Wednesday, February 5, 2020

So What! | Arrows from Zion | 2/5/2020

So What!
by Asher Intrater

Asher Intrater has found an amazing two-word prayer that has the potential to bring national revival from Philippians 1:18: "So what!"



Two-Word Prayer for Revival | by Asher Intrater

When a nation is on the verge of a great revival, there has been a level of success in the congregations and ministries.  The number of people is growing.  More donations are coming in.  The spiritual leaders are becoming well-known, influential, sometimes even wealthy and famous.

This level of blessing gives the Ecclesia the tools that could affect a national transformation.  This is a necessary stage, like a woman who has come to full term in her pregnancy. Yet the very success itself contains within it the obstacles that can at the same time hinder, and even halt, the growth of the kingdom of God.

God’s blessings carry with them the inherent temptation to turn away from God and concentrate on the blessings. People can become lazy, carnal, entertainment-oriented, greedy, prideful and rebellious.  Moses referred to this syndrome as “Yeshurun became fat and kicked” – וישמן ישורון ויבעט – Deuteronomy 32:15.

The temptation to worldliness is dangerous for any human being.  Yet there are two dangers that are particularly dangerous for spiritual leaders: ENVY and COMPETITION.

Philippians 1:15 | Truly there are those who proclaim the Messiah out of envy and competition, but there are those who preach from good intentions.

Spiritual leaders can try to out-do one another.  Instead of working together to bring a revival to the whole nation, they begin to pull against one another. Instead of seeking new territory and new people to touch for the kingdom of God, they become protective of their own resources and accomplishments.

Envy and competition then lead to the leaders speaking negatively about one another; criticizing the others to make themselves look good in comparison. In essence, they unwittingly begin to curse one another in the guise of “spiritual discernment” and “warning the flock”. This leads to division and destruction among the people of God.

When Paul wrote this, he was in jail.  All of the work he had done was being taken over by others (some with good intent and others not).  Some were becoming famous and speaking badly about him.  He was lonely and suffering. However, instead of looking at the problem, he chose to see a blessing in it.

Philippians 1:18 So what?  The result is that one way or the other, whether from deceitfulness or from pure motive, the Messiah is being proclaimed, and in this I rejoice and will continue to rejoice.

There it is, the two-word prayer that can bring national revival: “SO WHAT!” If all the leaders would ignore feelings of envy and competition towards one another, and just rejoice that someone else’s work is growing and affecting many, the whole kingdom of God would leap forward.

This is a necessary purification of the heart for every spiritual leader.  Paul dealt with it concerning Apollos (I Corinthians 3).  Peter had to deal with it concerning John (Yeshua challenged Peter not to compare himself to John, even if Yeshua asked Peter to be crucified and John to live forever – John 21).

I have seen this challenge in almost every country where the work of God is growing and blessed – USA, Far East, Africa, Brazil, Europe, and certainly here in Israel.  It seems insurmountable, yet by God’s grace, it can be overcome.  Let us put away all envy and competition.  Let us pray for the other groups’ work to be even more successful. Let us see one another as one family of faith, even though we are totally different.

Someone else seems to be growing more than you? So what!  As long as more people are being touched by the love of God, that’s great! Someone is getting credit for something you did? Someone else is working out of selfish ambition? So what! We put aside all comparisons.  When one is blessed, we are all blessed. We are one family.

Let’s pray this great two-word prayer for victory over competition and envy. “SO WHAT!” And let the revival begin.



SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST:
Listen my Israel supporting friends. I know we in the USA all love Netanyahu, but I am learning that because he prevails with the help of the religious parties, that the PERSECUTION of the Israeli Messianic believers has grown untenable.
The reason is that the religious persecutors have been growing and growing under Netanyahu's reign.
FOR THE SAKE OF THE BODY OF MESSIAH IN ISRAEL I will stand against the re-election of Benjamin Netanyahu and trust God that HE is well able to preserve and protect Israel from being overrun by her enemies.
The persecution of Jewish believers in Yeshua in Israel is becoming extremely dangerous once again. Netanyahu is not as important to me as them! Please put the people of God, the followers of Yeshua ahead of political preferences for a system of governing in a complicated nation that we barely understand, and pray that God will put in place the person who will remove power from the religious and stop turning a blind eye to the illegal persecution of Messianic Jews in Israel!


