WEEKLY Arrows from Zion 9/3/2014

Arrows from Zion

9/11 is in the DNA of this ministry as it was launched just two weeks prior
to the attack on the US by Islamists in 2001.  Our preparation had been
laid by following Israel's fight with Islamists for a decade prior to that but
on Sept 11, 2001, this prayer letter began to seek to better inform Christians
on the true fight that exists for the redemption of Israel.
Pray for us as we embark on this 14th year of
Weekly Summaries of Prayer Requests from Israeli Ministries.

Arrows from Zion May be copied for use in Prayer Gatherings
  Copy & paste into a document for printing. 

Priority Prayer Focus Sep 3, 2014

Life goes on after the war in Israel but these prayer letters show us clearly that all life in Israel has been impacted – including the lives of believers.  If you ever wanted to understand what it is like to be a believer living and serving  in Israel, sharing the lot that falls to the “chosen people” called back into the Land by God, then this is the issue of the Weekly Summary that you will want to read every page of.  Let these testimonies of the joy and sorrows touch your heart, and armed with understanding let your prayer arrows fly.

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 this week with an excellent re-cap of the war by Eddie Santoro in Jerusalem:  “The ink had barely dried on the paper when the leaders of Hamas crawled out of the holes they had been hiding in for nearly two months and declared ‘victory’. The tragic face of that ‘victory’ should have been overwhelming to them. . . . But none of this mattered! Not the suffering. Not the death. Not the overwhelming destruction. Once again it was ‘the lie’ that had to be declared and endorsed.”

“How different the reality on the Israeli side. Saying very little, Israel accepted the Hamas surrender. Over those same fifty days there was relatively minimal damage from the over 5,000 rockets and mortars that were fired into Israel. . . . although tragically 63 Israeli soldiers and 7 civilians were killed, it was a high but unavoidable price to pay to so damage this terrorist group. Israel claims that Operation Protective Edge has set Hamas back ten years!”

“From its rebirth sixty six years ago, each of the many wars that this nation has endured has been forced upon it. The IDF is just that: The Israeli Defense Force. Its only purpose is to defend Israel against its enemies. Aggression and conquest have never been our goal or desire. God never promised that it would be easy. The destiny that he has given to this nation is great and so are the "birth pains" that Israel must pass through to see this same destiny fulfilled.”

Santoro asks prayer over these issues:   
Pray that God would raise up voices of truth to counter the anti-Israel rhetoric that is so prevalent.

    Pray for wisdom for Israel's leaders as they determine the correct strategy during the coming negotiations.

    Pray that world opinion would rightly discern the realities of Israel's struggle and understand the danger of Jihad to the entire world.

    Pray that the Palestinian people would begin to see how they are being exploited by their leaders.

    Pray against an outbreak of Palestinian violence in Judea, Samaria, Jerusalem and Arab towns in other parts of Israel.

    Pray for a new strategic alliance between Israel and other Arab nations that are opposed to Jihad.

    Pray for the knowledge of Yeshua to be manifest in the hearts of many, both Jews and Palestinians during this time.  

Dov Bikas, whose ministries are located in Tel Aviv and Beer Sheva, reflects on the difference of how the activities at their ministries were affected by the Hamas war. In Tel Aviv things went on as usual mostly, but in Beer Sheva close to Gaza, their Shabbat services had to be cancelled 4 times in a row.  In Tel Aviv, where they work with drug addicts, the sex abused and other street people, they were able to start up a monthly Shabbat service for the first time.  They ask prayer that it will continue and bear much fruit in the down and out coming to salvation.

In Beer Sheva they have opened a Christian home – a “second stage rehab” or halfway house for former addicts transitioning back into a normal productive life.  You can read more details about this effective ministry that has the respect of the local Israeli Messianic ministries.  In this type of ministry, a good name is because others can clearly see the good fruit.

