WEEKLY Arrows from Zion 9 18 2013

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

Donations: PayPal acct is donna@israelprayer.com
   

Priority Prayer Focus Sept 18, 2013

The Feasts of the Lord are Divine appointments for Israel and the latter Feasts deal specifically with the season we are living in at this time – the time when God is re-grafting Israel back into her own olive tree. The apostle Paul wrote, "...how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?"  What is it that Paul says must take place for this re-grafting to take place?  “…if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.”
 
What is the specific unbelief that Paul identified as cutting them off?  It is the faith in Yeshua - nothing else!  "And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob"

Let us pray in agreement with all the believers in Israel who have been re-grafted into Israel’s olive tree – that tree of faith in Yeshua that is the direct family link to God. 
Put yourself in the place of each of these Israeli believers who are in deep longing for the salvation of their family members, their friens, their neighbors – indeed all Israel. 

This is an appointed season, the Feast of Tabernacles or Ingathering, when the Holy Spirit is opening spiritual eyes of Jews, and the spiritual brethren of Yeshua, the believers are planting seeds of the gospel wherever they may, that in due season will reap the expected harvest of faith in Messiah Yeshua.  Pray for these things. Don’t think it is something for tomorrow, salvation is always for today.   

Arrows from Zion
Strategically Aimed for the Lord’s Harvest in Israel

Many good insights into Israeli Messianic thinking on Yom Kippur inside this issue of the subscription-only Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests from Israeli Ministries; also one excellent article from Ron Cantor on the abuse of this holiest day of the Feasts of the LORD that he witnessed on Christian TV.  This is a word to course correct manipulative donation appeals. 

Cantor writes:  “To be clear, it is not my calling to police ministries around the world. It is enough to keep our own house in order. But as a Messianic Israeli ministry, I felt that this was one case in which I had to speak up—a case where the most sacred day of the Hebrew calendar has been turned into a Madison Avenue, money-making scheme.”  Read the full article here

On the Messianic view of Yom Kippur, Israel Pochtar of Beit Hallel, sent photos of children riding their bikes on the freeways of Israel and noted, “The whole nation is so aware of the importance of this day that even such secular city like Tel Aviv is immersed in fasting and praying.” 

If you know anything about Tel Aviv, Israel’s sin-city where anything and everything goes, you have to be startled with the deep-seated awareness and fear of God this reveals.  THAT is the evidence that God has reserved a place within the Jewish people that is the foothold of the Messiah.  (Would the sin cities of your nation come to a full stop on a religious holiday, or would the sinners continue on as a regular day?)

Pray for the Jewish people. The Feasts of the LORD are specific seasons of God’s dealing with Jews, so we can know that spiritual things happened during Yom Kippur and this week as Messianic Jews will be having family, friends and neighbors in to share meals in the succah.  Pray that all the openings of heart to the LORD, and the seeds of faith in Yeshua will break forth into new life to be fed with the steady, pure Word of the LORD.  For lives to cross over from the temporal to the eternal.

Asher Intrater, of Revive Israel ministries writes of Yom Kippur:  “At the end of Yom Kippur we sound one long shofar blast (Leviticus 25:9). This is equivalent to the "last trumpet" (Isaiah 27:13, Matthew 24:31, I Corinthians 15:52, I Thessalonians 4:16). [It should not be confused with the Feast of Trumpets, 10 days before, which is connected to the 7 trumpets of Jericho and the 7 trumpets of Revelation.] The last trumpet on Yom Kippur is the sign of the Second Coming. It will occur during the great end times' war when an international coalition of nations will attack Israel (Ezek. 38-39; Zech 12-14; Rev 19:11-21). In Israel this day already has a deep emotional association with a disastrous war because of the Yom Kippur War of 1973, when the nation came close to being annihilated by the invading armies. The Yom Kippur War of 1973 was a prophetic foreshadow of the greater Yom Kippur War yet to come.”

Eddie Santoro of Ahavat Yeshua congregation writes of Yom Kippur:  “Jews will fill synagogues seeking forgiveness for their sins of the past year and his blessings and mercy for the year that stands before them. Even as they earnestly fast and pray, the very scriptures that they read declare the futility of their efforts. As it is written;  “the life is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar. It is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.” (Leviticus 17:11) Sadly, as they gather in their synagogues, there is no altar and there is no blood and so according to God's own word, there can be no forgiveness.”  Except through Yeshua – this is why the testimony of Messianic Jews in Israel is so crucial in this season of the salvation of Israel!