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

Ron Cantor shares the story of how his HOT news, a real game changer for Israeli outreach, came into being. In the gist of it, Israel's largest television provider made an offer they couldn't refuse: a TV channel- in HEBREW - to share the Gospel. Understand this has NEVER happened before and they are going live in 1 month! Ron writes, " We are challenging the body of Messiah here to make powerful content. We already have some really good stuff. Our friends at One for Israel have dozens of Hebrew testimonies and we have great music videos in Hebrew. Israeli evangelist Yakov Damkani is giving us a ton of material in Hebrew, too. There are others, as well, but we need more!"

The first 7 years air time have been paid for but there remain many expenses including essential hires for communicating with those who respond. I'm not going to go details - you can write Ron to get on his list for more details - but he is asking for two things: help raising the $100,000 for the follow up expenses, and for prayers over the following: That Israel will hear the Gospel in Hebrew! No hiccups! | That HOT will promote the channel. | That we will have teams to follow up on people (still in process). | That Israeli believers would invest in making powerful content for the channel. | For God to open the eyes of the Israelis. | Minimal to no resistance! And pray that HOT will not give in to Orthodox pressure.

Next, one of the anointed, native Israeli evangelists, who shares so naturally with the people God puts in her path, we have an update from Rachel and Gilad Netanel. (Gilad is from Austria). Many people come to their home which is built in a cave in Ein Karim, including brought by Israeli tour guides who don't yet know the Lord - but they are drawn by the caring couple who share meals and their faith with all who come. They also have a place in the desert at Zukim which also attracts the secular people who live in the village.  Please pray for them and all the seeds they are planting, also for the health issues that I have shared below in Healing Needs.

From Chaim Malespin of the Aliyah Return Center 2020 Kingdom Vision 4th Focus: VIDEO Worship & Bringing the Jewish People Home. In the worship video, he also talks with Arni Klein.

Tikkun Global features the honor that was given to  Acco pastor Guy Cohen and Messianic Pastor Efraim Goldstein, plus a group of volunteers from Tennesee & Georgia who pitched in to hlep with the flooding clean up in Nahariya. They were honored by the Nahariya mayor.  Ron also features the May 29-31 Tikkun Family Conference in Ellicott City Maryland.  Register here.  AND Eitan Shishkoff's book What About Us? The questions for many Gentile believers who struggle with God's plan for mankind in general and Israel in particular.

From Revive Israel an article about a whole generation of younger Christians who are missing the understanding of Yeshua's plan for Israel and the nations. Revive Israel Netherlands & Tikvah Messianic ministry, Eelco Schaap writes, Coming into Fullness of Destiny.|Two VIDEOS  Cody Archer w/Samuel Whitefield Son of Man – Why Did Yeshua Use This Title? and Cody Unity's Full Expression | plus Asher's book Covenant Relationships Why do our conversations with other people seem to stay superficial and never reach a deeper level?


Howard and Randy Bass have given their daughter Tamar in marriage to Ezra who works with Jewish Voice. Many blessings to the entire family. In other news, Howard talks about a reluctance among leaders and pastors in Israel to talk about the time of Jacob's Trouble which is not going to be trouble just for Jacob! Besides being an uncomfortable topic, Howard believes there is reluctance because "they think it will be bad for fund-raising and bad for generating prayer for Israel and the Jewish people! They say that people won't donate to Israeli Messianic/Christian ministries if God is just going to judge His people and nation; and why pray for Israel if God is going to judge them?"

Howard advises: "Brothers and sisters, do not base your stand and commitment to Israel based on appearances!  Stand with Israel; pray for Israel; donate to congregations and ministries that are active in evangelizing the Jews and Arabs and others; donate to ministries and congregations that help the poor and needy, especially within the household of faith, and also to those outside who need to see the love of Jesus/Yeshua through our good works shining for the glory of the Father.  God's judgments are still His Fatherly chastisements upon those He calls His children, even though -- and because -- they are rebellious."

