WEEKLY Arrows from Zion 4/24/2013

Arrows from Zion
Serving the Body of Messiah in Israel since August 2001 
& Strategically Aimed for the Lord’s Harvest in Israel

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or make check to Donna Diorio PO Box 111302 Carrollton TX 75006
I do not have tax exempt status.

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Priority Prayer Focus

To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. Proverbs 21:3

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?  Micah 6:8

The opposite of doing the justice and righteousness of the Lord is the spirit of the world which is a compromising spirit. It will compromise with anything to have comfort, peace and safety. That is what we are seeing in so many of our leaders who are compromising the truth and justice to have a little temporary, elusive peace.  They are blinded to the things that make for peace, and are compromising our future through unjust positions.

Pray for good men who will honor the Word of God and stand up for justice even when the prevailing wind is a spirit of compromise.

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

Eddie Santoro of Ahavat Yeshua congregation starts our thoughts on the just recent past holidays in Israel from as Israel memorialized their dead from the Holocaust, then from those who died in wars and terror attacks and finally, the 65^th anniversary of the formation of the modern State of Israel.  Santoro notes that will Israel mourned their dead from terror attacks and wars with Islamist nations, in Boston Americans were shocked by a vicious terrorist attack that killed three young people and severely wounded dozens more.  Knowing the grief of so many Israeli families who have suffered through losses in similar attacks as the Boston Marathon attack, Santoro echoed the shock and grief that many Israeli ministries have expressed towards Americans. 

Santoro writes:  “In this day, America and Israel are pressed together as they take their place in the battle against these dark forces.  … both nations are prime targets for the fundamentalist radicals that are so committed to destroying all that is good and blessed. We praise God for the partnership between America and Israel and in our own lives feel this reality very deeply, as we share citizenship in both nations. From a heartfelt place of grief and sadness, we share in your grief and join you with our prayers.”

Continuing: “As we labor to build the local body in Israel, we know that we are doing far more than seeing individuals being saved and established in their faith.  Deep in our hearts we understand that we are also setting the stage for the return of Yeshua and the establishment of his wonderful Kingdom. It is no wonder that the enemy is angry. Yesterday's attack in Boston was just one more expression of his wrath as the Day of the Lord draws near.  We are humbly grateful for your participation with us as we labor to see this final chapter of human history reach its awesome climax. The history of this nation is long and great; its contribution to the well being of humanity has been incredible, and yet we are certain that what lies before us will be unparalleled in the history of the world.”

The Ahavat Yeshua congregation asks prayer over the new babies and new marriages going on in their congregational family.  Also ask pray over the leadership couples who are being developed within them and the team that is already in place.

Carried over from last week, Arni Klein of Emmaus Way writes about his prophetic sense from the recent Obama visit to Israel, noting two unusual events that took place as Obama was heading to the airport to return to America.  The  six-ton Presidential limo (named “the Beast”) broke down and had to be towed, and then a final departure ceremony had to be canceled by “a sand storm of unusual dimension arose, seemingly coming out of nowhere”.  Klein also speaks about the contract of honor shown the President in Israel versus the lack of honor show the Israeli Prime Minister while in the U.S.   You can read Arni’s insights inside the attached Weekly Summary.

The Shemen Sasson congregation in Jerusalem, the one that was founded by John Myers, the father of Calev Myers of the Jerusalem Institute of Justice, is now being team led by Calev Myers, Baruch Lieberman and Marcel Rebiai.  John Myers  has returned to the United States to serve as a spokesman for the important work of JIJ in U.S. churches and ministries.  If you would like John to share you can contact for speaking dates at 1-866-545-1542.  John will have plenty to share, between the defense of Israeli Messianic believers and the international activism on the part of Israel.

Meanwhile at the Jerusalem congregation Shemen Sasson is pretty excited about the release of their worship DB “Yigdal Adonai” (Great is the Lord).  You can hear it online here.  Inside the Weekly Summary is a report on a night of worship the congregation held for Arabic and Hebrew youth to fellowship.  They had 300 young people come together.  Other projects is the new Potter’s House home where discipleship and mentoring is going on in a home environment.  Also Art from the Kitchen is “a course teaching basic cooking techniques in a warm and welcoming home environment for our congregation members to bring friends and family to hear about the Lord.”

Shemen Sasson asks prayer for their outreach projects, that the Lord would bring unbelievers to participate, and for the spiritual growth of the congregational members.