Is there something greater that should interest us in Israel?  I don’t think so!  Some are only interested in the plans of the rabbis for the rebuilding of the Temple of bricks and stones; they can’t be bothered by the SPIRITUAL TEMPLE that Yeshua is building in Israel.  Go figure that one out!  We are not of that crowd! What God is doing in Israel is the FAR MORE exciting venture to watch and support.

Recently the new facility in Haifa for the Return to Zion congregation (Leon Mazin) took place with the five leaders of the congregations in the Tents of Mercy network (Eitan Shishkoff) came to speak a blessing over the new sanctuary.   Eitan wrote of looking out over the fruit of his life’s work in the crowded new sanctuary and being struck with the wonder of what has come forth from the home Bible study he began in 1994.  Now RTZ is one of 5 congregations in the Tents network along with include Kiryat Yam (Avishalom Tekle) and Haifa (Leon Mazin), Nazareth Ilit (Vakif Chasanov), Akko (Guy Cohen), and Poriya Ilit (Eric Morey).   Life-producing fruit is what we see as this generation has replicated a new generation of spiritual leaders to carry the ministry future forward.  Praise God!

Shishkoff asks for these prayer points which are so suitable for all the Messianic congregations of Israel:

 
1. That His mercy would flow out upon us and more congregations be established.
2. That, in places where Messianic Jews once gathered, we would again come together in true unity
3. That the fear of the Lord would characterize our movement in Israel and draw the children of Israel.
4. That in the fullness of God’s Spirit, our sons and daughters would prophesy and that dreams and visions would come to our old men and young men (with wisdom to apply them!).

Pray for the Messianic youth of Israel who have a key role in showing the Messiah to their peers.  In Israel it is against the law for adults to minister to those under the age of 18. The same is not true for young believers also under the age of 18.  Think about it – the enemy of our souls does not take a hand’s off approach to people under 18.  He attacks as soon as he can to steal, kill and destroy young people before they ever reach adulthood.  For this group, Messianic believing youth are in the front lines of youth salvation.  Sometimes they are pulling their friends from the very fire.  Pray for the Israeli Messianic youth – that they will “shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace” – given for a witness to Israel’s young.

Our friend Martin in Jerusalem writes of the “odd turn of events” when a rare 15th century Botticelli painting which was to be loaned for display in Israel by the Italians, was cancelled due to the regional tensions and threat of war with Syria.  The painting, The Annunciation of San Martino alla Scala, depicts the angel Gabriel announcing to a virgin Miriam (Mary) that she was to bear the Messiah.  Only the left-wing secular newspaper that plainly wrote what the painting depicted:  "The chef d'oeuvre portrays the announcement made by angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would be carrying the son of God."

The nations – the international church – may not be ready to make this announcement to Israel, but the Remnant of believer Israeli citizens is a testimony: "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (I John 4:10 NIV)

David Lazarus of Beit Immanuel encourages the faithful not to be sucked into “urgent warnings” about the situation in Syria and those whose spiritual rhetoric are “even prophesying that World War 3, Armeggedon and the final Messianic Kingdom are unfolding right here in front of our eyes on our flat screen television sets.”  He says, “It is foolish to allow the winds of wars, lies and false narratives to divert our attention away from what we need to be doing…."God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Be still and know that I am God.”  Read the rest inside the attached Weekly Summary.

Ruth Nessim in Nahariya has returned from her month in Great Britain where her hosts for the first week insisted on a proper restful vacation. Then Ruth continued on to meetings across the UK – sometimes with supporters who have been praying for the Nessim’s ministry since Bible school days, friends from 50 to 65 years.  The last week Ruth served as a translator for Christian Arab pastor Najeeb Atteih as they ministered in many churches.  Pray for Ruth and for all the elderly unbelievers that she has stood contending for in the faith – including many in her own Jewish family. 

Also pray for the Christian Arab believers in Israel – that God will anoint them to reach their people for the LORD Yeshua.

One Israeli ministry from an area with a highly concentrated religious population writes:  “The whole country is bracing up for the coming municipal elections in October.  … we have a delicate balance between the secular and the religious despite some efforts to bring many more orthodox people to the city. Please pray that the religious and orthodox will not get a threatening majority. Intercede for us to have good relations with any ruling coalition in the city hall. 

This applies all over Israel – and especially in those regions with high concentration of religious Jews where we have seen the most persecution of the Messianic faith over the years – like in the Negev and around the Galilee region, as well as Jerusalem.

