WEEKLY Arrows from Zion 12/4/2013

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

Priority Prayer Focus Dec 4, 2013

" Behold, there was a man in Yerushalayim whose name was Shim`on; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Yisra'el, and the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) was on him.

It had been revealed to him by the Ruach HaKodesh that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. He came in the Spirit into the temple.

When the parents brought in the child, Yeshua, that they might do concerning him according to the custom of the law, then he received him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, "Now you are releasing your servant, Master, According to your word, in shalom;

"For my eyes have seen your yeshu`ah, (salvation)
Which you have prepared before the face of all peoples;
A light for revelation to the Goyim, And the glory of your people Yisra'el."
Luke 2:25-32 

"Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, will say your God. Speak consolation unto the heart of Jerusalem; and call unto her, that her appointed time is fulfilled, that her iniquity is atoned for, because she hath received from the hand of the Lord twofold for all her sins."  Isaiah 40:1-2

We are His feet.  He through those He indwells, are the consolation of Israel – sent to comfort them in His salvation.

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

Dov Bikas of Aviv Ministry in Beer Sheva and Tel Aviv, relates the ministry they are seeing to two people written of in Luke 8:41-56.  As in those days, Bikas writes, “Many people we minister to come from completely anti-Christian backgrounds. Under normal circumstances they would have never turned to a Christian ministry for help. And when they come to us, they do so after having tried many other options, for which they spent a lot of money. But nothing has healed them.”

From drug addict on the streets of Tel Aviv to saved & delivered to serving as director of the Aviv Center, this ministry is changing lives.  Currently they have 5 men living in their Beer Sheva rehab and Bikas asks prayers for volunteers to operate it.  Having lost their rental home in Yavne, the Bikas family has decided to move into Beer Sheva where the ministry is growing and where they have many friends.  Pray for their smooth transition and all challenges to be resolved.

Israel Pochtar of the Beit Hallel congregation in Ashdod recently had the Caleb Company (Don Finto and Tod McDowel) of Tennessee in to help their ministry support holocaust survivors in Ashdod.  This group of holocaust survivors had published a book of 300 of their brief life stories and testimonies of surviving the Holocaust.  They have been trying to raise the funds to have the book translated into Hebrew and published for distruibution in Israeli schools.  One of the brothers from Caleb Company group heard they needed $8,000 more to complete the project and immediately wrote a check for it. The survivors were so touched by the Christian generosity. 

This is a perfect example of the point we are always trying to make with these prayer summaries.  Most of the donations that Christians make toward Israel go through sources or channels that actually steal the glory from Israel’s Messiah.  When we give to Israeli ministries who bless in the name of Yeshua, the glory all goes to the Messiah.  The indwelling love of Jesus is visible to the recipient of the blessing.

Eddie Santoro gives an exhortation to all who believe to “shine as stars in the sky as we hold firmly to the word of life” in the midst of this battle between dark and light that is raging.  In their congregation Ahavat Yeshua in Jerusalem, they are reviewing the past and preparing for the new year ahead.  They ask for prayer for all their leaders, and also “pray that people would now be more encouraged to commit in a deeper way to the congregation. Pray that the values put forth would be embraced by many and that the fruit of this meeting would be a deeper unity of heart and purpose as we press on together.”

Eddie also talks about Revive Israel, which is the apostolic ministry of Asher Intrater and his team, which Santoro is also a part of.  For the past 8 years the ministry meets each morning five days a week for prayer, intercession, worship, ministry and teaching.  Sometimes it is only the team but often visitors from the nations participate.  Eddie writes that recently over 60 people from the nations attended from South Korea, China, Brazil, Holland, Austria and the United States.  Truly, this is what the LORD spoke of when He cited Isaiah 56:7 “Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations."

In Tiberias, the Morning Star Fellowship led by Claude and Michelle Ezagouri are praising the Lord for young people who were recently baptized in their congregation.  There is something wonderful stirring among the youth in the Galilee – which is also being accompanied by multi-congregational worship meetings.  Pray over these young and these worshippers.  They are also praising God for a new municipal government – mayor and city council.  The Tiberias area is a heavily populated area for ultra-Orthodox religious Jews, which apply pressure to believers.  It really helps when the city government is more secular –meaning more even handed in decisions.  Local governments have a huge impact on how groups like Messianic Jews are treated when it comes to things like building permits and other similar issues.  Pray for favor for the believers, not only in Tiberias but throughout Israel.