I think this is only what people who believe in a pre-Trib rapture could possibly think, which I am not one of those. I was raised to believe that, but once I studied the issue myself, I ceased to believe it could be the case... not with everything I saw about how God was going to join the Church and saved Israel together in One New Man. Even the restoration of Israel as a state and the spiritual restoration of Jews to the Jewish Messiah tell me that I will be here with my Jewish friends standing in faith in the times of the evil one. But it is not necessary to divide over such issues because one way or the other God is going to unfold it as He has decided, and we just need to stick with Him. ..and Israel of course.

Howard is teaching on a new series which he invites you to drop in on once a month: Daniel, The Prophet for Our Days. 

Avi Tekle from Tents of Mercy in Kiryat Yam talks about the welcome abundance of rain this year even though it has caused some trouble it has also filled up the Sea of Galilee which is Israel's fresh water source. But it did give the ministry opportunity to give out food baskets to some even during the local flooding, and they were blessed to do it. Avi writes, "Passover is now two months away and we are already anticipating what God will do among us. We look forward to sowing into our community in an obvious and practical way. Our aim is to distribute 800 bags (even 850 if possible). Each bag costs $75. We invite you to join with us in this outreach by helping purchase bags for distribution. With thankfulness for His provision and our partnership."

From Joseph Magen, the founder of news.kehila.org, which has put out a Pro-Life edition. (You may not know this but in Israel abortion is even more accepted than it is in the US, which is why the Messianic Pro-Life organization Be'ad Chaim is such a powerful ministry and force for good in the Land.  Read some of these article featured in Kehila: Find Healing - Plant a tree in the Gardens of Life for remembering aborted or miscarried babies | Pro-Life celebrates 30 years in Israel and challenges Israeli congregations to get involved | Personal stories of babies saved by Pro-life Be'ad Chaim by Be'ad Chaim director Sandy Shoshani.

Ronit Bender is another one of those Israelis gifted with a heart of love to share the love of God with those He puts in her path. She shares about several of the people that she is having an ongoing relationship with in the coffee shop, the news stand and the deli. She writes about the opportunity she had to share with her Kerem El congregation and how "the Lord encouraged me the other day, saying that all the seeds that have been sown over the years [there are many], are about to bear fruit, and people will be saved! Israel is not an easy place to witness, and people often seem to have a hard heart and stiff neck, but let me tell you:  THE LOVE OF GOD, THE TRUTH OF HIS WORD AND HIS GRACE ARE AT WORK! Please continue to pray and stand with us who here live in Israel." She will be touring in the US May 4th-26th in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Rhode Island.

Evan Levine of HaTikva Families wrote about their recent presentation of Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) for professionals in the fields of adoption and foster care, in partnership with Anchor of Hope Counseling Center and Adoption Wisdom. TBRI is an attachment-based, trauma-informed intervention designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children. They are not doing a once-over-lightly approach (same with the pro-life group, those ministering to PTSD trauma victims in S'derot, and other groups believer groups ministry to deep needs in Israel). Evan Levin writes that these are living-giving tools....The orphan crisis seems insurmountable, but we know our God is bigger.

From Maoz Ministries prayer points for the great success of Boris Johnson in getting BREXIT done at long last! Bravo Boris! They write: "The EU has largely been anti-Israel and pro-Islam and the UK has been forced to go along with the majority vote for decades. It has also been forced to allow the unchecked flow of illegal immigration from Islamic nations – who have long declared their ambitions of conquering Europe through childbirth." Pray blessing on Boris pro-Israel stance, and pray also for a full opening of Boris Johnson's eyes on what Israel needs to be fully defended. There is much more in the Maoz weekly prayer points which you can read in my Weekly Summary, if you have a subscription, and of course you can directly contact any of the ministries we feature each week to subscribe to their ministries directly.

Maoz (the Kobi and Shani part of it) will be traveling in the US this summer with their 5 kids in tow and would appreciate prayers over all the details of that trip.

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

NEW: Please pray for full recovery for Rachel Netanel for food poisoning 3 wks ago that sent her and Gilad to the hospital it was so severe. Gilad has recovered, but Rachel still needs prayer for complete recovery. She also injured her back and continues to suffer from having to overdo it. | Ronit Bender says On Feb 23 I will be meeting a cardiologist regarding an irregular heartbeat. Although we don't look to doctors for healing, the Lord has given to men wisdom for helping people identify ailments and medicines for seasons. Please pray the Lord will give the doctor wisdom so I can continue to minister in the strength that the Lord continues to download into me. PLEASE do not stop praying regarding my health. Thanks!

