In an effort to catch-up with 40 ministry letters in my file, I have deeply edited many of the ministry letters in order include as many in as possible this week. Then I can start fresh next week.
Forecast:
Heavy Fog
by Donna Diorio
An
unusual occurrence with many days of heavy fog blanketing central Israel,
especially Tel Aviv. As one Israeli news outlet put it:
"The chilly winter weather took a temporary break in the past few days for a spring-like coolness with no expected precipitation. But with the special weather comes the heavy fog, which forced Ben-Gurion Airport to temporarily close its gates as the fog made flying in the region dangerous."
At the end of January 2020 in Dallas we also experienced a fog so deep and
thick it was surreal. I wrote about it at the time on Facebook that it reminded
me of a teaching of Asher Intrater's about how there is a cloud covering over
the earth that keeps people blinded to the truth, but where there is faith
there are breaks in the cloud where prayers of the saints are breaking through
to bring answers from God.
This is as Isaiah 60:2 says, "For behold, darkness covers the earth,
and thick darkness is over the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you, and
His glory will appear over you. And the little breaks in the covering over
the earth are made by people of faith praying that Yeshua was referring to when
He asked in Luke 18:7 "Will not God bring about justice for His elect
who cry out to Him day and night? Will He continue to defer their help? I tell
you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when
the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”
I won't try to take these weather events too far, but we are living in
"the fog of war." It is a battle for the truth, and a blanket of fog
is covering the eyes of people from seeing the truth clearly. We must stand in
faith because the fog of deception is strong. Currently in the United States we
are dealing with an overwhelming level of the heavy fog of deceptions and false
narratives. When the enemy comes out so strongly from all corners with evil
accusations against the good, the honorable and the faithful, that is the sign
of "gross darkness" stalking the land. In many cases, even believers
are being deceived the force of it is so strong. We pray our brothers and
sisters in the faith awaken to the truth. Many of us have been fighting and
some of us continue to maintain our vigil of hope. From the looks of prayer
requests out of Israel, there is a fair amount of the same happening in Israel.
Let us keep the faith.
Arrows from Zion
Summarized
from the Weekly
Summary of Prayer Requests Israeli Ministries by subscription only donna@israelprayer.com
Kobi Ferguson official stands in the role of President and CEO of Maoz
Ministries as Ari and Shira Sorko-Ram pass the baton of their ministry
leadership to Kobi and daughter, Shani who is the CCO, Chief Creative Officer,
and that she is from musically to writing. Ari and Shira, although
"retired" from heading the daily ministry of Maoz are far from
retired. They will continue to minister to local leaders, and take on more of
an "ambassadorial" role when travel is again possible.
Anyone who follows Shira on Facebook knows that she has been an invaluable
source of insight and encouragement, especially to American believers over the
past couple of years. That is because of her news perspectives and prayer
points which truly has helped believers to stand in faith praying as the enemy
has kept a relentless attack up on President Trump. I have no doubt that these
prayers have helped the Trump administration to make astounding strides in
blessing Israel even with this last year, as Arab nation after Arab nation
entered into new alliances with Israel. The Word of God promises that "I will bless those who bless you and
curse those who curse you" — Surely as Shira recognized, President
Trump qualifies for the blessing of God for all his effort toward bringing
blessings to the people and land of Israel.
Also leading in a prayer concerning Generations, Shani focuses us on the calling of God from one generation to the other as "one of the most crucial aspects of God’s plan for the ages." She prays, " We thank You for the gifts You gave to generations before us that have been passed down for us to learn from and build upon. . . . We ask that You revive the understanding of passing things on generationally among believers."
Leon Mazin of the Haifa Return to Zion Center writes Challenges
or Opportunities? Read it in full online as Leon speaks of 2020 as its own
corrections, grief, and fears, but also made it possible to re-evaluate, adjust
or even to take notice, to strengthen and develop something.
Kerem-El congregation led by Yonatan Arnold and Stefan & Keren Silver on Mt Carmel also write of the struggle over the
past year: "members of Kerem-El have lost jobs, dealt with financial limitations,
struggled with relationships, faced emotional and mental stress, and more.
Births and deaths, marriages and illnesses, life continued in the midst of the
pandemic. Zoom calls are not the same (we all know it), but at the least we can
see faces and growing children and share laughter. The community is still here
and it's that community which has shown itself to be the body of Messiah in
deed and in faith." They ask for prayer for an end to Covid-19, for God to
provide for their needs as 2021 commences and over all their congregation to
continue to grow spiritually even in these hard times.
