Friday, February 7, 2014

WEEKLY Arrows from Zion 2/5/2014


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



Priority Prayer Focus Feb 5, 2014

How beautiful upon the mountains
Are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who proclaims peace,
Who brings glad tidings of good things,
Who proclaims salvation,
Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Isaiah 52:7

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


Starting off with a correction: 
Last week I identified Ayelet Ronen, who is the director of Yad Hashmona Country Hotel and Moshav, as being the daughter of John Myers (and therefore Calev Myers’ sister).  But the real sister of Calev, daughter of John Myers wrote to let me know that, “while I have always thought of Ayelet as a sister, it isn’t actually true.”  Ayelet Ronen is actually the daughter of Arie Bar David, who is a native Israeli.  John Myers, who founded Shemen Sasson Congregation in Jerusalem actually immigrated from the U.S. in 1992.  Thanks for letting me know, Lydia Myers-Morgan of the Jerusalem Institute of Justice!  I have had my wires crossed on this for several years and truly appreciate you taking the time to let me know.  – Donna

This week we have many articles and few prayer letters per se from the Israeli Ministries.  There is still plenty of prayer fodder within the following articles.

A Messianic perspective from inside Israel is more significant to Christian supporters of the State of Israel than all the perspectives of all the traditional Judaism spokesmen, and all the religious or secular newsmen in the Promised Land.  Why?  Because only through Messianic Jewish Israelis can the news concerning Israel be filtered first through the wisdom and prophetic clarity of the Holy Spirit.  This is THE most significant factor of all! 

Eddie Santoro, who leads the Ahavat Yeshua congregation in Jerusalem, is one of the best of Israel's Messianic Jewish spiritual leaders in seeing and communicating what is important for the worldwide Body to consider from Israel's news. The News from Israel Feb 2014 - First the Bad News, Then the Good: 

170,000 Missiles are aimed at Israel and “every Israeli faces this common threat; at any moment a rain of death and destruction could suddenly fall upon them.”  It has been this way from the start of the state of Israel.  “God is on the move in Israel! His promise for the physical and spiritual restoration of this nation is being fulfilled in our day. We at Zion's Glory are on the front line of this battle and you, our brothers and sisters who love and support us are an important part of the force that is propelling us onward to victory.”

The good news is that the Good News is increasing the kingdom of the Lord in Israel
:  “The miraculous physical resurrection of the homeland of the Jewish people has also been marked by an equally amazing spiritual resurrection. . . . Today when I share the Good News of Yeshua with an unsaved Israeli, they usually not only understand the term "Messianic Jew" but even know someone who believes.”

A 1/30/14 Maariv article summarized by the Caspari Media Review from covers one of the greatest pitfalls, in my opinion, of Christians too zealously pursuing Jewish Roots.  In a 6-page article, the Hebrew newspaper reporter interviewed a group of former Christian Zionists who converted to Judaism and moved to Israel 

It has long been my position that Messianic congregations in the Diaspora need to make a much stronger, more vigilant case to the Christians who join Messianic congregations that we are to remain in our own callings (identities) as Jews or as Christians.  We are made one in Messiah, not in exchanging our cultural identities either toward Jews becoming as Gentile Christians or Gentile Christians becoming Jews.   

Over-emphasis of Jewish Roots has also resulted in some Messianic Jews losing their way, renouncing Yeshua and reverting back to traditional Judaism.  We should be PRO-Jewish roots and ANTI-losing faith in Yeshua!

Pray for greater clarity to come forth in Christian and Messianic Jewish camps about the beauty of our acceptance in the LORD with our diversity unscathed!  As men do not become women and women do not become men in order to be equal in the Lord, neither do Jew and Gentile.  We are meant to complement each other, not to become identical.

Howard Bass is one of two Israeli prayer letters we have to share this week that was not an article and I don’t think it is a coincidence that his short prayer letter dealt entirely with what is going on in his family as Randi helps out with the grandchildren as their daughter studies for a big exam and son-in-law travels outside the country.  Their son recently received his officer bar in the IDF, while another son studies in the U.K.  Another daughter is studying for her business taxation master’s program while also going through a program to help committed believers in Yeshua get settled in their work and calling.  All of their children are baptized and actively involved in Messianic congregations where they live.

Howard writes, “God knows that we need the generation of which they are part to remain 'at home' and help to build up the believing community at Yeshua's Inheritance.  God also knows what His own thoughts are about that, and we need to give our children to Him, not yet knowing what that might mean in practical ways for these next years.  Well, when I began this letter, I had something else in mind, but this is what came out!  Thank-you for upholding us with your prayers, and we appreciate your personal interest in our country, our congregation, our family, ourselves.  To God be the glory in Yeshua's/Jesus' name!”