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.

My 2¢
by Donna Diorio

I hate to see articles like David Lazarus wrote on Israel Today, Will the local Body of Messiah in Israel survive the current serious debates? 

Even without being able to see the full content because I am not a subscriber, I wish David had not singled out MY FRIENDS as the reason for the problems in the opening paragraph that is visible to ALL who go to the link. It plants the seed of doubts against Tikkun leaders among all who read it, and I doubt it gets any better if we could see the whole article. One-sided journalism is not journalism.

WHY ARE THE ACCUSERS NOT THE STORY? Because that is where the REAL STORY is from my point of view. Why are the accusers in a special protected class, where we might discuss the motivations behind the accusations?

This isn't the first time an Israeli Messianic publication wrote about the conflict that has been going on for more than a couple of years and in both cases, the Tikkun ministers were treated as "the Accused" — assumed guilty until they prove their innocence! At least in the previous article, Hannah Weiss did not hide her criticism of the Tikkun leaders behind anonymity, although she did not name any of those who were making the accusations an issue among the leadership of the Israeli ministries. Not the original witch-hunters or the 

Also the accusers and those pushing the issue are NEVER named, they enjoy complete anonymity whereas several Tikkun ministers are being slandered not only in their leadership meetings but in accusations that are going out to believers outside of Israel. How is that righteous or godly justice?

If the Messianic body in Israel are headed for a split, it will not be because of the Tikkun ministers who have been bending over backwards throughout the inquisition to reassure their fellow ministry leaders in Israel that the accusations against them are false. When will the accusers come out from behind the protected wall of anonymity and prove their innocence in falsely accusing their brethren?

UPDATE: I finally got to read the article by David Lazarus, who I have always liked since I met him in Israel in 2003. From where I have been sitting, this is not an entirely non-partisan handling of the situation because it continues to put Tikkun in the seat of the accused being demanded to prove their innocence. 

In reality, this is about the accusers and I would not even know about it if one of the accusers had not reached out to me in 2017 making false accusations about the ministers of Tikkun. I know they are false accusations because I know them as brothers and have followed closely all of their ministries for years. I know what they teach and it is not what the twisted perceptions of their accusers.

Now I read in Lazarus’ article that the national leadership committee which is called Kenes Artzi, in David’s words, “The Kenes Artzi called for a ban on publications covering the controversy.” Now I can take that two ways: (1) Publications in Israel could voluntarily comply with a ‘gag order’ on the process it was conducting (which didn’t stop the accusers from distributing lies far and wide); and/or publications that covered the controversy were to be banned. Either way, the truth has been suppressed while the lies and false accusations - the slander - has run unhindered through the worldwide body of Messiah. That is unacceptable. 

David also writes, “According to the Messianic leaders we have spoken with, there is still a lot of confusion as to what will happen at the upcoming meeting. Will Messianic Jewish leaders be called upon to vote and determine if Tikkun is teaching false doctrines? Will Tikkun leaders and their congregations be considered false teachers or banned from the Kenes Artzi? Meanwhile, a number of Messianic Jews have already left, or are threatening to leave the Kenes Artzi over the controversy.”


From out here it looks like Kenes Artzi has lost its way and is unable to be just. I hope that is not the case, but regardless I stand by my friends, the ministers of Tikkun, because I know them to be blameless.





THANK YOU to those who have considered this ministry worthy of financial support.


Donna Diorio  donna@israelprayer.com or donna@d10r10.com
Donations appreciated | paypal.me/DonnaDiorio
Or look up 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. 




Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Vision for Peace | Arrows from Zion 1/29/2020

President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu Meeting at the White House Jan 28, 2020

I'm going to break from the naysayers decrying this Trump initiated "Vision for Peace" deal by highlighting some of the more positive views that are being expressed by Jewish commentators — both Messianic and traditional conservative Jews. My starting point is that we know there is no true peace for Israel until Yeshua returns, but that does not mean that Israel should not take advantage of how this deal moves the ball forward on Israel's behalf.
One idea I reject outright is that this is an "Antichrist" peace deal. 
Vision for Peace
A roundup of assessments 1/29/20 by Donna Diorio

The "Peace to Prosperity: A Vision to Improve the Lives of the Palestinian and Israeli People" is 181 pages long, but you can read it for yourself. It is posted on the White House website and is downloadable in pdf format.