Avi Tekle at Tents of Mercy in Kiryat Yam, north of Haifa, sends this video with Asher Intrater sharing, What Tents of Mercy Means to Me. Also looking forward to 2021, Avi writes, "The new year has a way of sneaking hopefulness into our inner beings. I was so taken by the words of Joseph to his siblings from this week’s Torah Reading. It just so happened to be at the end of the book of Genesis - the twelfth reading. 'But Joseph said to them, 'Don't be afraid...Yes, you yourselves planned evil against me. God planned it for good, in order to bring about what it is this day—to preserve the lives of many people'' Yes and amen, Avi!
Rachel and Avner Boskey sent the latest video teaching in their newly launched Ezekiel 37 Institute with Avner teaching on the Minor Prophets – Amos Part One | VIDEO. Once a week, there will be a new episode from this series. Eight of the Twelve Minor Prophets will be presented by Avner Boskey from a Messianic Jewish and Israeli viewpoint.
David & Josie Silver of Out of Zion Ministries in Carmel write, "2021 is Here - Put on Your Seat Belts and Hold Tight. ....One of the most concerning effects of the Covid-19 / vaccine issue is the division that is being created in families, between friends, and even in groups of Bible Believers. As time goes on the divisions are growing deeper. One side believes that the pandemic is blown way out of proportion and that masks and social distancing do not make a difference, and are just Big Pharma and the governments trying to control us. The other side believes all of the statistics that the media is reporting and many are living in total fear. One side believes that the vaccines are a serious threat to our health and should not be accepted. The other side believes that the vaccines are totally safe and pose no long term threat to their health. ... The entire situation is a recipe for distrust, deception and division creating more confusion and fear. . . . in regards to the issues that concern you and your family. DO NOT believe anyone, including me ....... use the Internet resources that are freely available and find out for yourself. Just be sure that the source of information does not have an agenda, one way or the other. And please be careful to check out information that is sent to you before forwarding it to others."
It is also a blessing to me to receive a ministry letter from Jackie Santoro, and it was good to see her smiling face in her most recent one Happy New Year 2021. Jackie, and her husband who now resides in Heaven, were pastors and elders in the Jerusalem Ahavat Yeshua (Love of Yeshua) congregation in Jerusalem. Jackie continues to be a treasure in the congregation. She writes of how when she and Eddie " were new in faith more than 40 years ago, we talked quite a bit about these times we are in now. We thought that upheaval and turmoil were going to happen then, but after a few years, when it didn't, the feelings faded and we looked forward to bright futures with no big surprises. And then suddenly, when things seemed so good in the natural, the pandemic hit. In its wake has come worldwide economic distress along with political upheaval both in the US and in Israel. And no one knows if anything will return to what we used to refer to as "normal". My grandson is 6 years old and he really doesn't remember a time when people didn't wear masks. This is his reality.... As of a week ago, we are now in our third lockdown.
Asher Intrater of Revive Israel, who founded the Ahavat Yeshua
congregation along with Eddie and Jackie Santoro, writes about the New Stage of the Ancient Vision. He share
how the ministry vision of Revive - the basic values and vision have
stayed consistent for over four decades. The vision is: Advancing the Kingdom
of God....it is the same as the longing of the ancient Hebrew prophets, to see
the kingdom of Messiah here on earth, with peace and goodwill toward all men."
Read the rest online.
Gil Afriat of the Tel Aviv Tiferet Yeshua writes, At the end of 2019 we
published an article about looking ahead to 2020: “The path before us may seem
clear, but we might be continuing on it without listening for direction from
Him: He may be calling us off the ‘main highway’ to something we never
imagined.” Little did we know how much we would be going off the main highway
in 2020 into something we could have never imagined! READ: 2020: An Unprecedented Year for Tiferet Yeshua Also from Moti Cohen: A Special New Year's Eve for the Homeless in Tel
Aviv
Chaim Malespin of the Aliyah Return Center sends a video called A Faith Walk about God's faithfulness throughout the past year of their " Vertical Galilee House of Prayer community throughout the world. We are so excited to see the sanctuary being used by the Lord already and hope that the rest of the building will be completed soon." They also send a free copy of Deanna Malespin's book I Am Miriam. Chaim writes, "Thank you for sowing seeds of love throughout the land of Israel! Without you, we could never meet our budget for 2021. You are fulfilling prophecies and showing the Love of God to the needy here in Israel."
Chuck Cohen of Intercessors for Israel in Jerusalem sent Friday Prayer Points 1/1/2021 Read in full online. I want to point out that there are many, many prayer points that cover some of the extremely troubling issues facing the the Israeli government right now. Click to get those and also consider what Chuck wrote: " There are so many important issues to concentrate on that we can only touch them briefly in prayer. May God speak to you about taking one or more of these as a special burden in your times of prayer for Israel."
