WEEKLY Arrows from Zion 8/6/2014 Ceasefire on the 9th of Av

 

 Arrows from Zion

Serving the Body of Messiah in Israel since August 2001 

Arrows from Zion May be copied for use in Prayer Gatherings

Priority Prayer Focus Aug 6, 2014

Wrapping up the Weekly Prayer Summary & Arrows on Tuesday morning, we see for the first time that a negotiated ceasefire seems to be holding for the first time. Interestingly enough, today is the 9^th of Av. Likely I will need to issue another prayer summary by the weekend just to catch everyone up on how things are going. I’ve already exceeded the limit of pages for the week and already have new, pertinent updates coming in. So keeping praying for these requests – and especially over the leaders & soldiers of Israel.

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

Unfortunately this week we start off with the death and funeral of a Messianic IDF soldier who was raised in Eitan Shishkoff’s congregation in Kiryat Yam (Haifa Bay region).

  Shai was killed in battle last Friday and laid to rest as many believers, fellow soldiers and others came to show their respects for the ultimate sacrifice he gave for his native homeland.   Eitan writes, “As Israel's Messianic community we have been resurrected after nearly 2000 years. In many ways we struggle to be recognized as integral members of Israeli society. This tragic loss proves that we are just as much a part of it as any other segment of the nation.”  Indeed this is the case.

Shai is not the only Messianic soldier who has given his life in the war against Hamas.  Another soldier of Ethiopian descent has been reported to have been killed in the fighting by our friend Martin Sarvis in Jerusalem.  Often these soldiers who are newer immigrants are what is referred to as “lone soldiers” who for several different reasons serve without the backing of relatives or other support system.  Pray for these lone soldiers and those who are ministering to them, like

Several ministries reach out to these lone soldiers to provide that support structure, including Calev Myers and the Jerusalem Institute of Justice – who, by the way, was interviewed by CNN twice over the weekend.  Very important to their humanitarian work in Israel and advocacy outside of Israel. Watch the videos First interview and Second Interview

Speaking of videos, we recommend this music video by Shani Ferguson that captures much of what Israelis are feeling right now.  It is called Weep and this is the just released English version.   Inside the attached PDF Weekly Summary, Shani and Kobi (Yeshua Israel) also tell an important story about the needs of the soldiers that they have been trying to meet over the last weeks.  Because the Israeli budget is invested in the most urgent need of military equipment, the soldiers are out there with some more basic, personal needs unmet – like clean shirts, socks, towels, snacks and even deodorant to our guys who spend their days in the dust and hot sun, as well as protective knee pads, flashlights, extra batteries, etc (all items desperately needed when in tunnel warfare). 

You will be moved by the entire story told inside the Weekly Summary, as well as contact information shared for all the Israeli ministries mentioned in Arrows from Zion.  There may be a ceasefire holding today, but there is no telling what tomorrow will bring or when the soldiers will stand down completely.

Returning to the prayer letter from Eitan Shishkoff, he writes, “Though we are in the north and do not hear air raid sirens or explosions, we've been able to take several truckloads of needed supplies to soldiers near the fighting. We had the privilege of receiving twenty children from one of the southern cities under fire, to join some sixty kids from our network congregations and take part in a dynamic, four day children's camp this week. We want to continue doing these things. Contributions can be earmarked for Wartime Aid and will be used as such.”

What Christians who do not support the Israeli Messianic ministries miss, is the opportunity to bless Israel from beginning to end in the Name of Jesus.  Not only is the donation for humanitarian aid in Israel given by a Christian, but also it is distributed in Israel by Israeli Messianic Jews who love and follow Yeshua too.  This is the kind of blessing God intended for the Church to participate in during the days He set to return to Israel with the promised Redemption.  It is no longer good enough to just contribute money to Israel haphazardly.  Today is the day that we must unite as a worldwide Body to bless Israel truly by Yeshua/Jesus own Body in Israel.

Many of the Israeli ministries have been sending the names of their serving soldiers, including the request we got from Leah and David Ortiz for two of their sons serving, Natan and Ariel.  We have heard that there are approximately 400 Messianic IDF soldiers.  Their willingness to serve in the military is a strong witness to the military and also to the general public who see that not only do they take their faith very seriously, but they also take their responsibility to serve their nation – even to the point of giving their lives.  Pray for these men and women.  Many of them are very young and accepting levels of responsibility that people their age in our countries cannot even imagine.