As soon as the plan was shared yesterday, the first opinion I saw whose views I often find compatible with my own, was from traditional Jewish, but American conservative editor of JNS.org, Jonathan S. Tobin. Haaretz ran Tobin's take in Trump's peace plan means settlements are permanent. Democrats, get used to it.

Tobin wrote, "any assumption that Trump's plan has no long-term significance is almost certainly wrong."He continued, "Even when Democrats hold the White House again, they won't be able to reverse the core terms of Trump's Middle East peace plan, and U.S. leverage over Israel will have diminished."


“There is no going back to a diplomatic universe in which there's an assumption that Israel will bow to US demands for territorial withdrawals—involving the mass eviction of settlers—once framed as a necessary basis for peace.” Tobin wrote.
From the statement by Jared Kushner, the president's Jewish son-in-law who is one of those involved in crafting this plan, that is very much the point. Kushner has said, "I'm not  looking at the world as it existed in 1967. I'm looking at the world as it exists in 2020."

That simply means this plan takes off the table any fantasy negotiation that envisions Israel returning to 1967 border lines. It is a point that is always pressed that has now been permanently taken off the table. That is reason enough for the favorable reception the plan apparently received from both Netanyahu and his political rival Benny Gantz.

The headline at Israeli Messianic Israel Today magazine read, Trump Deal Flips Peace Process on Its Head. After more than 20 years of failure despite intensive diplomatic efforts," they write, US President Donald Trump’s “Deal of the Century” finally proposes a different approach." 
"For the past two decades," Israel Today notes, "the formula underlying the Middle East peace process was to accept the Palestinian positions, turn a blind eye to their transgressions (because they were the “oppressed”), and require painful concessions of Israel."

Arsen Ostrovsky, an international human rights attorney and journalist called Trump's Vision for Peace plan "the most pro-peace, pro-Israel proposal to date!"
Ostrovsky also tweeted, "That the #Palestinians were going to reject the #DealOfTheCentury was a given. Most interesting for me, is seeing the reactions coming from the Arab / Gulf world. This is BIG. Palestinians increasingly on their own."
He cites the Jerusalem Post report that "Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE on Tuesday issued statements welcoming the Trump administration's peace plan, and called on both sides to begin negotiations."
Jonathan Schanzer, a counterterrorism expert and a VP at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, says that the Trump plan changes the dynamic that past administrations were locked into by recognizing both sides as equals. This produced Palestinian recalcitrance leading to deadlock in peace talks for decades.
“The Palestinians are often granted more power than they actually have; the Israelis are asked to relinquish power and it’s ended in disaster,” Schanzer says. “This is an attempt to shift the dynamic to give the Israelis more power and the Palestinians less in a way that affects the actual dynamic.”
Ron Cantor of Messiah's Mandate notes, "Understand, I am not 100% opposed to a Palestinian state. I recognize that there are 3,000,000 Arabs within Israel in the disputed territories—people who deserve more. But until they change their leadership, there will be no peace and no state. The PLO was born in the blood of terror—not war. They are the fathers of martyrs and suicide bombers. ...[To this day] The PLO pays out some $360 million a year to the families of suicide bombers and martyrs."
American Messianic Jew Dr Michael L. Brown makes a difference between many of the Palestinian people and their terrorist leaders, "if the Palestinian populace as a whole could see a way forward to peace and prosperity, wouldn’t they want to achieve it? And what if the surrounding Muslim nations said, 'Yes, do this and we will help you prosper as well!' What then?....Frankly, without massive pressure from the populace as a whole, joined by other Muslim nations, I do not see this happening. And that is the crux of the problem."

Most of the Jews making comment recognize that there is no way the Palestinians will live up to their side of the deal to bring it to pass. In essence the US plan insists that for the Palestinians to reap the benefits of the plan they have to first accept the plan, then the Palestinian Authority must stop paying terrorists and inciting terrorism. Hamas and Islamic Jihad must put down their weapons. Both the PA and Hamas governed territories must give up corruption,
respect human rights, freedom of religion and a free press. This is according to the Jerusalem Post summary of conditions. Few see that happening.