The Joseph Project writes that in 2020, Joseph Project distributed over 30 million shekels (close to 10 million dollars) in humanitarian aid throughout the COVID-19 Crisis in Israel. As we write to you from the midst of Israel's third nation-wide lockdown this year, we are keenly aware that this holiday season and transition into 2021 is unlike anything we've known before. Despite the trials, we would like to wish you a Happy and Blessed New Year from all of us at Joseph Project! DONATE NOW to help us continue the good work in 2021!
Aleksey Raikhstadt of Beit Immanuel congregation in Jaffa wrote about the unpredictability of last year and the one ahead. "I find comfort in the fact that I know that my Lord holds the whole world in His hand, all the more you and me." He continues, "If the basis for your faith is the Word of God, then neither the virus, nor the vaccination against it, nor the financial crisis, and nothing else can shake you....I thank God for this year that is ending. For the abundance of His grace in our lives, and I pray that 2021 will be a year of further rooting ourselves in the Word of God and strengthening our faith in Him. “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 5:4 ESV) "I pray that everyone will see the good that can be learned from these extraordinary times."
Ron Cantor writes of a dream/vision he had on 12/31, " There is an
Israeli young lady that we have shared with for years about Yeshua. We can see
God working in her heart. Last night, about 3:00AM, I woke up. As I was falling
back asleep—still sort of awake—I either had a vision or a dream and I saw a
crowd of Israelis gathering on the 'tayalet' in Jerusalem (where groups get a
panoramic view of the Old City) and they were worshiping. As if I were a drone,
I was able to pan around and see in front of the group. Guess who was leading
them in worship, strumming on her guitar...it was the Israeli young lady we
have been sharing with about Yeshua!!! It was so real!" He continues, "We are serious about
sharing Yeshua with our people. But we need your help. By faith we birthed Shelanu
TV with several Israeli ministries and GOD TV. Our ministry, Messiah's
Mandate, has taken on the main fundraising role. Our team of 10 depends on your
partnership so we can keep filming
testimonies, teachings and worship videos IN HEBREW! Shelanu is the only Hebrew
language 24/7 Gospel channel in the world. Let's keep this light shining!"
Rania Sayegh in Nazareth of
the HOPE: House of Prayer & Exploits sends the link
to the Global Upper Room - New
Year's Celebration we participated in with IHOPKC and leaders in the Body of
Christ from every time zone across the globe. HOPE's worship watch was at the
2-3pm CST. ALSO they write: We are so grateful for your support and
partnership! Your seeds are growing and bringing forth fruit in Nazareth,
Israel and the nations. Thank you for sowing into our people and the land of
Israel! Would you please prayerfully consider giving a gift towards our new
building project ? Please specify [HOPE building project] when you make your
donation. (See donation info at the Hope website)
Avi & Chaya Mizrachi Tel Aviv Dugit Messianic Outreach Centre and Kehilat Adonai Roi (The Lord is my Shepherd) write, "If you will take 4 minutes right now to watch this video, you will see for yourself that COVID may be able to close a school, shut down an economy, and keep everyone locked down at home—but a deadly virus is not enough to keep the Jewish people from encountering the Good News of Messiah! Let me show you something good that is happening in Israel today. I believe this video will encourage you and stir your heart as it does mine." For more than 30 years, DUGIT MESSIANIC OUTREACH CENTER has proclaimed the Good News of Messiah to the people of Israel.
Israel Pochtar of Ashdod Beit Hallel & Voice of Judah Israel Ministries writes, "Change is always painful, but it forces us to grow and become more Christlike. We were faced with the reality of people’s struggles, and it pushed us to grow in kindness, openness, generosity and love. Even though this year challenged us as believers, as well as a congregation, it also drove us to be more creative, find solutions, recognize the times and prepare better for what lies ahead." He continues, " I just wanted to take a moment to say... THANK YOU! Thank you for the prayers, the love, the encouragement, the incredible generosity in such difficult times. Thank you for being a supporting pillar of our ministry and of the nation of Israel. We pray that 2021 would be a year saturated with God's grace and favor for you and your loved ones. Thank you for being such a vital part of our journey, especially during troubled times. It means more than you know. ... Watch here as Israel Pochtar Looking Back at 2020
Eli
Ben-Moshe of the Ashira Project sends their latest music
product Evan Levine's "Merciful and Gracious".
Stream to listen and also buy it now.
Evan Levine, besides being a worship leader, is also the Jerusalem
director of the HaTikva Project (The Hope) who are bringing
hope to the needy of Israel in the Name of Yeshua. He writes, "True Hope
is Rising in the Land of Israel. You are on the frontlines with us declaring
the Salvation of Israel is Near. Because of our incredible partners, the goal
of $550,000 to establish HaTikva House and provide dental care and aid to the
poor has been exceeded by a generous $100,000 matching grant (for 2020 year end
giving). Now, we are pressing even further to fund the third and final phase of HaTikva House! HaTikva
Project would be honored to have your support!