Speaking of good fruit, Daniel Yahav, who pastors one of the largest congregations in Israel – and in an area that is heavily religious – has been honored by the town of Yavne’el as “Honorary Citizen of the Year”.    David Lazarus of Beit Immanuel writing an article about the recognition of Yahav’s hometown noted, “A video of residents describing why they thought Yahav should get this recognition was shown at the ceremony. ‘You are the only one that everybody agreed on. Who else would get it?’ some said.”  It is high praise for a Messianic Jew to receive from an Israeli city.  You can read the whole article inside the attached PDF Weekly Summary

In Arad, south of Gaza, the believers are grateful that they were mostly left out of the missile barrage of Hamas that the rest of the nation endured.  Over the past decade plus, Arad has suffered its own barrage of enemy missiles – only in the form of religious persecution and harassment.   But they are all eager to play their part in shouldering the burdens of their fellow Israelis.  You will be fascinated to read of the work of one of their members whose job it is to inform the families of the soldiers whose lives have been taken in the war. 

They also write about the reservists who are called up in times like the recently fought Hamas war.  This will give you insight to prayer in the next breakout of war that Israel faces – and all of them know many more are in their future.  Finally, they also share about a trained medic who happens to be a Messianic and what happened when he volunteered at a war blood drive and an ultra-orthodox also from Arad spotted him – making a big stink about him being a “missionary”.  Finally he was asked to leave, but the media got hold of the story.  The Hasdey Yeshua congregation are asking for what the enemy meant for evil to be turned for good (and some instances, it already has).

Finally the Arad congregation encourages people to support the ministry of The Ark of the Negev.  You can do that by buying the jewelry made by the distressed women the Ark ministers too.  You can find their jewelry on Jewels of the Ark Facebook page.

From central Israel, Shlomy and Miriam Abramov of the Awake Israel Ministries send a couple of photos and prayer requests for two of the soldiers.  One was a medic in a combat unit that went into Gaza – we asked for prayer at one of the Avney Nezer (Jewels in the Crown) congregational Seekers ministry night.  The other was a soldier who was saved from a grenade attack who lost and eye and was badly burned in the attack.  Pray for these young men whose hearts are open to the Messiah.

Howard Bass in Beer Sheva writes that they are “Back to ‘normal’.  Ha!  Whatever that is, Bass says he thinks the standard of measuring normalcy has been lowered during the last generation.  But with this, he writes, “God is bringing the hidden things of darkness to light, so that His judgments will be seen to be righteous and true when the necessary time comes in His long-suffering towards sinners (and who isn't?).”

Howard writes, “We see in Gaza, despite all the destruction and havoc, those who are hell-bent on Israel's destruction are completely unrepentant or apologetic to even their own people upon whom they brought such devastation, but continue to blaspheme and to boast of their victory in taking on the great ‘occupier’!” 

“As I wrote in a previous letter, had Israel wanted to, with all their might and forces they could have demolished all of Gaza.  But it is not God's way at this time; there are still those in Gaza who call upon the name of Jesus as Lord and Messiah; and there are still others whom our Father in Heaven desires to be saved before that great and dreadful Day of YHVH comes.  Same on the Israel side:  many more Gentiles must be brought into the Kingdom before the partial blindness on the Jewish people as a nation is totally healed.”

Howard shares a music video you will enjoy from Isaiah 41:17-20 Here is an abridged version of a song performed by Martin Sarvis, written by Godfrey Bertill, called Fertile Ground.  Martin sings it on his CD, "Over the Dead of the Desert", and as part of the song, he reads out Is 41:17-20, which are the verses which represent our 'logo' for Streams in the Negev/Yeshua's Inheritance Cong.  I commissioned Daniel Boskey to put photos to the song for posting on You Tube.

You can read more about the many activities of the Beer Sheva congregationa leaders inside the attached PDF Weekly Summary- also inside is the Australia itinerary of Howard and Randi Bass in the coming weeks. 

From Avi and Chayi Mizrachi of Dugit and Adonai Roi congregation in Tel Aviv, a report on the wrap up of the Hamas war and the delayed start of the school year.  They write:  “On Thursday evening, our Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the IDF for doing such an outstanding job of targeting the terrorists while avoiding to hit innocent Palestinians. He concluded with the scripture from Isaiah 40:1 "Comfort Ye, Comfort Ye My people..."  Although the war is over for now, hundreds of thousands of Israelis in the south of Israel are dealing with Post War Trauma. As the Israeli people send their children to school today, they do so with many worries in their heart.  Please keep Israeli children and parents in your prayers.”

