WEEKLY Arrows from Zion 4/8/2015

Serving the Body of Messiah in Israel since August 2001 

Arrows from Zion

Priority Prayer Focus Apr 8, 2015

Thank you Yeshua for all You have done!  You are our salvation.

Contact info for all the ministries included inside the subscription-only Weekly Summary.
Arrows from Zion Strategically Aimed for the Lord’s Harvest in Israel

Yad Hashmona, which is the first Messianic Kibbutz in Israel, as well as a guest house and conference facility located just outside Jerusalem begins our Summary this week with the report on the intense Israeli elections and how strongly Israeli media were persuading that Netanyahu “must go!” 

Ayelet Ronen, who is the general secretary of Yad Hashmonah writes, “Believers in the country prayed for this election fervently. We all felt it is important, and one that can lead to a 180 degree change in the direction Israel is taking. No matter who each of us voted for, I felt very clearly that Netanyahu's election was an answer to prayer. As hard as it is for us as believers to see the growing power of the religious parties, I believe God will be with us through it all. . . . We need to continue to pray for wisdom for the Israeli leaders. Although we know many of them do not follow God's call, they ARE instruments in God's sovereign hand and I truly believe prayer makes a difference in Israel.”

There are many homes currently being built for families in the Yad Hashmona community and Ayelet asks prayers for the building so families will be able to move in by the end of the year. There are details of what to pray for inside the attached PDF Weekly Summary that I don’t necessarily want to publish in Arrows.  They have also started a building project for the kids playing zone, more facilities and public lighting on roads and walkways.  Pray for “Speedy, yet accurate, completion of our building project, and open doors for future projects! We pray for funds for the Community center we need so much.”

This is a believing community putting down deep and substantial roots in the Israeli soil, and you will want to read more of the life of their community inside the attached Weekly Summary, where you can also find their contact information.  They also ask prayers for “Safety and provision for our families here, especially for those of our youth currently serving in the Israeli Defense Forces.”

Return to Zion is a thriving family oriented congregation in Haifa led by Leon Mazin.  One of the recent projects they chose to do was to provide for their returning IDF soldiers to be able “to travel to a quiet place, to spend some time alone with God, to receive teaching and travel around.  We hope that they will return to Israel with new power for their next step, which is serving the Lord.”  Donate here

It is somewhat a tradition for Israelis who have completed their mandatory IDF service after high school to travel abroad before returning to normal life and college, or whatever they decide to pursue for their life.  Often the trips abroad are not exactly godly pursuits, or lead many to experiment with strange religions.  IDF service is a challenging time for young believers, and many lose their spiritual way during this time.  This is a pro-active ministry to the young soldiers, to beckon them back into the life of the Spirit…a worthy path of ministry that is Israel-specific ministry.

In the family theme, the Return to Zion congregation also recently held a men’s retreat which one of the men wrote an article for in the Tikkun ministries monthly magazine.  Read about their desert getaway in “A Place Without Noise | Men with God in the Desert” .  You can read more about how Return to Zion is reaching out also into their community inside the attached PDF Weekly Summary.

Ronit Bender in Carmel writes, “Do you ever pray for something, and when the Lord answers your prayer, you get so surprised? I asked the Lord to open more doors for me to share the Gospel, and I received a phone call from an Israeli woman here in Haifa, who asked me to her home a couple of weeks ago. 15 of her friends were there to hear a 'lecture' from me. I told them it is not a lecture but my testimony. They listened, asked many questions, asked me back sometime soon, and gave me a love offering.  It was an evening I will not forget in a hurry, as the Presence of God was very strong in the room.”

Ronit writes about three people in Israel who gave their lives to the Lord over the past week including  a young Arabic man visiting his elderly uncle in the hospital.  She went with a Carmel congregational team led by Eric Benson of the House of Victory to minister in Tel Aviv to prostitutes, drug addicts, and street people.  She writes, “What I saw shook me to the core.  The filth, the despair, and the sadness on these people's faces, cut right into my heart. They use synthetic heroin, boil some cheap pills and inject them into their collapsing veins.   We went out to the streets inviting them to have a hot soup, sandwich and Carol's delicious brownies. Some came” ….including Shimon who had asked God that morning why He did not help him when he is in the lowest point of his life.  Ronit asks prayers for this man and the others that came.  Read more inside the attached PDF Weekly Summary

From Revive Israel, Asher has important observations about the concept of salvation in the scriptures – one is military and the other is spiritual and both are true.  Asher wrties, “This dichotomy can cause confusion when trying to dialogue about salvation. The question "Are you saved?" has virtually no meaning in modern Hebrew...  Read more

He also compares and contrasts “Two Summits” that were held concerning the Middle East last weekend.  “The contrast between the two highlights some of the bizarre complexities of the conflicts in the region. The first was held in Lausanne, Switzerland in which an international coalition, led by the United States, seems close to an agreement with Iran over their nuclear building plans.  The second was held in Sharm-El-Sheikh, Sinai in which the Arab league, led by the Egyptians and the Saudis met to form a coalition against the aggression of Iranian forces throughout the Middle East, particularly in Yemen. Ironically, the majority of the Arab league is basically in agreement with the Israeli position concerning Iran.”  Read in full inside the attached PDF Weekly Summary where you will also find the very telling answer to the question, “Who’s Standing with Iran?

