WEEKLY Arrows From Zion 6/27/12

Serving the Body of Messiah in Israel since August 2001 

 Strategically Aimed for the Lord’s Harvest in Israel

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In the first century Paul, "the Apostle to the Gentiles," taught this as the relationship between the churches and the believers in Israel: 

"For it pleased them of the Macedonia and Achaia churches to make some contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.  It pleased them truly; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentile Christians have been made partakers of the Messianic Jews' spiritual things, the Christians' duty is also to minister unto them in material things.”  Rom 15:26-27  

Paul first saw it himself as the proper relationship when in Acts 11:28 a prophet named Agabus fortold a coming famine and "Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea."

When Paul and Barnabas arrived in Jerusalem (Acts 12), they found the believers huddled together in fervent prayer because Herod had executed James and had Peter locked up in jail.

This was the selah moment for Paul, who from that point on taught the churches that the proper relationship between them and the believers in Israel was one where the churches took care to provide for those Messianic Jews under siege for the faith.  ‘A whole earth famine? Quick! Let’s send a donation to the believers in Israel!’

Skip forward almost 2,000 years and we are (or at least I am) waiting for this teaching to be restored to the Church. 

That would mean that the believers in Israel would no longer be ignored, disregarded, or placed dead last on the support list.  This is not a merely some sort of ‘tribute gift’ but the restoration of this truth – is a NECESSITY in the timing of the outpouring of the Spirit on all Israel unto salvation. 

The Holy Spirit is the hand and the Christian care of the MESSIANIC body in Israel is the glove that facilitates the salvation of all Israel.  This is how we cooperate with God’s intentions in Israel.

Arrows from Zion
Strategically Aimed for the Lord’s Harvest in Israel
Contact information for all the ministries is included inside the attached Weekly Summary.

As you can see, we are keeping the focus on the financial burdens of almost all the Israeli ministries which are deeply affecting their ability to operate, or to pay even the most modest of ministry salaries including the pastoral heads.  For some this means shutting down valuable and effective parts of their ministries. Unfortunately, we continue to see changes that negatively impact the Israeli ministries using Christian properties.  This is the reverse of what should be happening! 

Pray for the reawakening of the Church to our “duty” to minister to the BELIEVERS in Israel as it will release their ability to minister the salvation of all Israel.

In weeks past we let subscribers know about an investment that could be made in a believer who is a remodeling craftsman that was working on a property his parents owned.  For a modest investment he could finish the remodel and flip the house for a great profit.  We are thrilled to report that a new ministry that is seeing specifically to the needs of the Body in Israel was able to step in and make that investment -  which has also turned out to be a major witness to the believer’s Orthodox parents. This new ministry, HaTikva, is directed by believers in Jerusalem with Coach McCartney and Dr. Raleigh Washington acting as Chairman and CEO respectively.

Pray that we see more of this type of Christian coming alongside Israeli ministries!

Howard Bass reports rain in the Negev last week and has the picture to prove it.  This is most unusual for rain in summer.  Thank God for it.

Bass also reports that his congregation has been having good teaching to strengthen the family.  He writes, “Families in Israel are breaking down, and this trend is heavily impacting the family of God in the Body of Messiah.  Yeshua came to reveal God's name as 'Father'…. There is a disturbing trend within Christian / Messianic circles to redefine or reinterpret who God is... Let us pray as the apostle Paul did, that we would have a spirit of revelation and wisdom concerning these things which are spiritually discerned, and cannot be known any other way.”

Please pray with the congregation for a new rent-donation agreement which is coming into play in September and is being negotiated now that “gives God's peace in His righteousness for us all who serve the Lord together here.”

In the Akko Harvest of Asher congregation there is an opportunity that has opened up for additional space where they may expand their youth ministry, start a messianic community center and include the humanitarian aid warehouse.  They also plan to use the space for storage of emergency goods stocked for the war everyone believes is coming in just a matter of time.  Pray with this ministry that it will have churches who will come alongside to help with the finances for renovations and needed equipment.

Their joint service with the Lebanese Christians in Nahariya was a blessed and anointed service together.  Pastor Cohen writes, “The purpose of the visit is to show that in the Lord there is no difference between Jew and Gentile, even though the call on Israel and the Jewish nation is unique.  Pray for us and for the congregation, that everyone would grow in the Lord and that the congregation would grow in both the spiritual and natural.  After all, the congregation is the Lord’s bride and to my knowledge, there is only one bride.”

From the Beit Asaph congregation in Netanya, Evan Thomas writes, “This week begins the Hebrew calendar month of Tammuz. From ancient times this was known as the season in which one tended the grape vines. Diligence in this would help ensure a good harvest.  Yeshua would relate to the natural and agricultural cycles to illustrate his teachings on the Kingdom of Heaven. In the same way we often see their relevance in our spiritual and community life. Evan and Lev, as co-pastors of Beit Asaph sense this as the season to place much of our emphasis on ‘tending the vine’ – evaluating the spiritual health and growth of the congregation and taking action to ensure this.”

Pray for all the congregations of Israel who are “tending the vine” in order to bring forth more fruitfulness in the families who are following Yeshua in Israel.  Evan spells out what it means to them practically to tend the vine within their congregation.  You can read what they are doing by opening the attached Weekly Summary.

Summer time means increased opportunities for outreach in Israel and the Mizrachi’s Dugit ministry has hit the Tel Aviv beaches, the parks and even the hospitals .  They write, “Recently, during a Dugit Live, every table in the centre had an unbeliever that was being witnessed to about our Lord. It was an amazing sight to see! May every seed that has been planted begin to take root and bear much fruit for the Kingdom.”