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: 

•    Harvest of Asher asks prayer for Elena who is now been moved to another hospital-hospice and continues to receive treatment. Please pray for Elena and her daughter.  They also ask prayer for M. who had surgery not long ago and his system is going through many changes causing the need for various health issues to be addressed on a continuing basis. Please keep him in your prayers.
•    Please pray for the wife of Ariel Ben David, who leads an Eilat Congregation, and also for his worship leader, both of whom were recently diagnosed with breast cancer.
•    Please continue to intercede for Katya Morrison at Tents of Mercy. She has the good report of no leukemia in her latest extensive testing.  Prayers for her full recovery and victory over this disease is still needed. 
•    Tom Bender Please pray for the tumor in his lymph node to shrink and disappear; for his Achilles tendons and ankles to be healed from a goutish condition, so he can walk more freely. Both ankles have greatly improved in their mobility since our last report; and for no pain in the area of the enlarged lymph node..
•    Keep Baby Netaley’s full recovery in your prayers.
•    Pray for Ami Ortiz for ongoing issues from the 2008 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.  See Leah’s report on the latest round of laser surgeries on Ami’s scarring in this issue.

Teaching Articles

Televangelists Abusing the Day of Atonement—Yom Kippur
By Ron Cantor
Messiah’s Mandate and Tiferet Yeshua congregation in Tel Aviv

On Friday afternoon, just before we ate our last meal before Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, I was doing something that I rarely do: Watching Christian TV. Don’t get me wrong, I love the word of God, but I have come to the place where I can rarely get through a Christian Television program without feeling like I am being manipulated.

 Far be it from me to throw out the baby with the bathwater. I know there are many godly men and women using television and media to advance the kingdom of God. But there are also many who abuse their audience, twisting God’s word, offering false promises of blessing in exchange for sending in a financial offering.

I sat there dumbfounded as the host interviewed a mega-church pastor on the meaning of the Day of Atonement. He was about to make a case that giving them money on the Day of Atonement would guarantee a 7-Fold, Double Portion Blessing! Where did he get this idea? He concludes, with revelatory flair, that because there is the mention of Trumpets and Fasting in Joel 2, the prophet was referring to the Day of Atonement.

To be clear, it is not my calling to police ministries around the world. It is enough to keep our own house in order. But as a Messianic Israeli ministry, I felt that this was one case in which I had to speak up—a case where the most sacred day of the Hebrew calendar has been turned into a Madison Avenue, money-making scheme.
Read the full article here

Israeli Ministries on Tours

BOOKING meetings now (See open dates)  Inside the attached Weekly Summary are itineraries and open dates for Kobi Ferguson Jerusalem-Yeshua Israel Ministries;  Sean Steckbeck  Jerusalem-Simeon’s Cry Ministries; Eitan Bar and Stefan Silver Haifa One for Israel/Israel College of the Bible; and Sally Shiff Kfar Saba- HaMaayan Congregation

The Israeli Messianic Marketplace  Feature of the Week
 

The Caspari Media Review translates and summarizes a glowing recommendation of the Messianic Yad Hashmona Guest House & Meeting Facilities. The reviewer is a secular Israeli photographer.  Caspari Sourcing from: Olam HaTzilum, August 28, 2013

Photographer Shosh Lahav writes a glowing review of the hotel accommodation at Yad HaShmona, highly recommending it to her fellow photographers “because of its location and view, because of the log cabins and the sauna, because of the biblical garden and the atmosphere, because of the food and especially the brunch, and because of the service and kind attention.”

Lahav gives a brief history of this “unique” village, explaining that it was built in 1972 by Finnish people in commemoration of the eight Jewish refugees who fled to Finland during World War II and were handed over to the Gestapo in 1942. By the mid 1970s, the community there comprised both Finns and Israelis who are Messianic Jews.

Toward the end of her article, Lahav gives a brief description of the Messianic Jewish community, saying that they are “part of a religious stream based on evangelical Christian elements, at the center of which is the acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah of Israel described in the Old Testament and the ‘Son of God’ described in the New Testament.” Even though they consider themselves Jewish, they are not accepted as such by all the other Jewish streams. “It is estimated that there are between 10 and 15 thousand Messianic Jews in Israel today.” But, says Lahav, there’s no need to worry, since “at Yad HaShmona they do not preach their messianism and they do not attempt to convert anyone. All they want is to offer their guests hospitality fit for a king.”

[The Yad Hashmona Guest House & Meeting facilities support the only Messianic moshav (cooperative settlement) in Israel at this time. More are forming, but for now this is the place where Messicanics have put down their tent stakes as a community.  There are many benefits to this kind of community hub – one because children are able to grow up in close proximity to other children of believers.  Most of the families work outside of the community, so coming home from work is really a refuge for the Messianic families who live at Yad Hashmona.  Find out more here:  www.yad8.com ]