Years ago, in the 1990’s as I was studying Genesis and the distinctively different roles of men and women according to God’s design, I also saw that this principle related to the distinctly different roles of Israel and the Church.  Delightfully, this is the subject of this video teaching by Asher called Israel and the Nations where Asher shows that just like a man and woman were created for each other, so are Israel and the nations. Both are called to be in relationship, mutually serve and bless each other.   

One thing you can say about Israel Pochtar is that he is on fire to win souls.  He writes, “When we first started Beit Hallel Congregation we could hardly imagine how far the Lord would take us and our work, the doors He would open and the influence & favor we would gain in our city.  Until today thousands in Ashdod have heard the gospel through us, which we consider to be a miracle, but nevertheless it's the reality.”

Now Pochtar and the Beit Hallel congregation are planning on a new special program where they will take “600 non-believers on a tour of Jerusalem, share biblical history with them, then finish the day with a celebration event of praise, worship, preaching the gospel, ending with altar call and prayer for healing. The event has a lot of potential, and we believe can be very powerful in reaching these people, since many of them are very open to the gospel after working with us for several years. This project is a unique opportunity to reach Israelis with the gospel, and it promises to be a life-changing experience for them.”  Find out how you can get involved with this outreach inside the attached PDF Weekly Summary

The Carmel congregation in Haifa put on six Passover Seder outreaches and ask prayer for lasting fruit and follow up to come from each.  They ask several prayer requests which you can access in the attached Weekly Summary – including prayers for fresh anointing on our small group classes for Russian-speaking new believers; and new workers for our Or HaCarmel women’s shelter for African refugee women and children. 

They are also the covering ministry of the House of Victory rehab mentioned earlier and they are asking prayer for the homeless, afflicted men being brought from the streets of Tel Aviv to House of Victory.  Pray for deliverance and discipleship. Pray for anointing upon our weekly outreach teams to Tel Aviv.  If you have anyone in your family or friends whose life has courted disaster with addictions, then you know the nightmare that many of us do not want intruding into our consciousness.  Pray for all those who minister to these people who so fit the scriptural description of Proverbs 24:11:  “Deliver those that are drawn toward death, hold back those that are stumbling to the slaughter”

Read the article by David Davis, the leader of the Carmel Assembly in Teaching Articles as he writes about the Hand Behind History - inside the attached PDF Weekly Summary 

Calev Myers of the Jerusalem Institute of Justice wrtes about speaking before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva last week.  You can watch the video here as well as videos of the other speakers who addressed the UNHRC on behalf of Israel.

Eddie Santoro of the Ahavat Yeshua congregation in Jerusalem writes of Passover.  “God set a destiny in place for this nation and although the very powers of Hell endeavor to prevent its fulfillment, He who promised is faithful.”  The Passover holiday is not a peripheral issue in Israel – everyone and every city is attuned to the same thing, and when it is done, “As Israel has done for 4,500 years, the nation will have kept its appointment with God to remember their momentous Exodus from Egypt.”  In due season, the greater spiritual picture of Passover will be understood as “all Israel shall be saved.”

“For those of us who believe, Passover is not just about remembering the exodus from Egypt but it was on this day that Yeshua was crucified as an eternal offering to set us free from sin and death. This year the Christian and Jewish calendar coincided and on this weekend, the city of Jerusalem was filled with Christian pilgrims who came to honor the Lamb of God, Yeshua who was sacrificed on this day and rose again on Sunday. It was in the city of Jerusalem that Yeshua gave himself and it will be to this same city that He will return - not as the sacrificial lamb but as the King of Glory.” 

Joel Jelski of Succat Hallel relates recent ministry events involving Israelis Jews and Arabs from Jerusalem and Bethlehem, as well as trips in Ephesus, Turkey, and near Kobani, Syria.  I will not share those details publicly but you may read about them and view Joel’s pictures inside the attached PDF Weekly Summary

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: 

Carolyn Hyde seems to have experienced another TIA, mini-stroke.  Please pray for Carolyn, that the LORD would keep her in the palm of His Hand and no weapon formed against her shall prosper.

Please continue to pray for Brian Slater’s wife Racheli who is recovering from hip surgery in a Tel Aviv rehabilitation unit.  Pray also for Brian and the kids in Netanya who are very much missing home life without her.

From Revive Israel:  Two weeks ago we asked you to pray for Sari (a young Messianic mother fighting cancer). Sadly this week she passed away. Please pray for her husband, three young children, and their extended family in this difficult time.

Teaching Articles

Ron Cantor’s Video “Passover:  The Jewish/Matzah Connection”

Martin Sarvis also offers insight into Firstfruits, which follows Passover.

Praying the Headlines

Martin Sarvis offers insights and prayers for the new government of Israel which is being formed by Prime Minister Netanyahu.  These are critical negotiations – especially for believers – who desire a strong national security government but also balanced by parties that are strong on individual freedom issues.  Israel has a unique secular-religious divide quite unlike the political systems we are accustomed to in Western democracies.  Believers in the nations need a ‘tour guide’ to navigate Israeli politics and there are none better than those believers who regularly write of such things in this Weekly Summary.
Read Martin’s full report inside the attached Weekly Summary.

Israeli Ministries on Tours  |  BOOKING meetings now (See open dates)  Inside the attached Weekly Summary are itineraries and open dates for

Shlomy & Miriam Abramov in Texas May 14-18

Inside the subscription only Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests from Israeli Ministries
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Donna Diorio 
 arrowsfromzion@gmail.com or donna@d10r10.com
 
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