Amen, LORD!  Bless all the outreaches going on throughout Israel to those who are newly receptive to hear the gospel and decide for themselves if Yeshua is for them.

Praise God for the father of Shlomy of Awake Israel coming to the knowledge of the LORD and salvation in Yeshua!  Good news travels fast – especially among those who think it is BAD news!  A flier was soon distributed on the street where Shlomy’s parents live warning that their son was a “missionary.”  That word in Israel is like saying someone is a murderer or a terrorist.  Pray for the family – no weapon formed against them shall prosper and every tongue rising to condemn them is rendered ineffective.
The congregation baptized three people last week.

An update on the Christian Arab “M” and his friend in Hebron who were arrested by Palestinian police for distributing Christian materials.  We received word that after being beaten and warned to stop their activities, they were released.  Continue to pray for all Palestinian Christians who are actively sharing their faith.  Pray for wisdom, as well as an ear attuned to the direction of the Holy Spirit that will show them when to share and when to secret themselves away.

Dugit also reports on the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) 6^th annual Global Day of Prayer in Nazareth where Jewish and Arab believers gathered to worship and pray together.  Read all about inside the Weekly Summary.

Maoz Ministries, with Ron Cantor leading the young adults, is bringing a team of 40 young Israelis to the USA for the Messiah Conference in Pennsylvania (traveling June 30-July11).  Pray for the team for all the good goals to met and for safe travels.  These aren’t just vacations, these are leadership training journeys.

The Jerusalem Institute of Justice is gearing up to supply 2,000 backpacks full of school supplies to needy children in the coming school year.  This is one of the humanitarian projects these Messianic attorneys do in addition to their legal case “safeguarding civil rights and freedom of religion in the nation of Israel.”  Read more inside the Weekly Summary.

David Lazarus of Beit Immanuel  in Jaffa writes this week about their ministry to the poor and needy of the city, the summer children’s camps and one of their talented young leaders who is producing an animated movie production called “God is Kidding” that features interviews with children from 4-10 about their perceptions of God.  (There is still time to get in on the interviews which are all in Hebrew). Read more inside the Weekly Summary. 

You have no doubt heard from many sources that rockets have been launched from Gaza into the western Negev – one was a direct hit on an Israeli school although thankfully no children were inside at the time.  Continue to pray for those living in the area surrounding Gaza as rockets are shot wildly into Israel.  With all the internal chaos in Egypt and Syria, everyone in Israel is set on edge. 

Eddie Santoro of the Ahavat Yeshua congregation talks about the Egyptian election of a Muslim Brotherhood candidate as President.  Santoro writes, “If the Muslim Brotherhood wins this battle, the peace treaty that has been operative for 36 years will probably be torn up and the formerly quiet border between Israel and Egypt could degenerate into a state of tension, terror and ultimately, war…. The daily tension that is felt by so many in Israel is a byproduct of the spiritual and physical war that rages against the very existence of Israel. And the conflict will only get more heated as the return of the Lord draws ever closer.”

Yeshi (Jesse) Reinhardt also files a report “from Rocket-City Israel” – Sde’rot.  He writes, “Upon hearing the loud blare of the incoming-rocket siren or ‘red alert’ the question immediately rises, “Where is the nearest shelter…and can I possibly make it in 15 short seconds, especially, running with small children”? This is the painful reality thousands of Israelis must now live through.”

What would happen if half the Christians and Messianics in the world actively involved in Israel  began to place an emphasis on the Body of Messiah in Israel, and how to assist them in reaching their families and neighbors with the gospel?  It would mean that instead of emphasizing the political and war threats, the focus would have to shift from what the devil was doing to what the LORD is doing in Israel.  Selah.

That would require trusting God to protect Israel while our efforts are geared toward the harvest.  Not that we don’t pray about security situations but it just means those prayers do not dominate the spiritual needs in prayer.

Urgent HEALING Needs: Life and Death is in the power of the tongue

Please keep in prayer the Israeli believers who are fighting for their lives or other urgent health needs: 

Pray for God’s complete healing of Uzi, Meir, Bob, Fruma and Katya and Rivka (an elderly member suffering severe back problems)  at Maoz Ministries, Sofie Benson in Carmel/House of Victory, Ariela in Arad and Brookie in the Galilee.  Tom, Nataly and Larissa who have all recently been diagnosed with cancer in Carmel.  Pray also for Kay Wilson suffering from PTSD after surviving a stabbing terrorism attack that her friend did not survive.  Continue to pray for baby Netaley who is rehabilitating well but has been released to go home finally. Her rehab will continue daily on an on-patient basis.  Also for Ariela who has undergone radical cancer treatment and needs prayer for regaining her strength because not being able to work, she is hardly able to pay bills and everyday needs.   

Inside the
Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests from Israeli Ministries
Arrows from Zion can be shared freely & we’ve included an attachment in a Word document to make it easy to print, but we ask the Weekly Summaries not be forwarded or information republished with consent of the specific ministries. By subscription only, write israelprayerdotcom@gmail.com or donna@d10r10.com

Israeli Ministries on Tours

BOOKING meetings now (See open dates)  Inside the attached Weekly Summary are itineraries and open dates for Arni Klein /Emmaus Way; David and Josie Silver/Out of Zion; Lura & Eddie Beckford/ The King’s Men; Kobi & Shani Ferguson/ Yeshua Israel Ministries;  Carolyn & Richard Hyde/ Heart of God Ministries; Brian & Rachaeli Slater/Chosen People Ministries; Joel Jelski/Bound for Life, Be’ad Chaim (prolife) and Succat Hallel.

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