The Harvest of Asher congregational leader, Guy Cohen, in Acco, takes us back to the Bible in an article written in memory of Shai, the IDF soldier from Tents of Mercy.  You may be surprised to read the parallels of the story of Samson and the story of Gaza (Azza).  This is an ancient conflict and Cohen has insights you will want to read  inside the attached PDF Weekly Summary

Guy writes, “Bless Israel the land and the nation. Here in the land, we the sons and daughters of Jacob are building the cities and restoring the land. Yes we expect to have a hard time but we are in the center of His calling, I hope you are too because many believers think that God is finished with Israel “replacement  theology”. He has not forgotten Israel.  The messianic body in Israel is in the minority but soon the revival will come to Israel and all Israel will be saved. That will happen in the end times. So, are you with Israel?”

Howard Bass who leads the Yeshua’s Inheritance congregation in Beer Sheva writes on the important subject of the tensions that are raised in these war-time periods between many among the Messianic Jews and the Christian Arabs.  He HhhHe writes, “For those of you who love and support Israel and the Jewish people, make no mistake:  both rabbinic Judaism and Islam are against the truth of who the true God and Yeshua/Jesus/Yasu is.”  But he also writes, “There is no moral relativism between Hamas and Israel; but neither is there any moral relativism between Israel's own justification to fight against her enemies, and between God's righteousness in bringing the Jewish people to submit to His case with them regarding Jesus.” 

Howard Bass added later, “Some of our Arab brothers are very loud and vocal when it comes to their outcry against the destruction and deaths in Gaza, and in their support of the 'resistance against the occupation', but are very quiet when it comes to all the atrocities being committed by Arabs against Arabs in Gaza and in the Arabic Muslim countries just across our borders and in North Africa and elsewhere.  Maybe God will allow an Islamic Palestinian state just to let them know what it is like, if that is really what they want.  We need to be very careful indeed.”

Always it is the position of Arrows from Zion that we love both Messianic Jews and Christian Arabs, and we support the vital reconciliation efforts between the two as an encouraging sign of the power of Yeshua to heal every breach.  When it comes to pity for the civilians of Gaza, we have much pity, but we see also that Hamas infrastructure must be taken out.  Gaza will have to reject Hamas completely, or Hamas will simply rebuild and set their own people up again for even greater devastation.  If that is too political for some in Israel and the territories, so be it. Israel is in a defensive war – a nation fighting for its existence against terrorists.  I have never made any bones that Islamist terrorism is the enemy of Israel, the United States and indeed the world.  It is a no-brainer that our support is behind Israel’s fight.

Asher Intrater of Revive Israel gives a short teaching on Psalm 46:2, how God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in troubles.  He relates it to the Israel-Hamas was and writes of the tribulation that Israel is experiencing:  “This is causing a deep work in the heart of the people of Israel, being forced to stand in a place of courage and integrity while confronting the evil, violence, lies and hatred.  May God grant us justice, compassion and humility (Micah 6:8) to see all these bad things work out for the good (Romans 8:28)!  There is a tremendous victory at hand!”

Moti Cohen, also with Revive Israel, gives a report on several of the IDF soldiers from the Love of Yeshua congregation in Jerusalem.  I cannot emphasize enough what a strong witness and testimony the Messianic soldiers are in their ranks – they carry great courage, leadership and excellence in their service and that speaks to the fellow soldiers.

Orna Greenman of A Sign & A Wonder ministry to orphans, widows and single parents has set up a blog (here) in order to communicate more frequently with believers in the nations.  Of special interest to Orna is to help the Church take hold of their roles as “Ruth” in the redemption of Israel.  Her latest blog post is on the 9^th of Av, a day of historic tragedies for the Jewish people….which happens to be today.

The leadership of the Congregation of the Wellspring – I’m using their English-translation names here but all the ministries Hebrew names are inside the attached PDF Weekly Summary along will all contact information – write from Kfar Saba, where the soldier who was kidnapped in the last days of the fighting was from.  The young man was the nephew of the Israeli Defense Minister, and the congregation, as all Israel, were grieved to learn of his fatality.

They write, “Our heart is to pray without ceasing for our nation as well as the citizens, the innocent victims of Gaza who are held against their will, or directed to be human shields for the terrorists.  Our hearts are heavy as none of us want war, we want peace and to live in peace.  But this appears impossible without the Prince of Peace to bring this about.”

Also, “Please pray for God to comfort us and extend His overwhelming peace on all of us.  There is a great opportunity for the Gospel to be shared as people are open to hearing about peace, and the Prince of Peace.  Pray for divine opportunities on buses, in bomb shelters, around dinner tables, wherever God allows.  On a last note, we have sent out a letter regarding the purchase of the basement of our building.  It is to be used for our youth center as well as our distribution center.  Little did we know how critical and timely this need has become?  It is also our congregation’s bomb shelter.  Please pray for God’s intervention and assistance in this purchase.”

