to embrace our Jewish
heritage (celebrating only the Israeli holidays)? I was not alone in having
these questions, as many of those who made Aliyah (immigrated) to Israel faced
the same uncertainty.
My initial inclination was to ensure I would not become a stumbling block
for those around me in the sense that I would be setting an example for
celebrating things that are not related to our people. However, over time it
became clear to me that what I considered a stumbling block was an opportunity
to carry and present the good news of the Gospel. Currently, many Israelis
celebrate the New Year. Why would they do this? My personal opinion is that
they simply want a reason to celebrate. However, I’ve also found that because
of this quite a few Israelis are very interested in learning about Christmas.
Across the street from our congregation is a Lutheran Church where every
Christmas Eve a concert is held using a beautifully played organ to celebrate
the birth of Jesus. It would seem that this would be foreign to local Jews and
mostly avoided, but every year the church is packed to the brim with people.
Most of those in attendance are not Christians or tourists, but rather native
Israelis who want to listen to beautiful music. This became an excellent
opportunity for us to tell them about their Messiah who came to the world 2000
years ago.
The church spire from Beit Immanuel roof top
The church spire from Beit Immanuel roof top
Preaching through holidays is not something new to us. In Jewish
tradition, every Jewish holiday is used to preach God’s word. And we believe
that if a foreign holiday such as Christmas can attract so many Israelis, then
how many more people will have a desire to come and celebrate with us one of
the greatest of Jewish holidays, Passover, the feast of the deliverance of the
Jewish people from Egyptian slavery. This holiday is filled with references to
our Messiah. An innocent lamb sacrificed in Passover is a reference to Christ,
as is expressed in John 1:29 “The next day John sees Jesus coming to him and
says: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” This year
we would like to celebrate this wonderful holiday in our congregation and
invite nonbelievers to attend. This will give us the opportunity, through the
symbolism of the established rites, to show the true meaning of this holiday
and ultimately share Christ with them.
Please pray with us that the Lord will lead the way for us to do this.
Pray for God’s protection, for God to open the hearts of those who come, and
for God’s provision and wisdom to be poured over us so that we may organize
this event.
THANK YOU to those who have considered this ministry worthy of financial support.
Donna Diorio donna@israelprayer.com or donna@d10r10.com
Donations appreciated | on PayPal donna@israelprayer.com
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.
P O Box 111302 Carrollton, Texas 75006 | I do not have tax exempt status.