Which may be why US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman urged Israelis to "apply Israeli law to the settlements and to the territory" in an "on-the-record press call on the prospects for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.”

Ambassador Friedman said, "Israel does not have to wait — does not have to wait at all. The waiting period would be the time it takes for them to obtain internal approvals and to obviously create the documentation, the calibration, the mapping that would enable us to evaluate and make sure it’s consistent with conceptual map."
The Ambassador says that the plan provides "certain benefits to Israel up front in exchange for Israel keeping the option open to the Palestinians for a very lengthy period of time.”
Today it was reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu will ask the cabinet in its next meeting to vote on applying Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank.

In news breaking in the past hour (at this writing 1/29), Blue and White Leader Benny Gantz has announced that he will bring the US peace plan to the Knesset for an up or down vote next week. "This is a historic opportunity to draw Israel's future borders," Gantz told participants today at a national security conference.

As PA President Abbas appears to threaten Netanyahu with breaking Oslo agreements related to security coordination, Israel news is also reporting that the IDF is bolstering its West Bank troops as Palestinians riot and is conducting ongoing assessments of the situation.

Jared Kushner said the plan is "rooted in the principle that a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians must be based on an agreement that satisfies the basic aspirations of the two peoples – in a manner that guarantees security, dignity and opportunity for all."

"The question comes down to, what will the Palestinian leadership do?" Kushner asked.

He told Al-Arabia, "wholehearted rejections will show the world that they are not interested in peace, they have never been interested in peace. And, quite frankly, in the Palestinian areas, you have a lot of people that are very vested in the status quo."

If nothing is done with the deal on the Palestinian side, the situation, Kusher says, will only get worse for Palestinians who are living in great poverty as it stands not. There is a $50 billion economic plan and refugee compensation fund that will help with the Palestinians reabsorbing Palestinian refugees.  Kushner does not see potential for a better deal if Palestinians let this opportunity die.

"This is a great deal for them, he says. "If they come to the table and negotiate, I think they can get something excellent."

"It’s difficult to come up with a construct where you have a continuous Palestinian state, where you can drive from one end to the bottom through bridges, tunnels, roads, Kushner continued. "We figured it out, it was not easy. And then we were able to sit with Israel and get them to agree to freeze settlement for four years. That has never been done before. And get them to agree to a Palestinian state, and get them to agree to a map."

Many will try to dismiss President Trump's plan as merely an ego-driven deal. That would be a great disservice to the heart that has been put into this plan to benefit both sides, but at last from a position that places Israel's needs in greater priority. Yet again, President Trump has shown himself to be the hands down best friend in an American president that Israel has ever had. 

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

Orna Grinman's blog article about the main event of the Holocaust Memorial Day is so exceptional, I hope you will read it: That Little Man In The Eye. She notes that Israelis were surprised and pleased by the unexpected turnout of international dignitaries and diplomats.  As always, Orna also gave a deeper understanding from Hebrew of what scripture is saying when it calls Israel the apple of God's eye.

Israel Pochtar of the Ashdod congregation Beit Hallel and Voice of Judah ministries has moved to a new email format which sends you to their online site to read articles in full. Click to Read More about how when a couple first joined them at Beit Hallel, the leadership recognized that it would be a challenge for them, as one of them had been born deaf. But not only are the couple adapting and growing, but they are also beginning to reach their full potential as they are now a wonderful asset to help other hearing impaired people in the congregation and also in outreach even to Arabs in Bethlehem. This encouraging report, plus how the unusually cold winter is both a blessing and challenge. Also they are nearing the end of their annual 21 Days of Prayer.

Ron Cantor, adjusting to all his new realm of responsibility as CEO of Tikkun Int'l, is having to release some things too —which means going forward Tiferet Yeshua congregation will be taking over their communications which Ron has handled in the past. It will be good. He's been on the road in Latvia but we also noticed we're a bit of a slowdown in Ron's usual writing output, but just in time, here is his article Ron and the NAR and 7 Ways Messianic Jews Fulfill the Irrevocable Call. Ron Cantor is always a ball of energy, but you might pray for him anyway as he gets into the rhythm of his new jobs blended in with his old jobs.