Maoz Ministries, Ari and Shira Sorko-Ram, talk about their book publishing, translating the best of discipiling books to Hebrew for the Israeli congregations.  They write, “Israelis have grown up in a climate of hedonism. Anything goes! For most, the only thing they know about “religion” is strict tradition and the generally harsh character of Orthodox Judaism - a faith that most Israelis reject.  Becoming a believer in Israel is a whole new world. Not only is there much to learn and absorb, but much to unlearn.”

Maoz bookstands are in 24 Israeli congregations and Bible bookstores in Israel and this is a worthy project that really benefits many in the Body in Israel.  You can find out how to contribute to this project inside the Weekly Summary. 

Orna Greenman of A Sign and A Wonder writes this month about some of the women who are finding freedom through forgiveness in their ministry workshop through the Tabernacle.  Also some challenges they are facing with the loss of a couple of key team members.  Pray for these women who are doing the hidden work of mending broken lives through close discipiling.

Asher Intrater’s Revive Israel Ministry is participating this week in their international board meeting with Dan Juster (Tikkun Ministries), Eitan Shishkoff (Ohalei Rachamim), David Rudolph (Gateways Beyond), Tod McDowell (Caleb Company), Paul Wilbur (Worship Ministries), David McQueen (Beltway Church) and Todd Westphal (El Shaddai).  We meet once a year, along with our younger leadership teams, for relationship building, mutual accountability, and strategy discussions.  Pray for fruitful times together.

Also asking for international participation with the Revive Israel Shavuot “all-night prayer and fasting on the eve of Pentecost (Shavuot). Congregations and prayer houses within Israel will be joining with us with one heart in one accord (Acts 1:14) for 12 hours from 10:00 PM to 10:00 AM (Israeli time), May 14-15. We will be interceding for the fulfillment of the promise for a worldwide revival in the end times (Acts 2:17). Prayer groups from around the world will be joining us on internet and live stream. Praise sets and prayer topics, as well as internet connections, will be sent in the coming weeks.”

Israel Pochtar reports that ultra-Orthodox persecution which had dropped off recently is back again against their congregations and members.  Recently the congregation administrator were confronted by two imposing large religious men shouting, taking their pictures and invading personal space as a means of intimidation.  Somehow the Ashdod police were not eager to see “members of a messianic sect” as victims.  Pochtar writes: “We've filed dozens of complaints already with the local police, nothing was ever investigated, and no charges were ever filed against our persecutors, despite us having proof and photographs of them breaking the law.”

Pray for the ministries of Israel Pochtar, and for all the Israeli ministries who find themselves in the crosshairs of religiously targeted intimidation, harassment and persecution.  It is a fact that the local police forces are the first road roadblock to protect the believers in Israel from injustices.  When local law enforcement does not uphold the rights of all citizens equally, it means a long hard road for justice to be carried out.

In fact, since reading the one line regarding the U.S. State Department Annual Human Rights Report by Countries, I have been wondering is the surprising last minute change of the judges in the Jack Teitel case could have been influenced by what was about to be reported by the State Dept in this report.  The goodwill of Christians is necessary to Israel.  Seeing this line - “On January 17, a court convicted Jack Teitel on two counts of murder and attempted murder for attacks in 2008 and earlier against Palestinians and Messianic Jews.”  I wondered what would have run if the Israeli courts had NOT held Teitel accountable for the attempted murder of the Messianic family if it had not reversed at the last minute a deal the prosecutor cut with Teitel’s lawyers to drop those indictments from the charges.

Lots of Israel-supporting Christians are afraid of any type of criticism of Israel, but let’s face it, our loyalty belongs to God and His justice certainly includes the protection of the rights of the Israeli followers of Yeshua!  If you have a problem with this statement, then you do not belong on this mailing list.

Speaking of which, we want to remind our subscribers of the request from David and Leah Ortiz who asked last week for a letter writing campaign on Ami’s behalf.  Letters would appeal to the Minister of Defense who has denied Israel’s recognition of the terror bomb that nearly killed Ami as being a terror attack.  Why? The rationalization being that a Jew cannot commit a terror attack against another Jew. Since when is an IED placed on a family doorstep for religious reasons not a terror attack?  Read more, including a sample email letter at A REQUEST for INTERVENTION & PRAYER

Yo-Yakim and Debbie Figeuras took their congregation on a bus tour of the local biblical sites, and you can enjoy some of their photos inside the Weekly Summary.  There are some interesting sites like the ancient ruins of Tel Arad, and did you know that when Abigail went out to meet David as he came from Nabal tending sheep in Carmel, that the Carmel spoken of was the Carmel in the Negev, not in the Haifa region?  Neither did I!  Isn’t it wonderful to live in the Land of the Bible, where even the citizens of the nation can take dozens of bus tours and see the places all around them where the Bible stories unfolded in real life!