In the Arad Hebrew Mercy of Yeshua congregation led by Yo-yakim Figueras, the city government has foiled every attempt of the congregation to find a meeting place after they were forbidden to continue meeting in their home. (Yad L’Achim has been relentless in harassing the believers in Arad and cause undue influence on the city government.)  The congregations writes, “Our three year fruitless search for a meeting place has aroused sympathy in some of the secular community, and as we shared last time, led a couple of young women to do a film project. That project became part of a local news broadcast, shown in Arad during prime time. Pray with us that many people who saw the program (and will continue to see it as we post it on various social media) will be touched.”

The congregation continues to take the challenges of being congregationally-homeless to find inventive ways of using it to their ministry advantage – like taking more field trips, especially for the youth.  They are especially interested to invest time and resources into their young people including participation in intensive discipleship for young people just leaving their IDF service.

In other news from Arad, Lura and Eddie Beckford note that one of the men from the congregation has been notified that his citizenship is under investigation after having lived in Israel for 20 years!  His wife has been told to leave Israel within 2 weeks. 

Lura writes, “Next week, we have an appointment with the Interior Ministry about Eddie’s status.  Last year, they told us they are investigating my citizenship & for that reason, they refused to return Eddie’s permanent I.D. Card & instead he needs to go through a year to year process.  So we are also going through a long-term process.  We still owe the lawyers over $3000.  Thank the Lord and bless them for their patience.  This is part of the plan of the Haredim (ultra-orthodox Jews) to get the believers in Yeshua out of Israel.  Accusative letters to the government, then the believers have to hire lawyers and it becomes a long, drawn-out process.  Some are so far in debt, that they become discouraged & give up and move out of Israel.  “This is one reason, why Christian support needs to be directed toward the believers instead of generic giving to bless Israel through unbelieving charities.”

Ron Cantor and Asher Intrater share this enlightening article called The Mystery of the Hanukkah Menorah

Revive Israel share about a radio interview with Yo-Yakim, a Messianic leader from Arad and Opher Caradi, a deputy in the religious Shas party in Beer Sheva, who were interviewed together on a southern Israel radio station.  The Shas man went ballistic against Yeshua and Revive writer Aviram Eldar notes, “From that point the interviewer became favorable towards Yo-Yakim because of his kind and respectful approach. In the end Yo-Yakim was given more time to defend his beliefs and explained, ‘We share our faith with other people and give them a chance to make their own decision.’  Pray that many Israelis would seek out the truth about Yeshua for themselves.”

Revive also brought this message from Paul Wilbur:  “This past spring I had the privilege of being appointed as the new executive director of the International Messianic Jewish Alliance. The IMJA is a well-established ministry that has roots and fruits in more than 20 nations. I feel that my new mission is to make the IMJA a valuable tool in assisting the national alliances, and to be a voice for unity in the greater body of Messiah.  Asher and I have been close friends for more than 30 years. We met recently with Hanan Lukats, president of the Israeli Alliance (where Asher also serves on the board of directors), to discuss possibilities for mutual cooperation in the future.  Pray for much fruit in both the International and Israeli Messianic Jewish Alliances.”

Evan Levine, who is also about to be ordained as a Deacon in the Ahavat Yeshua congregation where he serves as worship leader, writes about a wonderful investment opportunity in the Messianic outreach through the HaTikva Project. They want to open a Jerusalem Dental Clinic that will employ Messianic believers and treat both the Messianic believers with a substantial discount – as well as outreach in the community at the same reduced rates.  Israel has socialized medicine, but no dental and this is a major need we have heard about for years among the believers there.  You can find out more inside the attached Weekly Summary – and email Evan for the detailed Prospectus. 

HaTikva Project also shares the story of one of the believers they have been able to help recently – and this is so important because MOST Christian donations to Israel completely by-pass the believers but HaTikvah Project is reversing the priority in their own distribution of aid.  The situation of “V” who fell into financial difficulty through no fault of his own, is repeated many times over in the body of Messiah in Israel.  This is such a worthy outfit to support.