Jacob Damkani of Trumpet of Salvation and Hotel Gilgal in Tel Aviv-Jaffa writes, “Imagine for a moment that it is five in the morning and you wake up to the sound of a howling siren. You rush to get your children. There are only twenty seconds before the missiles will strike. People are pouring out of their apartments flooding the staircase making it difficult to reach the bomb shelter located in the basement of the building in time. You are praying the missiles don’t hit near you. Your family enters the shelter as the concussion of the explosion outside rocks your building. The sound is deafening. This is the third time you have run for your life tonight.” 

Yesterday Ron Cantor of the Glory of Yeshua congregation in Tel Aviv wrote a very telling post on Facebook about the trauma a great many Israelis are experiencing:  “You know that feeling when you think your phone is vibrating or ringing and it isn't even in your pocket? Well, Israelis are suffering a far more serious syndrome. We hear the sirens of incoming rockets all day long and in our sleep. Here is a list of things I have mistaken (and thus, felt a momentary traumatic shock) for the incoming Hamas Rocket alert:  A washing machine when it was spinning fast, A toy car, Cars passing me, the radio when it was on low and then I noticed noise, kids playing, the app on my phone that makes the siren sound whenever there is a rocket, no matter where - 3x (once during our congregation and had to quickly assure everyone that it was not real... or at least not real in Tel Aviv) and nothing at all... just think I hear a siren and many other things, all day long, that I can't remember.”

Ron also sent out this video to give you a feel for what Israelis experience hearing the siren for real and having to run for their lives to shelter.

So you can imagine what the poor residents of Sderot feel like having lived with random rain of missiles from Gaza landing in their nearby town for over the past decade!  These people are really traumatized and that is why Ye’shi Reinhardt picked his ministry in Jerusalem and moved it into the town of Sderot several years back.  They do humanitarian aid to terror victims through Hands of Mercy, and through Tents of Victory the minister to the bombarded citizens of Sderot. 

Ye’shi writes, “This is not a phony war, we are bombarded every day by Hamas, we praise Yah that our government cares enough about us to have built us shelters in our homes, bus stops, shops and work-places. Without them and the Iron Dome, we would be facing funerals every day, just like the oppressed people of Gaza, whose leadership are offering them up as sacrifices to the world media circus, by using the aid donated to them for building terror tunnels and missiles, rather than on protection for their precious people.”  Find out how you can help and read the prayer requests from this ministry to the wounded – physically and psychologically.

Uzi and Charlotte Lotan of the House of Praise in a town in Samaria write that Israel is not just fighting Hamas for itself, but in reality “is fighting this war for the entire Judaeo-Christian World, not only without any recognition, but in fact with very strong opposition from most nations!”  So very true! All radical Islam is about one thing and one thing only: the war against God and His Messiah’s right to reign as the King of kings.

The Lotans make this “Call to the Nations | We must understand that even though the fight is real, and dear people on both sides, all of them God's creations, are perishing - it is a war against powers & principalities, in the heavenly realms.  Will you too stand in agreement with Israel today, for God's sake? The IDF will do the physical fighting, the Body of Messiah in Israel will do the Spiritual Fighting (some of our dear sons are doing both!).”

Richard and Carolyn Hyde are fulfilling their commitments to speak in numerous places throughout the U.S. at this time.  This is always very difficult for Israeli ministries to be out of Israel when Israel is in battle, but God knows and directs their paths.  You should try to see them if you are able.  You will find their remaining itinerary inside the attached PDF Weekly Summary.

Before flying out they were able to join in with a team from Dugit ministry (Avi & Chaya Mizrachi) as they traveled to Ashkelon in the south near Gaza.  The children - in the area that has only 15 secs to get to shelter once they hear the sirens of continual missile launches overhead from Gaza – really needed some love and entertainment to take their minds off of this horrible war.  Dugit sent out a video of the ministry time that you are welcome to watch.

And last, but not least, is the second part of the prayer letter from Arni and Yonit Klein that was shared in part last week.  This week Arni picks up by sharing “Connecting the Natural and the Spiritual”.  We often see that what Israel experiences physically, the worldwide Body experiences soon after in a spiritual sense.  Arni looks at the vast underground network that the enemies of Israel had set up and says, “As God is now using the armies of Israel to uncover the place and nature of the enemy, so He will uncover where the enemy has set up camp in the midst of the Body of Messiah.”  Read more inside the attached PDF Weekly Summary.

He concludes by saying, “Pray about it.  Take it from us as you will.  Everything we hear and sense points to 2015 being a year of unprecedented upheaval and change.  If so, we have one year to establish a network of prayer, worship and intercession that will be give root and foundation to a Divine covering over the Land.  If you believe this and remain silent it will be a great loss for us all…including our heavenly Father.”

Thank you also to Arni & Yonit Klein for the about 50 new subscribers to this prayer letter after their recommendation a few weeks ago.  I hope you will all be blessed by the information we share each week from the greatly beloved Body of Messiah in Israel.

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