The Figeuras congregation, Hasdey Yeshua (Mercy of Yeshua) is only about 25-minutes from the seaside resorts of Dead Sea which attracts many people seeking healing and relief at the therapeutic Salt Sea.  At the prompting of the Lord, they are now going regularly to minister real spiritual healing and life to the seekers.  Pray for new life to emerge from the dead sea.

One thousand needy families were blessed with food in the month of March by the HaTikva Project which is directed in Jerusalem by Evan Levine.  They have a short video of the outreach online.  Evan and his family will be spending a month and a half of travel in the U.S. this summer.  As Evan writes, this travel for all the Israeli ministries “is absolutely critical for developing and maintaining a strong support base.”  When Israeli ministries are in your area, make an extra effort to get out to see them in person and let them know you are praying for them too.

Joel Jelski, another young Israeli in ministry, is also preparing to be married in 3 months.  (Mazel tov!) Soon after the wedding, the annual Elav conference brought by Succat Hallel will be in full swing. Joel is a key player in the youth conference, and also in leadership of the youth at Ahavat Yeshua congregation in Jerusalem (led by Asher Intrater and Eddie Santoro).

Pray for all the young Israeli men and women who have stepped into leadership roles in the ministries of Israel.   May the LORD watch over them, protect them and cause them to be excellent in virtue and character.  May they be a blessing to the generation upon whose shoulders they stand and to those they minister to in the generations they are reaching out to.

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: 

Urgent request from Brian Slater in Netanya for a faithful volunteer in his ministry 73-yr old Nerris.  Please pray for Neriyah, a Chosen People minister in Bat Yam who desperately needs a kidney transplant. He has a donor, but due to some compatibility issues, Neriyah is undergoing treatments now that they hope will remove the compatibility issues.  Pray for the treatments to be successful.   Guy Cohen in Acco reports that the congregant he requested urgent prayer for has been found to have 2 more tumors, one in the lung and one in the uterus. Please pray for this lady and her family, as she just had a tumor removed from her brain.   Please continue to intercede for Katya Morrison at Tents of Mercy recovering from bone marrow transplant for Acute Myeloid Leukemia and a second round of chemo following the transplant; Brookie and Tom both in the Galilee are believing for victory over cancer in Carmel.  Brookie’s pastor wrote: We all know that in the natural she is not long for this world, the cancer has invaded her body, liver, pancreas, bones, ovaries....but they are crying out in one accord for God to heal Brookie anyway. Pray for Ami Ortiz for ongoing issues from the bomb blast – and that he would win the appeal for government recognition that he is a terror victim.  It would mean benefits for the continuing surgeries and legal expenses; Ariel of Succat Hallel; Elise Levine suffering from mysterious and debilitating leg pain for over a year.  Pray for Kay Wilson still suffering from PTSD after surviving a stabbing terrorism attack that her friend did not survive.   Keep Baby Netaley’s full recovery in your prayers.  Pray for Pastor Najeeb’s hand – that he will not have to have finger tips amputated after having a car door shut on them.

Praying the Headlines

Calev Myers and the Jerusalem Institute of Justice participating in international meetings to count the Palestinian Human Rights Week campaign to promote disinvestment against Israel.   Article inside on the Toronto and Helsiki meetings.  Also, you can follow JIJ and Calev Myers on Facebook כלב מאיירס - Calev Myers and Jerusalem Institute of Justice

Inside the 
Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests from Israeli Ministries
Arrows from Zion can be shared freely.  Just copy and paste this email into a Word document to make it easy to print.  However, we ask the Weekly Summaries not be forwarded or information republished without consent of the specific ministries. The Weekly Summary is by subscription only, write arrowsfromzion@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 of Emmaus Way; Guy Cohen of Harvest of Asher Congregation;  Evan Levine of HaTikva Project; and Carolyn & Richard Hyde of Heart of God Ministries.

Donna Diorio 
 arrowsfromzion@gmail.com or donna@d10r10.com
 
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If you appreciate the efforts of this ministry to share both the  challenges and the great things God is doing among the Israeli indigenous ministries, please pray about making a financial gift donation.  Make donations payable to the order of Donna Diorio and mail to:
Israel Prayer  P O Box 111302 Carrollton, Texas 75006
Or click on the PayPal account:  donna@israelprayer.com
I do not have tax exempt status.