Joel Jelski writes from Jerusalem about the shaking that is going on throughout the Middle East. “I want to encourage you to continue praying for Iraq and Syria and the persecution of Christians happening there.“

“On a different note,” Jelsi writes, “I want to point out that some major challenges are arising for Israel on the northern border of Israel.  A branch of Al-Qaeda has taken control of some strategic posts and areas in the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. Two soldiers have already been injured by shorts fired from Syria into Israel. They have taken 40 UN soldiers hostage, and other countries have said they will not send their troops back to the Israel-Syria border. This will leave a HUGE vacuum left to be filled by either Assad's army or terror rebel groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda, with no UN troops to serve as a buffer zone and inspectors to keep the peace. This border has been quiet for many years now, and it is now starting to be a major concern for Israel. Listen to a message Joel gave on the Isaiah 19 & 40 ME highway. 

Rachel & Gilad Netanel are some of the most fruitful evangelists in Israel – and on the Israeli terms demanded of evangelists: they attract people by who they are – real, caring and willing to share the good news with those God brings across their paths.  You will get excellent insight into how different evangelism in Israel is compared to wherever it is you are reading this Arrows from Zion.  Rachel shares how she ministers to individual people in her life and you will feel full reading more inside the attached PDF Weekly Summary

Pray for an upcoming event they will host in their home, which has become the center of their ministry as they gather people to eat, hear the Word and receive ministry. 

Our friend Eitan Shishkoff reflects on recent deaths –  “Paradoxically, one of life's most penetrating teachers is death” – as he considers the deaths from the war of a Messianic soldier raised in the Tents of Mercy congregation, as well as that of a 4-year old boy who was one of the last civilians felled by Gaza missiles.  He also notes the death of comedian Robin Williams, whom some of us have noted Eitan bore a striking resemblance to.  Finally, he pondered the death of Herman Haustein, a man of godly character, whose message of faith in Yeshua was in how he lived his life. 

Shishkoff concludes his tribute, writing, “Herman achieved what is ultimately most valuable. He demonstrated how to walk with the Lord in a way that touches others where they live. His was a no nonsense approach that speaks more eloquently than 1000 verbally preached messages. May his memory be blessed.”

Finally Shishkoff writes, “The senseless loss of the Tragerman's young son, among the endless drone of Hamas's unprovoked acts of calculated murder, left me in tears. Enough! People just want to raise their families without the constant threat of terror. This demonic hatred of the Jewish nation, this mockery of all that is good, this worship of cruelty - these arouse intense, war-like intercession. One the one hand we feel a helpless vulnerability. On the other hand, there is an instinctive need to respond and to DO something. That is the aim of this letter. I offer the most basic course of action - prayer.”

Inside the attachment of 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

Teaching Articles

What is Truth?  By Asher Intrater  |  There is a clash of so-called “truth” in the world today. When Yeshua stood before Pilate, He told Pilate that He was the truth and was born to bear witness of the truth. Pilate’s last words to Yeshua are a significant question:  What is truth? John 18:38   

….Truth has a moral quality. A true person is someone you can trust. Truth is not just affirmed mentally; it must be obeyed (Romans 2:8, Galatians 3:1, 5:7). Real truth is spiritual and has an ability to change our lives in a dramatic way.   John 8:32   You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Israeli Ministries on Tours

BOOKING meetings now (See open dates)  Inside the attached Weekly Summary are itineraries and open dates for Asher & Betty Intrater of Revive Israel & Tikkun Ministries International in Jerusalem; Howard & Randi Bass, Nachalat Yeshua;  Marc Chopinsky of Future Vision Studios (Recording/Mix/Master); David Silver of Out of Zion

________________________________________

Donna Diorio 
 arrowsfromzion@gmail.com or donna@d10r10.com
 
If your weekly Arrows from Zion email does not come in,
check online each Wednesday at Israel Prayer Dot 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.