No matter what else we are doing to reach our communities and world with the good news of Messiah Yeshua, our first ministry is to our own families.  Pray for the families of all the ministries of Israel – that the relationships would be healthy, strong and godly – full of love and ‘thick and thin’ commitment.  A blessing upon the families of Yeshua’s brothers and sisters in Israel.

The second non-article prayer letter we received this week, is fittingly from a Christian Arab couple who minister out of Haifa – Pastor Najeeb and Elizabeth Atteih.  Their entire focus in this prayer letter was the unexpected doors that opened to them in December to minister to little children, first in a Catholic school in Jenin and also in a Haifa hospital.  Being Baptists, they were a little surprised that a Catholic school run by nuns would be so open to allow them to come in with a spiritually-oriented program for children and equally surprised when the sisters asked them to return for “other festivals and Easter, and Mother’s Day!” 

At the Haifa hospital they did a Christmas visitation with both Muslim Arabs and also Jewish children.  They write,  One “Moslem father would not allow them to pray in the name of Jesus, but the mother intervened and insisted and so they were allowed to pray in His name for the child. Each child of course received a present.”  Two others in their ministry prayed for another child, this time Jewish.  “The mother wanted them to pray for her 10 year old son, E. They had a good talk and exchanged telephone numbers.  A few days ago the mother phoned and in tears told that her son E. was much better, and thanked them for praying for him. And they are still in touch. They can go once a month to visit the children, and we thank God for another open door.”

Whether Arab or Jew, Baptist or Messianic or Christian Jew – the truth is that God is touching lives throughout Israel with the Gospel.  Is there a better thing to pray for the people of Israel whether Jewish or Arab, who are lost and without hope in the world – until a servant of the Messiah shares out of the abundance of their hearts about Him?  Or prays for healing?  This is what it is about. 

How beautiful upon the mountains
Are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who proclaims peace,
Who brings glad tidings of good things,
Who proclaims salvation,
Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Isaiah 52:7

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: 
  • Brian Slater’s wife Racheli has suffered a broken hip/Femural Neck Fracture from a fall in their home. She will be on crutches for two months. Appreciate prayers.
  • Four elder ministry leaders in Israel, 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.
  • Harvest of Asher   Continued prayer for Elena’s recovery from cancer, also for her mother’s recovery from surgery and for Elena’s daughter who is taking care of them all. Please pray for a 11-yr old autistic boy who functions at a high level, but has declined emotionally with a change in schools this year.  Pray for Marina & her daughter suffering from a genetic hearing disease.
  • 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


By Asher Intrater and Ariel Blumenthal, Revive-Israel Ministries



EXCERPT:  The 70 years of both Jeremiah and Daniel represent a spiritual pattern for us even today.  The 70th year marks the end of a biblical period, particularly of national judgment. The Ten Commandments state that the effects of the sin of one generation will be experienced until the 3rd and 4th generations—also approximately 70 years (Exodus 20:5).  This 70 year period is coming to an end as regarding the Holocaust.  The last of the Holocaust survivors are gradually passing away and the direct psychological influence on their grandchildren and great-grandchildren is passing away with them. This spiritual change has both positive and negative effects.

                Read more here

Praying the Headlines


Thursday, January 30, 2014 |  David Lazarus



Messianic Jews have won another battle for recognition in Israel. This time a special judicial tribunal has determined that a Messianic congregation in Jerusalem should receive the same full tax exemption as a synagogue.



The battle began back in 2010, when ultra-Orthodox Members of Knesset Moshe Gafni of United Torah Judaism and Nisim Zeev of the Shas party passed a law providing Jewish synagogues relief from all municipal taxes. Lawyers from the Jerusalem Institute of Justice (JIJ) then petitioned the court to also provide a Messianic fellowship in the capital with the same status. And they won.



The ruling is significant in that it allows for full tax relief for all space used by the Messianic congregation, including the meeting hall, a drug rehabilitation center, children and youth activity rooms, pastors' offices, and space for secondhand clothing distribution.



According to JIJ, since the case began in 2010, congregations applying now for the discount will be paid back retroactively for all municipal taxes incurred over the last three years. The Jerusalem Institute for Justice is encouraging all Messianic Congregations paying municipal taxes on their facilities to apply for the tax break. The new ruling promises a major windfall of tens of thousands of shekels each year now available for Messianic congregations in Israel.  Read more here.



Wayne Hilsden of King of Kings in Jerusalem posted on Facebook Feb 1st:  “Yesterday the Jerusalem Post published a nice article featuring our Jerusalem Prayer Tower and Cafe Forte -- and our vision to beautify our surroundings.  Follow the link to read online. 

Israeli Ministries on Tours
BOOKING meetings now (See open dates)  Inside the attached Weekly Summary are itineraries and open dates for Brian Slater of Yeshua’s Fresh Bread in Israel and Joel Jelski of Succat Hallel  




Donna Diorio 
 arrowsfromzion@gmail.com or donna@d10r10.com
 

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