From IFI in their annual Int'l Prayer Conference Chuck Cohen shares AUDIO Evening Messages by Chuck Cohen, Claude Ezagouri, Tom Brooker, Steve Lightle, Jeremy Smith, plus VIDEO Update #3, VIDEO Update #4, VIDEO Update #5

news.kehila.org  has new content now on the Arab reaction to Trump's peace deal, plus New Book calls Israeli youth to Believe… that there is another way." | a "must watch" VIDEO Israeli, Christian, Young Woman, and an IDF officer | and a new Book Release - I Am Miriam by Deanna Malespin

Chaim Malespin, director of Aliyah Return Center delivers on his promise to share a new aspect of their vision each week:  2020 Kingdom Vision 4th Focus: VIDEO Understanding God's Heart For Israel

From Revive Israel in Jerusalem, the challenge by Joash Choi THE LORD SPOKE!!! Don't give up: 'faith it' | also VIDEO Roaring from Zion | Cody Asher sits with Paul Wilbur | And Asher Intrater answers on VIDEO Why We Do It – International Outreach

Ran Silberman, a certified tour guide out of the HaMaayan congregation, has a new blog article on the events at the Jerusalem Holocaust museum for the Fifth World Holocaust Forum. And they shall call you The City of the Lord

Daniel Juster of Restoration from Zion writes Can A Democratic Republic Government Survive in the Internet Age?  (Who will take on this fight and tame the tech giants?)

Arad congregation Hasdey Yeshua sends an uplifting account of ministering to a new believer who is in some really bad living situations with her 7 children. She is a likely ethnically Jewish Bedouin whose husband divorced her for a new wife and left her destitute in a shack on his parent's property. But they are helping her practically and spiritually. Pray for her, and for her to be delivered from a hopeless welfare mentality.

Among other things the congregation writes about —the discipling class & nurturing their children — they also say there has been a recent uptick of harassment by the ultra-Orthodox against them. The Gur sect is stalking thir homes and meetings, and also a threatening event took place when their humanitarian warehouse was entered by one of the Gur along with a known violent Yad L'Achim activist. They took pictures of the inside before being escorted out by a worker on the premises.  Please pray over this.

While Cody and Liat Archer are on an extended sabbatical, they have sent out this 13 minute video is a transparent update "about what led to this sabbatical, how we have been using our time and what challenges we have been facing."

Avner Boskey shares his views on The Deal of the Century which was sent out prior to the unveiling of the plan.

Maoz Ministries also writes about the Trump Peace Deal with prayer points, and also for the " not-so-secret war being waged today between Israel and Iran."  

Jackie Santoro sent a tribute by Jonathan Moore to Eddie's memory. Eddies birthday was Jan 27th and Jonathan wrote a really nice tribute to his memory, "my spiritual father and the founding pastor of our congregation." He writes of a prompt he sensed from the Lord in the beginning of Eddie's 4-yr battle against cancer, "to follow Eddie like Elisha followed Elijah all the way until he was taken to Heaven."

"I am indeed incredibly blessed," Jonathan writes, "to have been with the founding pastor of my congregation all the way through the last days of his life. I feel the anointing to love people the same way Eddie loved people. I feel that pastoral care for people like never before. But the greatest blessing was that not only did my pastor invest into me, but I also gained a true spiritual father. The words of Elisha resonate with me, 'And Elisha… cried out, "My father, my father" … [and] saw him no more'."

Both Jonathan and Jackie ask for prayers for their congregation, Ahavat Yeshua. Jackie promises to write more soon on the Peace Plan in an upcoming issue. Surely she has received Eddie's gift as breaking down current news events from Heaven's perspective.  We look forward to that upcoming input.

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

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. | Ronit Bender says my heart valve  is still leaking but my lungs are fine. I totally have peace about my health, although it is far from great.  I still appreciate prayer, as I need it.




THANK YOU to those who have considered this ministry worthy of financial support.

Donna Diorio  donna@israelprayer.com or donna@d10r10.com
Donations appreciated | paypal.me/DonnaDiorio
Or search paypal for 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.