Brian Slater is also rejoicing over the stirring of the Spirit they are seeing in their outreaches in Netanya, both among the holocaust survivors and the city’s needy.  The do hot dinners weekly, food and clothing distribution – and more and more are coming for prayer for healing especially.  Brian writes, “Last week it was a short line of people waiting for prayer, this week it was pockets of people praying to receive Yeshua at the same time. I have to pinch myself into reality, that this is FOR REAL, THANKS to your prayers and encouragement.”

Today is the last day of the Hanukkah Katzir (Harvest) Camp which is led by Eitan Shishkoff of the Tents of Mercy congregations in the Haifa Bay region.  Their theme this year is “Dedication” and they were expecting 90-100 young people from approximately 20 Israeli congregations.  We are too late to pray for the pre and mid-camp needs, so let us pray over the good seeds that were planted among all the hearts involved. That God will bless and cause those seeds to grow up and flourish to produce mighty fruit.

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: 

• Tom Bender Tom’s wife, Ronit asked us to please request Israelprayer intercessors to please increase their prayers “for my Tom who is in the battle of his life.” A miracle can still happen, so we ask that you continue to bring us both before the Throne Room of Grace. Pray that the tumor will shrink and die. Thanks for standing with us at this time. 
• Four elder ministry leaders in Israel, I learned this week, are dealing with Parkinson’s which is a neurological syndrome.  Since they have not shared this information, I will just ask for you to please pray for them each to be able to continue to live normal lives, and for the hand of the LORD to bless them with healing.
• Howard Bass in Beer Sheva asks prayers for Ester S., Olavi's wife, is in a late stage of cancer, and has also fallen this week and broken her left hip, immobilizing her, further hampered by a lung infection.  It is a very trying time for Olavi, but, thankfully, they are both full of faith and hope, and their two daughters in Israel are a great help to them.
• Harvest of Asher asks continued prayer for Elena. Hallelujah Elena is still on her feet and getting stronger. What an encouragement to see her at the service on Friday wearing her beautiful smile. thank you for keeping her in your prayers. They also ask prayer for M. who is still in need of prayer for her physical condition.  Continued prayer for Marina's health. Pray for a miracle for the hearing loss and discomfort she is experiencing in her ears. Pray for Peace as she is currently not able to participate in the worship service as she has for so many years on the keyboard.
• 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.
• 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 their website of the latest round of laser surgeries on Ami’s scarring in this issue.

Inside the subscription only
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

Teaching Articles

“SHE DID NOT CONSIDER HER DESTINY”
By David Davis

Based on Lamentation 1:9, this article discusses how “The catastrophe of Jerusalem occurred because of the blatant, arrogant rejection and disobedience to God’s holy word.  … Today we are witnessing the leaders of the United States systematically tearing down the Judeo-Christian foundations of that nation.  …|  The Maccabean victory is commemorated by the Feast of Dedication, Hanukkah” 
     Continue reading inside the Weekly Summary.

Praying the Headlines

First there was a huge uproar in the USA in some Jewish circles when the Messianic Jewish Bible Institute featured former President George W Bush as the keynote speaker for its annual fund raising event in Dallas.  While that was going on, Jews for Jesus were conducting their annual evangelism campaign, this time in the Negev Desert.  All had been going fairly well, with the level of opposition to them coming in about 2^nd or 3^rd in their 8 campaigns of the past.   That is until Yad L’Achim, perhaps goaded to take action because of the uproar being pushed by American anti-messianic activists pushed the Israeli anti-missionaries into higher gear.  Even though it is perfectly legal, a Jews for Jesus man from the U.K was arrested by Beer Sheva police and sent to one of the prisons where those who are going to be deported are sent.  The man was released from prison but his lawyers were still fighting deportation at last word we received.  Inside the Weekly Summary are reports out of Israel on both news stories.

Israeli Ministries on Tours

BOOKING meetings now (See open dates)  Inside the subscription only Weekly Summary are itineraries and open dates for Sally Shiff of HaMaayan Congregation; and Carolyn & Richard Hyde of Heart of God Ministries.

Donna Diorio 
 arrowsfromzion@gmail.com or donna@d10r10.com
 
 Israel Watcher – A Second Opinion   Mostly political or current events commentary
| Fruit of the Fig Tree   Spiritual insights 

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.