Lastly a few selections from the excellent online resource Kehila News Israel: Top 5 stories in 2020 from the Messianic community in Israel and Virtual Gala for Local Israeli Ministries Raises over a Quarter of a Million Dollars in One Night . For those of you who want Israel news that really matters to believers, Kehila has sister site which is headed by Joel Rosenberg, All Israel News
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
Christian Arab Pastor Victor Bahbah is in rehabilitation! A post from Sonia Bahbah Abu-Duhou in mid-Dec. read: "Christmas will be extra special for our family this year as we almost lost our beloved brother to Covid. It has been a very long and tough road for him and his family. But he fought hard for his life and is now on the road to recovery. Praise be to God. Thank you to our family and friends for keeping him you your prayers God bless all my brothers and sisters and their families and bless you all." | Sally Shiff still faces 2 more surgeries but "my pain that I had in my legs continuously is gone!" | A prayer request for Naomi, for a dear family that is a part of Israel Pochtar's pastoral team, who was diagnosed recently with colon cancer. "Despite what this battle entails, we are confident in God’s unfailing Word and promises." Read in her own words| Ronit Bender wrote, I am feeling pretty good, but do have trouble climbing stairs and walking is getting tougher for me because of my heart situation. My cardiologist was changed by my health provider. He is very unpleasant and I want a new one. | Rachel Netanel wrote, Please pray for me as well. I have very high blood pressure and the doctors have sent me to have a number of tests. The results won’t come for a while but please pray that all will be well. I do have peace in Yeshua. | Please continue to pray for Jacob Damkani for the LORD's mercies over Jacob and his dear wife, Elisheva | Olga Bikas is slowly recovering from the operation, but last Thursday she lost consciousness for a couple of seconds because of a sudden spasm of pain and as a result fell and broke her ankle.
Is God Leveraging COVID to Prepare the
Congregations?
Elder at Ahavat Yeshua congregation
in Jerusalem
December 29, 2020: Has Coronavirus affected your spiritual community? I bet it has. Probably your spiritual community met weekly for a worship service with dozens of participants, if not hundreds or more. Then along came COVID-19 and things changed.
In Israel, there were drastic shutdowns during which we couldn’t go more than 100 meters from our house, and we experienced our first Passover in which no one was permitted “to go out of the door of his house until morning” (Exodus 12:22). We learned how to meet on “Zoom.” We learned how to keep it communal by using Zoom’s breakout rooms for socializing even when we couldn’t meet physically.
Eventually,
restrictions eased so that we could gather outdoors in a park overlooking the
Knesset and Israeli Supreme Court. In September, a second wave of infections
shut everything down again. Begrudgingly, we went back to Zoom since only
groups of 20 people or less were permitted to meet together face to face – even
outside. We decided if 20 people could still gather, we would form three groups
of 20 (adults) and meet outdoors in three different locations. This plan
continued to be a blessing until the cold, rainy weather arrived.
[Israel has just this past week entered its third lockdown.]
Thankfully, not one congregant has contracted COVID-19! It hasn’t been easy to walk the line of meeting in groups safely and continuing to live life as a light in the darkness, while not putting others at risk.
In an elders meeting in early November, we were praying and discussing how to continue during the winter. Asher received Acts 20:20 which says, “I did not shrink back from proclaiming to you anything that was profitable, teaching you publicly as well as from house to house.”
We felt strongly to not become a “Zoom only” community, while obeying the law, which dictates that only ten people maximum can gather together inside. We are now meeting in small house groups in several geographic areas in Jerusalem and just outside Jerusalem. The congregants gather in homes every other week, and then everyone meets digitally by Zoom on the alternate week. The Zoom meetings allow for the whole community to “gather” as one, including those who are abroad, those who are in self-quarantine because of high risk, and those who just live far enough apart that it is hard to attend a home meeting.
It’s amazing what God has done in the midst of COVID-19. We’ve gone from a community almost completely based on a large, weekly meeting in a building, to a community that can meet online, outdoors together, outdoors in smaller groups, or in homes in groups of just a few families each. All of this transformation happened in less than a year.
We long to meet together in larger settings, with the powerful worship in our hall with our sound system, etc. But we are also really enjoying the intimacy of just 10 of us in a home, worshiping “unamplified” together. We are being knit tightly together, and we are now better prepared for end-times challenges and end-times revival than we were before the virus.
What has God been birthing in your life and your communities? We’d love to hear from you.
Jonathan,
on behalf of the Elders of Congregation Ahavat Yeshua (The Love of Yeshua). jonathan@ahavatyeshua.co.il Read it online
here.
Donna Diorio, November 10, 2020 donna@israelprayer.com or donna@d10r10.com
THANK YOU to those who support this
ministry with donations. ♥
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.
